Fisherman Classic
- April 23, 2021
- LGV
Get on SteamWelcome to Fishy Archipelago! Go fishing, catalog your most rare fishes and sea creatures, buy and find skins, hats, boats and properties. Build your fishy empire. The retro world is yours!
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Reviews
- The game has a charming retro art style and some well-designed fish sprites.
- Despite its simplicity, some players found the gameplay fun and hope for future updates.
- The music is well done and adds an eerie atmosphere to the game.
- The game suffers from poor technical execution, including low-quality graphics and lack of customization options.
- Gameplay is shallow with minimal content, featuring only a few quests and a very limited fishing mechanic.
- Frequent glitches and bugs detract from the experience, making it feel unfinished and unpolished.
- story22 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's story is primarily driven by a limited number of quests, including a Scarface-inspired drug delivery and a research quest related to fishing, but players find the quest system lacking depth and clarity, as many quests auto-complete without clear objectives. The overall narrative experience is hindered by bugs and a low number of engaging quests, leading to a perception that the game requires excessive time investment for minimal reward, ultimately diminishing enjoyment once the available quests are completed.
“There are a few side quests you can do, like a Scarface-inspired drug delivery to a guy in the lower portion of the game world for a free 70k.”
“I assume the research quest is tied to catching new fish for your fish log, which contains the different types.”
“I thought I should make quests its own section, as it's meant to be a large part of the game.”
“The problem is, upon being dropped into the world, there is very little in terms of quests that can actually be done.”
“In its current state, I would say that the game requires a lot of time investment to get anywhere, and is really not that fun to play once the quests have been completed.”
“Considering now there's no more quests I can do for money, and the low amount of cash you get from selling fish, I don't think I will try and buy the mansion or give a random guy a million bucks, or buy the luxury boats.”
- gameplay20 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that it feels unfinished and lacks depth, particularly in its fishing mechanics, which are described as simplistic and often plagued by glitches. While some appreciate the art style and find enjoyment in the basic gameplay loop of fishing and selling, others criticize the overall experience as boring and in need of significant improvements and additional RPG elements.
“It's a small game and the fishing mechanic is really simple, but I had fun playing it.”
“Not even going to lie, I really like this game, despite it being really light on content (even though it came out not that long ago). I love the art style and the gameplay - I can't wait to see where this goes in the future!”
“The main gameplay loop is you fish and eat the fish you catch as needed to avoid hunger death, then you return to the harbor and sell the fish.”
“To put it simply, this game is unfinished; the central mechanic is basically non-existent, and frequent glitches plagued my playthrough (e.g., the previous fish caught staying on screen and getting stuck perpetually near bridges).”
“Travelling through the world is boring, fishing is boring, and that makes up basically all the gameplay.”
“The first release of this game is very rough, and some tweaks need to be made to the gameplay.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game employs retro pixel art graphics, which some players appreciate for their nostalgic charm, while others criticize the lack of modern graphical options and customization. The absence of resolution settings and the overall low-quality visuals have drawn mixed reactions, but many fans still enjoy the art style and gameplay, expressing hope for future improvements.
“Not even going to lie, I really like this game, despite it being really light on content (even though it came out not that long ago). I love the art style & the gameplay - I can't wait to see where this goes in the future!”
“A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel art as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
“There's no option to change the resolution for the game or customize the graphics settings.”
“There's no way for gamers to try to improve the low-quality graphics.”
- music4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as well-crafted and eerie, which is an unusual but fitting choice for a fishing game. However, some players noted that the absence of sound effects led to a repetitive experience over time. Overall, while the music is appreciated, it could benefit from more variety.
“The music, while odd for a fishing game, is well done and eerie, and the fish sprites are well done for the style they went with.”
“The music in the game was pretty nice, although the lack of sound effects made it pretty repetitive after a while.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is widely regarded as unfinished, suffering from significant stability issues, including frequent glitches that disrupt gameplay, such as persistent visual artifacts. Reviewers highlight that the central mechanics are poorly implemented, further contributing to a frustrating experience.
“To put it simply, this game is unfinished. The central mechanic is basically non-existent, and frequent glitches plagued my playthrough (e.g., the previous fish caught staying on screen and getting stuck perpetually near bridges).”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game is perceived as a quick cash grab, detracting from its initial charm and humor. Players feel that the game's potential is undermined by its focus on profit rather than genuine engagement.
“The game seems to be some sort of inside joke or quick cash grab, which is unfortunate because the game has an initially pleasant charm and an odd sense of humor.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players express concerns that the game's lack of a definitive win condition may lead to diminished replayability once they have unlocked their desired ship and completed all available quests. Without new challenges or goals, the game risks becoming repetitive and less engaging over time.
“If it remains open-ended with no win condition, then I can see the game losing all replayability once you have unlocked the ship you want and have completed all of the quests.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly when it comes to purchasing fuel, which is made cumbersome by a cluttered storefront UI.
