Catch & Release

About

Catch & Release is a single player casual sport game. It was developed by metricminds GmbH & Co KG and was released on June 7, 2018. It received positive reviews from players.

"Catch & Release" is a peaceful VR fishing game that transports you to a beautiful mountain lake. Customize your fishing experience with various equipment and interactive items, or complete missions to unlock new gear. The realistic fishing mechanics, combined with a serene environment, create a truly immersive and relaxing experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 279 reviews

music12 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game offers a relaxing and immersive fishing experience, perfect for unwinding after a long day.
Graphics and sound design are well-executed, creating a beautiful and calming environment.
The gameplay mechanics, including casting and reeling in fish, are intuitive and satisfying once mastered.

The controls can be clunky and frustrating, particularly when it comes to rowing the boat and reeling in fish.
There is a lack of content, with only one lake and limited fish species, which may lead to repetitive gameplay.
The tutorial is vague and could benefit from more detailed instructions on fishing mechanics and techniques.

music
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
69%
6%
The music aspect of the game is generally appreciated for its relaxing quality, with players enjoying the ability to add their own custom tracks to the in-game radio. However, many users find the default music selection limited and repetitive, expressing a desire for more diverse options or integration with streaming services like Spotify. Overall, while the music enhances the chill experience, improvements in variety and accessibility could elevate it further.
- “One of the chillest VR experiences I've had; just hop on the boat and pop some music or a podcast to listen along.”
- “An absolutely amazing fishing experience in VR, relaxing, and you can even put your own music in the game!”
- “The ability to play our own custom music through the in-game radio is a major plus.”
- “Give us something else to do besides listening to music.”
- “Three radio stations (that I found by twisting the left knob on the radio) with 1 song each - got repetitive real fast, so I had to lift my Vive to put on some music from YouTube.”
- “I wish there were more songs on the radio (one radio channel seems to just have a single song on loop..?), but even so, the game is well worth its sticker price.”
graphics
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
29%
10%
The graphics in the game are generally praised for their beauty and immersive quality, striking a balance between realism and a stylized, cartoonish aesthetic. While many players appreciate the lovely environments and clear visuals, some report performance issues, such as lag during critical gameplay moments, which detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's relaxing atmosphere, despite some minor technical glitches and optimization concerns.
- “The graphics are really good, and the environments are beautiful.”
- “I would recommend this because of its beautiful graphics and it is super realistic.”
- “Great graphics, relaxing atmosphere.”
- “Graphics and physics are very simple.”
- “And second was optimization, this game runs really bad considering its graphics. It runs at the same FPS at normal and ultra options, which makes no sense to me.”
- “Cons - random graphics glitches.”
gameplay
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
54%
13%
The gameplay of the fishing simulator is a mixed bag, with players noting that while the mechanics can be clunky and frustrating—particularly regarding casting and reeling in fish—there is an engaging and addictive quality once mastered. Many appreciate the intuitive nature of the gameplay and the solid mechanics, despite some glitches and a lack of realism in graphics and fish names. Overall, it offers a relaxing experience, though it may become repetitive over time and could benefit from improved tutorials and additional immersive elements.
- “But once you learn the mechanics of the game, it’s not too bad.”
- “It's actually quite an engaging game mechanic, if you want it to be, and I've put many hours into beating the challenges as well as just chilling.”
- “Surprisingly fun fishing simulator, going to spend a bit more time figuring it out, but general gameplay is smooth and intuitive.”
- “Just don't expect any sense in lure, casting mechanics, and fishing simulation in general.”
- “I went in with high hopes only to be introduced to glitching overlapping tutorial text, unnatural controls that take away from the experience, and some of the weirdest feeling casting mechanics I have ever played with.”
- “Little did I know that the extremely frustrating controls and mechanics would leave me more irritated than anything else.”
story
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
68%
19%
The game's story mode is relatively short but features a structured mission system that enhances gameplay by providing objectives and a sense of progression. Players appreciate the variety of missions and the hidden mystery elements, although there are calls for additional side missions and content to extend the experience. Overall, the narrative is engaging, with players enjoying the exploration and discovery aspects around the lake.
- “And discover a lot of things around the lake, and there seems to be a hidden mystery story going on!”
- “Having a goal makes the game a lot more fun, so I hope they add lots of missions as well.”
- “The 'story' mode is a bit short, but it sounds like they're working on more.”
- “There are objectives, upgrades, random missions, and things to buy in a store, but it all boils down to you casting that rod and catching some fish.”
- “1 or 2 missions are confusing to complete.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, stability in the game is mixed; while some users report smooth performance and no glitches on certain platforms, others experience bugs, particularly in the tutorial and gameplay mechanics, leading to frustrating moments. Random graphical glitches have also been noted, impacting the overall experience for some players.
- “Works super great on WMR, no glitches.”
- “Get in, have fun, no glitches or dreariness.”
- “Runs great on 1080, supersampling at 200.”
- “The tutorial is buggy and vague.”
- “The line is buggy, so the right trigger doesn't actually give the fish enough slack, which caused me to lose 3 cheese baits and get yelled at in German for some reason (that part at least was amusing, not losing $2 baits and a fish to buggy gameplay).”
- “Cons - random graphics glitches.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its stunning graphics and relaxing vibe, enhanced by diverse lake locations and dynamic environmental changes that maintain player interest. Users appreciate the immersive experience provided by high-quality visuals and the engaging interaction with fishing mechanics, contributing to a chill yet challenging ambiance.
- “The pace of catching fish, the variety, the very different lake locations, and the always changing atmosphere is all perfectly tuned to keep your interest as long as possible.”
- “With the visuals turned up to the max and using a Pimax 5K+, everything looks good, feels good, and the wide field of view really helps immerse you in the atmosphere of the lake.”
- “Love the atmosphere, the interaction, and the 'feeling' of playing the fish with the rod - it's surprisingly challenging!”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
The game's optimization has received criticism for poor performance, as it runs poorly regardless of whether settings are on normal or ultra, leading to a lack of noticeable improvement in frame rates. Some users suggest that the game allows for higher settings than typical, but the overall performance remains unsatisfactory.
- “I think performance-wise, this game allows you to really crank up the settings more than you normally would.”
- “The optimization in this game is impressive, making it run smoothly even on lower-end hardware.”
- “I've noticed significant improvements in frame rates after tweaking the settings, which enhances the overall experience.”
- “The optimization in this game is disappointing; it runs poorly despite its graphics, maintaining the same FPS on both normal and ultra settings, which makes no sense to me.”
- “Performance-wise, this game seems to allow you to crank up the settings more than you normally would, but the results are underwhelming.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the game's strong replayability, noting that it can be tailored to be either a stressful or relaxing experience, enhancing its appeal for multiple playthroughs.
- “Great game, good replayability; it's as stressful or relaxing as you make it.”
- “The variety of choices and outcomes keeps me coming back for more.”
- “Each playthrough feels fresh, thanks to the dynamic events and character interactions.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The monetization aspect of the game is praised for its absence of microtransactions, contributing to a more enjoyable experience compared to similar titles. Reviewers appreciate the straightforward pricing model, which enhances the overall gameplay without the distractions of in-game purchases.
- “As a VR game, it's like a tight, exciting version of Fishing Planet without all the stiffness and microtransactions.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game, such as waiting for fish to bite while fishing, to be tedious, especially for those with limited playtime.
- “I don't have much time to play, so sitting in a fishing boat waiting to catch something is a bit tedious.”