Originally released on mobile, Fishing Break has been ported to Switch by Roofdog and Ultimate Games. It is a low-cost, casual fishing experience built around short-burst arcadey gameplay.
The gameplay loop is simple and will easily last for many hours. Catch fish. Sell fish (or donate to a museum) to earn cash, then spend that money to catch bigger fish by buying better equipment, repeat. With hundreds of fish to catch and numerous bodies of water to navigate, there is plenty of content and variety. Players can even spend money to unlock cosmetic options for their playable avatar.
Unfortunately, it is easy to see this has been ported from a mobile environment. For example, gold farming is based around a countdown timer, rewarding players for checking in every so often. The mouse pointer inface, which is mapped to the analog stick, doesn’t work as well as a mouse or touch screen. Holding A and flicking the analog stick to cast the line is fine while this was handled with a simple finger swipe on the mobile touch screen. Worst of all, text boxes are awkwardly stretched to uncomfortable levels. Vertical text boxes from the original mobile version have been stretched to fit the landscape dimensions without adjusting proportions. The lack of music during gameplay also makes the experience feel empty while the drawn visuals are like playing a cartoon.
While not as crazy and fast paced as something like Sega Bass Fishing on Dreamcast, the gameplay is speedy and player friendly. From a side scrolling perspective, the player casts the line into a body of water filled with fish. It doesn’t take long for something to bite. Then simply hold A to reel it. Just beware, don’t snap the line by holding for too long. The meter system, which increases and grows red when hitting the danger zone, is easy to read and understand. Also, the player is free to casually catch fish, but the optional objectives add incentive and direction. Completing these bounties rewards the player with additional gold so there is plenty of worthwhile pay off. Rare fish also appear on occasion and weather effects can change the behavior of some fish.
Fishing Break doesn’t have a high level of polish, but it does have an expected yet decent gameplay loop and a healthy amount of content. In time, the repetition becomes apparent, but this is one of those casual games that still offers satisfying entertainment even if it lacks production values.
Also Try: the fishing mini game in Zelda: Link’s Awakening
Don’t Forget About: Pocket Fishing
Play It Too: Fishing Adventure
By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com
Twitter: @ZackGaz
Please consider supporting me on Patreon or BuyMeACoffee.
RATING
OUR RATING - 6
6
SCORE
A straightforward 2D fishing game with arcade-like gameplay and an expected but satisfying gameplay loop, Fishing Break lacks polish from its mobile origins but still offers some simple charm for short burst and longer play sessions.
Editor in Chief - been writing for mygamer,com for 20+ years. Gaming enthusiast. Hater of pants. Publisher of obscure gaming content on my YT channel.
- Twitter @ZackGaz
- youtube.com/@ZackGaz
- Personal blog at: https://squallsnake.com/
- BuyMeACoffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/zackgaz
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/squallsnake
- Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/squallsnake7
- I am the EiC of: https://www.MyGamer.com/
Leave a Reply