Fishing has long been enjoyed by men and women the world over. What’s more, it can be relied upon for a reliable income. However, what happens if you don’t have the time, knowledge, or skill to participate in real life? Should you simply forget your dreams, or should you look for a solution? I’d opt for the latter and what better place to start than by switching on your PC? Ultimate Fishing Simulator 2 is an Early Access title that plans to blow your mind.
Developed by Mastercode and published by Ultimate Games SA, this is an ultra-realistic sports simulation title. What’s more, it captures some incredible locations, has a vast amount of equipment to use, and has evolved past its predecessors’ stable foundations. Furthermore, it can be enjoyed solo, or played online against the world’s best players. As such, you’ll enjoy tournament mode, free fishing, and working towards an array of quests.
Ultimate Fishing Simulator 2 is incredible for an Early Access title.
I rarely enjoy Early Access games as they are flawed in many ways. Subsequently, the gameplay is ruined because of glitches and bugs. Now, I’m not saying Ultimate Fishing Simulator 2 has no problems, but the action is relatively trouble-free. Accordingly, I enjoyed the action as I caught fish after fish.
So, the performance is pretty good, but what I was interested in was the core gameplay and the locations I’d be visiting. Well, the developers didn’t disappoint as two gameplay modes have been incorporated. First, there is a basic regular option that enables assistance and a thorough tutorial. Second, you can make things much tougher by switching to the realistic mode. Here, you’ll see that many of the aids are removed, and the action is noticeably harder. This was an excellent choice as it offers a challenging learning curve whilst being rewarding as well.
However, what impressed me more was the stunningly beautiful locations you visit. Based on 6 real areas, would-be fishermen will be amazed. You can see the USA, Poland, Germany, Slovakia, Russia, and Thailand. Moreover, you’ll see familiar aspects from Jackson Park, Zalasie Summer Resort, Kiel Canal, Mountain River, Kurile Lake, and Blue Bay. Each of these locations is filled with unique fish specimens and deadly predators. It was truly fascinating to pit your wits against some cunning and aggressive sea creatures. Furthermore, every environment is spectacularly different, and this adds depth to the action.
Plenty of fish and equipment.
The stunning environments were great, but what you want is a tough adversary to hunt. Fortunately, Ultimate Fishing Simulator 2 has this covered as well! Thanks to the dynamic water mechanics and new fish AI systems, you must be smarter and more patient than ever before. Accordingly, you’ll have to master each of the fishing techniques to be successful. You’ll enjoy spinning, float, and ground methods combined with a large list of licensed fishing equipment.
Sakura and Robinson have included their market-leading products to increase the levels of realism. Alongside this, there are 200 different items to buy to improve your chances. You’ll select new reels, rods, bait, and so forth. The combination of equipment and different locations ensures that this isn’t another mindless fishing experience.
On top of all of this, there are 60 species of lifelike fish to capture. Each of these creatures has a personality and traits that must be understood. If you do not master your approach, you’ll fail to catch the biggest and best fish around. This was phenomenal, as it ensured the action was rewarding at all times.
Quests and skills.
No simulation game would be complete without a skill tree. By completing quests or capturing certain fish, you can improve your character. Now, this wasn’t entirely necessary in the early game, but as you progress, you’ll need all the help you can muster as you take down some true underwater monsters.
Alongside the skill tree, you are expected to complete an array of quests. These come in the form of daily, weekly, and monthly tasks. If you are successful, you’ll be awarded a range of prizes that help you to improve your character or purchase new equipment. Fortunately, if you miss out, it matters not as you simply move on to the next mission.
Ultimate Fishing Simulator 2 looks incredible.
Whenever you tackle a simulation game, you want it to look great. Fortunately, Ultimate Fishing Simulator 2 has done just that! Its variety of environments, realistic fish, amazingly detailed equipment and new features make it stand out. Furthermore, I adored the new underwater camera that shows every fish near your lure. This new angle redefines the fishing genre and gives you an insight that has long been missing. What’s more, the shadows and lighting for each location were phenomenal. It was incredible to observe a fish hiding in the shadows, or watching the sun’s rays bouncing off their scales. In short, the developers have done an awesome and jaw-dropping job.
This continues with the excellent and relaxing audio. Peace and tranquillity flow through every stage as you enjoy the environmental sounds. Further to this, the underwater sound effects are brilliant. The muffled noises and distant sounds transport you to this eerie and often overlooked alien world.
Detailed controls that enhance realism.
As much as I love a basic control setup, I know sim games are more advanced. In this case, Ultimate Fishing Simulator 2 has a reasonably complex approach that enhances its realistic nature. With real speed, drift, tension, and other minor layers included, you feel in complete control. Accordingly, it could have been overwhelming if it wasn’t for the excellent tutorial. The opening stage explains the fundamentals of the control layout and the basic mechanics. This was great, as it got you up to speed without confusing the matter.
With 6 massive locations to fish, and a large list of equipment to buy, there are plenty of different approaches to try. What’s more, each fishing technique and species of fish requires minor changes to be successful. On top of this, a large and often competitive tournament mode will suck you in for hours.
Ultimate Fishing Simulator 2 is better than its predecessor.
Without a doubt, Ultimate Fishing Simulator 2 is better than its predecessor. Though it’s still an Early Access title, I can see its potential and how great it will be. If you love the genre and adore fishing, you can’t go wrong. Consequently, I loved it and I recommend you to buy it here! Grab your gear, choose your fishing hole, and catch a whopper.
Summary.
Ultimate Fishing Simulator 2 is a fantastic sports simulation title. With an array of branded gear to buy and over 60 species of fish to hunt, there is something for everybody. What’s more, it’s visually impressive and beautiful to look at. I cannot wait to see how much it evolves during its short 6-month Early Access period. After this, gamers from all platforms will be able to enjoy the phenomenal fishing action.
(Preview completed on PC using Steam. At the moment, Ultimate Fishing Simulator 2 is only available on PC. More information on Ultimate Games SA can be found here!)
