It's a nice, cool morning and the fish are
biting. Where should I fish today? California? South Carolina? New York? With
Pro Bass Fishing 2003, you can go all over the country and experience some of
the best fishing locations-- without leaving the house.
I am an avid fisher. I have fished from the
Arctic to the Florida Keys. I rarely, however, get a chance to land the big ones
without travel. It's frustrating, as I know what to do-- but do not get
the chance to practice it. Our tiny local lake does not house the kind of
line-pulling monsters available in this game. So, I can practice and pretend--
with great results. The realism is excellent, and the feel is quite good as
well. Though I wish I had a fishing controller (like w/ my Dreamcast), using the
mouse and keyboard are not too annoying.
I have to say, if you do not like fishing in real
life, this game will not thrill you at all. In fact, you have probably read
farther than you should-- but keep reading, anyway. If, like me, you DO like to
test the waters with your fishing prowess, you will find this game very
satisfying and fun. It's also a great way to fish a variety of species without
traveling the country to do so. I have personally never fished for Muskie or
Walleye. Now I have landed several of each. There are more than 20 different
species to choose from. There are small sunfish, large catfish and a nice
assortment of the "prized" Large Mouth Bass (you knew that because of the
game's title!!). My first cast hooked a healthy catfish, which I promptly lost
due to line breaking. My second cast snagged a Large Mouth Bass, which I
again lost to zealous retrieve and break. Once I slowed down and listened to the
audio tips provided to me, I was able to be more effective in my
attempts. I did not lose another fish.
Again, I must stress that an interest in fishing
is helpful, though not mandatory. You can pop around testing your skills in the
casual "Fishing Trip" mode, try your hand at Tournament play, or go head to head
in multi-player action online or in a LAN environment. I played a lot of "Trip"
play as I like the sport more than making it a competition. However, if you like
the pressure and challenge of playing against others (cyber or real), try one of
the other playing modes and you will feel satisfaction. Landing big ones when it
matters is quite a thrill. If I could do so well in real life, I'd make
it a career! You can choose to catch and release, or keep them in your live well
for later review and/or weigh-in for the Tourney.
After inputting your name and selecting your lake
of choice (I didn't like the Potomac River in Maryland), you're off in your boat
to catch a few. You're provided a bass boat with live well and a trolling motor.
You can use the outboard motor to get across the lake quickly, or troll along
the water's edge slowly to get in just close enough for a tight cast against
some structure. You can choose from Easy, Medium and Hard. Easy was too easy.
Great for youngsters, or someone that wants to really get a lot of action with
little mental investment. Hard was just that. It was quite challenging, and the
most realistic for me. You really have to know you combos of reel, lure and
conditions. Do you want a water skimming popper, or dance a Carolina rig on the
bottom hoping to entice a bass out of its hiding place? If you're in Tournament
or Hard mode, you need to know your lures and use them well. Unless you're
playing in Easy mode, you will be required to know the lure, how it acts, and
what kind of fish it attracts. Yes, you have to "jig" your lure for best
results. If you're using a plastic worm, you must work your rod tip... bounce
the worm and keep the like-like action going. Failure to do so will result
in... failure.
That is one of the many nice little touches of
the game. You have to use your mouse like you rod/reel combo. It's a
constant effort to move the mouse and/or button to successfully land your fish.
It's a very nice feature over other fishing games I have played in the past. As
far as lures, you are given quite a selection. Jigs, spinners, plugs, spoons and
etc are at your disposal. In addition, as one of the sweetest features of all,
you can customize your lure colors. By editing a color in "MS Paint", you
can create your own color combo to make your own lure. I prefer using a
bright purple plastic worm in certain water conditions (learned that from Hank
Parker), and was able to create a lure that looks like it was scanned from my
own tackle box. This also worked great for spoons.
There are some glitches, but the graphics are
otherwise sharp and well done. One minor annoyance was the ability of your lure
to be INSIDE an object during your retrieve. Yes, you can dangle your plastic
worm INSIDE a rock. That was kind of funny to look at, but otherwise never
caused me any known problems. It's just odd to see the "sword in the stone"
effect with a fishing lure. The very bottom terrains were blurred and washed
looking, but the upright objects (rocks, weeds, etc) were crisp and detailed.
The fish looked great, and break the surface of the water with detail and
enthusiasm. When a deep diving lure skips across the bottom, you see the mud
stir and that is a nice touch.
The music and sounds sounded good as well. The
music was like something straight off a fishing show from TV. Not too annoying,
and merely subtle and incidental. A well-placed accent that never seemed
intrusive. I don't want heavy-metal music when I am peacefully trying to lure a
bass from behind a structure. The reel sounds were authentic, and the other
environmental sounds seemed natural.
I did not play the online multiplayer mode,
though it is available I would like to see more lakes added as a possible add on
in the future. What they give you is enough, but I always want to explore new
places. Still, you can spend days fishing the same lake with new challenges. Or,
maybe you prefer a river setting such as the Potomac. There's a nice variety to
choose from so far. The realism was nice, though getting the hang of
manipulating the lures takes more skill than some gamers might appreciate.
Fishing is not "as seen on TV". You really have to work at it, and know what
you're doing-- if you want to get out of the Easy Leagues. Once there,
you're HOOKED.
Gameplay: 8
The game plays very well. It's a joy to see, and relaxing yet thrilling at
the same time. Infogrames has done a good job bringing a sport to the PC that
isn't easy to translate. Some things are hard to pull off, but they successfully
capture the realism and enjoyment without taking liberties with the actual
experience.
Graphics: 8
Very nice visuals with the exception of the lure-in-the-rock glitch. The
fish look good, and the maps, terrains and lures stand out nicely. There are
elemental challenges such as rain, which looked realistic.
Sound: 7.5
A very nice soundtrack that, despite hours of continuous play, did not get
on my nerves too bad like a lot of games. The action sounds were real, though
sometimes the lure hitting water make a sterile, clinking noise. The reeling in
process also sometimes made odd, unnatural sounds.
Difficulty: Medium
There is no challenge to play this in Easy mode. You will easily snag one
over and over. The work comes in the higher modes and tourney play. Knowledge of
lures is crucial. If you don't know much about fishing, or have the patience to
learn, it will test you and be unsatisfying. If you're patient (a must
for fishing in real life) and work hard, you will be rewarded.
Concept: 6.5
Fishing games have been around since the Atari 2600, so it isn't too
original. However, it makes good use of real life challenges and the ability to
customize lures is rather nice. A nice touch missing from other fishing games.
Multiplayer:
You can play multiplayer, though I did
not experience this. It should be quite fun, and a pleasant change of pace for
someone tired of only being able to engage in "Frag-Fests" online. With a live
well, nothing dies in this game!
Overall: 8
A very nice, family friendly game. Young and old can get something from this
one. The young anglers can get a taste of the fishing experience without getting
muddy. The seasoned angler will get some life like fun from the options and
attention to detail. I really would love to try this with a fishing controller.
It was so realistic without one, such a enhancement would really make it
special. There is a lot of work to be done with the mouse, which makes it stand
above some of the other types of fishing games. My hand became as sore as if
playing more tense first person shooters for hours. This is nice thing, however.
I recommend this for a wide range of gamers who want a break from the
shoot-to-kill genre, and maybe want something with it's own unique challenges.
It's nice to have a well-done game come along that you can sit down and enjoy
with kids-- of all ages.
