Games: In “The Angler” the fish twists on the hook

Birds sing softly, butterflies flutter, and spherical pollen shimmers in the rich light of the setting sun. Gentle waves lap the shore of the great lake. With a pop, the bait lands in the cold water at the end of the rod. It doesn’t take long before the first fish bite. Yes, there is a new fishing simulator in the video game pond. The creators of “theHunter: Call of the Wild” venture into the water and want to attract fish fans with “Call of the Wild: The Angler”.

At first glance, this works quite well. As with the parts of “theHunter”, the game begins with a brief panoramic flight around the map and first impressions of the fishing adventure. The “Golden Ridge Reservation” is based on the American Yellowstone National Park, the oldest in the world. Lush green plains are replaced by steep rocky slopes and dense forests. The landscape is crossed by rivers, large lakes and small ponds. The best thing about the varied landscape is that everything can and should be explored. “Call of the Wild: The Angler” takes players into an open world.

Side quests keep you busy in The Angler

You have to discover it in different ways. Especially when it comes to fishing, of course. But park ranger Clayton Johnson gives players responsibilities. Sometimes we have to help him discover beetle-infested trees, sometimes we have to climb observation towers, and other times we have to find tourist attractions like dinosaur bones.

Players already know such tasks from “theHunter”. They should create incentives to explore the generous map and draw fishermen away from their usual ponds.

A pretty empty world

However, and those who know the “Call of the Wild” universe also know, the walking distances to individual quest points are long. In “theHunter” you will repeatedly encounter deer, herds of bison, etc. on a nature walk. In “The Angler” players will not find anyone beyond the water.

Not a single wild animal appeared during the test session. Of course, it’s about fishing and the fish that are caught, but at least every fisherman must have encountered rabbits while waiting for the next bite. Especially since one or the other bellowing deer can be heard at game and roadside signs draw attention to free-roaming bison. It would have been really cool if these animals, at least sometimes, had a small guest appearance in the landscape. Until now, the lovingly designed world often seems pretty empty.

Pisces have their own preferences and idiosyncrasies.

Fortunately for Call of the Wild: The Angler, there are plenty of scaled treasures sleeping below the surface of the water. There have been twelve different species of fish so far, ranging from blue sunfish to spotted catfish to fiery red Kokanee salmon. Everyone has their preferences, quirks and habitats, just like in real life beyond the computer screen.

Catfish, for example, are nocturnal birds that like to stay at the bottom of ponds and like to eat bread. If players cast their rod with a rubber bait on the hook in the middle of a lake in bright sunshine, they will not catch catfish. This makes kokanee salmon more likely. It is not only the bait and the place where the rod is cast that is important, but also the rod and the line. The light start team gives up when a rainbow trout jumps out. But the more minnows we catch, the more coins we will get and eventually we will buy the best Sophia Taylor gear in the store.

Little by little, the young fishermen can catch bigger fish and thus complete more missions. But that’s not all: when the cash register rings, the realization of his dream of having his own boat is getting closer. Activation requires a bit of patience, but it doesn’t require too much effort. Especially since the fishing itself is quite simple and works with just a few mouse clicks; In other words, if you’re expecting an intense simulation, you’ve come to the wrong place. On the other hand, if you want to relax after a long day at work, you’ve come to the right place. By the way, you can also do this with friends in multiplayer.

Updates are to follow

All in all, Call of the Wild: The Angler is worth checking out, though many die-hard fans of theHunter probably wish the hit hunting game could catch a line. In the coming weeks and months there will surely be much more to do, as “theHunter” will always have updates and extensions. On the developers’ agenda, for example, is the revision of the water areas, since these are visually lagging behind. It would also be desirable to have a living fauna beyond the water and a trophy system that allows us to display fish, similar to what also happens in “theHunter”. Until then, Hail Petri!

>>> INFORMATION: “The call of the wild: The fisherman”

“The Call of the Wild: The Fisherman”was developed and published by Expansive Worlds. It’s only released on PC for now, with consoles to follow. The game is available for around €30 and from USK from the age of six Passed.

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