Been burned by too many 'ultimate' fishing simulators which are now gathering dust. This game has the potential to actually be the best simulator, and I want to buy it and the DLCs only if the developers make it so. It's better than most in some areas, worse in others. Not quite there as a true fishing simulator, but close. I've spent a day playing it at a friend's house and have watched numerous YouTube videos and reviews. Here's my take on it: ***** Pros ***** Stunning graphics. The best I've seen yet in a fishing game. Great sun lighting effects, wave effects, etc. Detailed fishing venues. These are clearly handcrafted using the high-quality Unreal game engine as opposed to the slapped-on look of Unity3D. Dynamic skybox with moving clouds and varying light. Able to free-fish immediately without days of grinding or annoying level caps. All venues are immediately available. Thank you!! Single-player and online multiplayer tournaments offer progression. No forced underwater view. Thank you! Relaxing menu music and really good ambient sound effects (birds/planes/etc.). Automatically changes the reel speed to normal when fighting a fish. Cross-platform support (PC / PS4 / Xbox One). Dynamic fish textures. Each fish looks a little different. The casting mechanics take some practice but work very well with a few minor issues (the inverted axis actually makes sense in regards to rod action). Game controller works better than keyboard/mouse. Offers overhand, sidearm, and flipping casts. The boat rocking effect is a nice touch (although it's not present in 1st person view). Some nice random events (fish jumping, surface feeding ripples, etc.). The video tutorials are really good (the southern accent is a nice touch). ***** Cons ***** No in-game clock (AM/PM). Hard to sense time of day and adjust strategy accordingly. This is badly needed. AI is flawed/lacking. Wayyy too easy to catch large fish. No mention of any fish-catching _strategies_ (seasonal fish patterns, techniques to use for varying water temps/clarity, etc.). With that said, the AI is just 'OK' but not quite that of Trophy Bass 4 (particularly for largemouth bass, the most popular American sportfish). The time of day and weather don't seem to change (the sun doesn't actually rise and move at sunrise; it only rains when you specifically set it to at launch; etc.). No wind or wind ripples. Random wind speed and direction is vital to proper physics and fish AI. The game is 'flat' and a bit boring without it. Trophy Bass 4 had this back in 1996 and despite its uglier graphics, the wind effects really enhanced the experience. No adjustable difficulty. Would be nice to have "arcade-style" and "simulation" modes. Arcade-style = easy AI. Simulation = realistic AI. No water clarity variation. Fish fights are flawed in that it should take minutes of wearing down big fish as opposed to a minute or less. Seems nearly impossible to break your line in this game (which some may like, but it's not realistic and breaks the suspense). Fish finder view is crude and only shows depth/fish, not structure. Structure visibiltiy is crucial. You can't use the trolling motor. Cannot cast sideways to retrieve lures alongside docks, etc. No compass. N/S/E/W and GPS would be nice. Slow/stiff rod movement. Difficult to move lure left and right quickly. As noted in many reviews, gear selection is vague/limited. Fish catch log needs to show more stats (when/where fish caught, etc.). Plenty of visible structures but apparently no underwater structures, rendering most of the water pointless. Lack of startup cash; forced to grind somewhat for some new lures. No ability to get lure snagged. Lures should be able to get snagged/lost. Needs more random events to enhance realism (flocks of birds, plane contrails, thunder/lightning, etc.). Lack of in-game music. A few relaxing tracks would be nice (toggable on/off). Fish models look plastic/fake (they look good, but need to lose the glossy effect). No ability to take a screenshot (PRTSCR doesn't work; no in-game photo shooting ability). The random fish swirl effects at the water surface are good to have, but look very cut-and-paste (not true water effects). ***** Bugs I found ***** The black crappie have the coloring of bluegills; they should be mostly black with some silver, not blue/green/reddish. The rocking boat effect doesn't occur in 1st person view. Sometimes the menu items and ability to cast isn't responsive unless the mouse is moved a bit. ***** Final thoughts ***** I've played nearly every fishing game since the late 80s. I have also been an avid bass fisherman for over 30 years. I'm still hoping for a game to provide the virtual experience at home. Fishing Sim World could easily be the one to top all others in terms of realism and fun, while catering to both the serious fishing and casual fishing audiences. I guarantee that the additional effort by the developers to bring it to that 'ultimate' level will be well worth it in terms of revenue and customer satisfaction.
