The Fisherman: Fishing Planet

Cast a line and enjoy the scenery while you wait for a bite.

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"The Fisherman: Fishing Planet" is a realistic fishing simulation game that offers a vast selection of fishing gear, locations, and freshwater and saltwater fish species. The game features dynamic weather and time of day, and challenges players to master various fishing techniques in order to catch the biggest and most valuable fish. Online competitions and tournaments add a competitive element to the game, appealing to both casual and hardcore fishing enthusiasts.

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Reviews

62%

Audience ScoreBased on 324 reviews

graphics11 positive mentions

grinding14 negative mentions

Best fishing game out there, offering a relaxing experience without the grind and microtransactions found in free versions.
Great variety of fishing locations, fish species, and equipment, making it a comprehensive fishing simulator.
Fun gameplay with a decent progression system, allowing players to enjoy fishing without the pressure of constant grinding.

The game has been abandoned by developers, with no updates or new content since its release, making it feel stale.
Many players report connection issues and bugs that have not been addressed, leading to frustration during gameplay.
Competitions are often canceled due to a lack of players, and the community is dwindling, making it feel like a dead game.

graphics
18 mentions
61 % positive mentions
22 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally praised for their beauty and realism, particularly the water physics and environmental details, which enhance the overall experience. However, some players feel that the graphics are outdated for the price, and there are concerns about bugs and a lack of updates that detract from the visual appeal. Overall, while many appreciate the stunning visuals, there are mixed feelings regarding the game's longevity and optimization for various hardware.
- “Secondly, the graphics, with the alive environment, trees and bushes swaying in the wind, the beautiful water and stillness or waves when the environment changes is well executed.”
- “I love the rod holder on the boats and trolling, the graphics are beautiful.”
- “The fishes in the game have good models and the graphics are quite pleasant, especially the water physics, which are quite realistic.”
- “Several years old graphics for this price?”
- “With this second machine I had to put the graphics on minimum and, even though the fps are pretty bad, it's still playable and manages to still look nice.”
- “- good optimization (can run on low-end laptops if you're willing to sacrifice graphics and fps)”
gameplay
15 mentions
33 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
The gameplay is reminiscent of "Fishing Planet," featuring similar mechanics but with some improvements, such as the removal of microtransactions and the addition of new content. However, players have noted issues with freezing, a lack of distinct gear differentiation, and the presence of unnecessary mechanics that do not enhance the experience. Overall, while the core fishing mechanics are solid and enjoyable, there are significant concerns regarding bugs and the game's progression system.
- “Still good gameplay, plays just like 'Fishing Planet' free-to-play but with a few changes here and there like the economy. At least it's easy and cheap to get unlimited advanced licenses for the fishing spots they do have in this version, limited as they are.”
- “I haven't had time to play very much as of yet, but the gameplay seems good: it is essentially the exact same game as Fishing Planet, for better or worse, with microtransactions removed (and a few additions: a new European waterway and some fish species).”
- “The game itself is a great game for fishing, featuring great mechanics and very dynamic progression.”
- “Half of the gameplay consists of freezes, and another half of trying to differentiate between tons of gear that looks almost the same and performs almost the same, with meaningless marketing names.”
- “There are some in-game mechanics that are geared towards people farming baitcoins from unique fish (the DLC repair issue being one of them). It's just a strange thing to be in a full-priced game that doesn't benefit anyone.”
- “Otherwise, it is still a pointless mechanic that does nothing for the publisher or the player base.”
grinding
15 mentions
7 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
93 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be less intense compared to similar titles, particularly praising its reduced grindiness and lack of microtransactions. However, some users still note that leveling up can be grindy, especially at the beginning, and while the experience improves at higher levels, it can still feel tedious. Despite these criticisms, many recommend the game for its enjoyable fishing experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Progress there is pay-to-win and grinding.”
- “Earning XP is pretty grindy to be able to level.”
- “While it's not super grindy, it is a terribly unfun grind in terms of progression.”
monetization
14 mentions
21 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
79 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many users labeling it as a "cash grab" due to the presence of microtransactions and a perceived lack of value for the price. While some appreciate the absence of ads and microcurrency in certain versions, the overall sentiment suggests frustration with the developers' approach to monetization, leading to disappointment among long-time players. Users recommend avoiding the game in its current state due to bugs and a lack of support from the developers.
- “It's an older version of the free-to-play game Fishing Planet, with no microtransactions.”
- “When Fishing Planet was in prerelease a couple of years ago, I enjoyed the gameplay, but disliked the freemium model very much, and actually explicitly called for a paid version without microtransactions and pay-or-grind.”
- “I haven't had time to play very much as of yet, but the gameplay seems good: it is essentially the exact same game as Fishing Planet, for better or worse, with microtransactions removed (and a few additions: a new European waterway and some fish species).”
- “Quite frankly, they provide the best fishing game I've ever played but have ruined it with microtransactions.”
- “This game is a cash grab from the developers by simply changing the economy a bit and including all the DLC, then asking for an AAA price.”
- “With over 1500 hours in the original Fishing Planet plus many DLC and premium purchases, now over 140 hours in this game, you would assume that I would recommend this game, but I'm afraid the opposite is true. I highly recommend that you do not buy this game in its current state as it is full of bugs which the devs seem unwilling or unable to fix. In fact, it would seem that the devs just threw this game out as a quick cash grab and have all but abandoned it.”
stability
9 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting frequent glitches, lags, and micro-freezes that disrupt gameplay. While some players have experienced minimal issues, others express significant frustration with visual glitches and gameplay interruptions. Overall, the game's stability appears to be a notable concern, impacting the overall experience for a substantial number of users.
- “Honestly very disappointed, I've played the free version of this and there's more content there than the paid version, not to mention the frequent glitches and lack of ability to get the amount of baitcoins to buy the upgrade packs.”
- “Half of the gameplay consists of freezes, and another half of trying to differentiate between tons of gear looking almost the same, and performing almost the same, with meaningless marketing names.”
- “Wzgame is ok but a buggy mess; the devs are the worst.”
story
7 mentions
29 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
The game's story is primarily driven by a series of missions that introduce players to various lakes, fish, and gear, but many users report encountering bugs that hinder progress. While the narrative framework offers a wealth of content, the reliance on leveling and in-game currency to unlock gear can be frustrating, leading to dissatisfaction among long-term players. Overall, the story aspect is seen as lacking in updates and polish, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “I have more than 1000 hours in, I found the game to struggle at the start, but after you get to level 10+, the game does get better.”
- “There are lots of missions to introduce you to new lakes, fish, gear, etc.”
- “I have more than 1000 hours in, I found the game to struggle at the start, but after you get to level 10+ the game does get better. However, like most people, after playing for a while, jumping maps feels silly. You need to fill the nets and make cash, and don't always do the missions if they are not what you want or like. I have found the game also doesn't get enough updates, so the 150 level 50 people I know that no longer play refuse to update the game at regular intervals. A discontent customer never normally wants to return, perhaps you might want to think about that as you leave the premium holder left for dead for the free-to-play version. What a great game maker... the gameplay is okay, the graphics are fairly nice, but taking into account many bugs and issues, if I had known what I know now, I would have never bought this game.”
- “Cons: although there is a lot of selection of gear, most of the goodies are locked behind bitcoin (the only way to get more is to level up and complete some missions) or level a few levels to get a handful of good gear.”
- “I'm stuck on a mission right now that wants me to use the motorboat.”
optimization
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game is well-optimized, allowing it to run on low-end laptops, provided players are willing to compromise on graphics quality and frame rates.
- “The game features excellent optimization, allowing it to run smoothly on low-end laptops if you're willing to sacrifice some graphics and frame rates.”
- “I appreciate the good optimization; it makes the game accessible to a wider range of players with varying hardware capabilities.”
- “The optimization is impressive, ensuring that even those with less powerful systems can enjoy the game without major performance issues.”