VIRTUAL DEEP SEA FISHING
Developed by: Interplay
Sports (1999)
Genre: Deep sea fishing sim
System Requirements: Win 95/98, P166
(P200 recommended), 32 MB RAM (48 MB recommended), CD ROM, Supported 3D accelerator card
(3Dfx, Riva 128, Intel i740).
While just about every genre of hunting and fishing has
been covered, deep sea saltwater fishing seems to have, well...missed the boat (excuse the
pun). Maybe its because deep sea fishing seems to revolve around such unexciting
activities like trolling, getting a tan and drinking margaritas. Whatever the reason, deep
sea fishing has taken a backseat to both freshwater fishing on the PC. Interplay
Sport's Virtual Deep Sea Fishing is the first real attempt to produce an market a deep sea
fishing sim. The question is: will this be a "great white groundbreaker" or just
another "great white guppy"?
The graphics are literally 90% eyepopping and 10% at or below today's standards. First
the awesome 90%: the texturing of the fish and water is unbelievable! Fish cruising
just below the surface can actually be seen as they shoot by the boat and disappear into
the deep. The fish look incredibly real- even down to swimming motion. So far I would have
to rate this one as the most graphically advanced fishing sim to date in these regards.
However, the "bad" 10% represents a rather bland (texture-wise) representation
of the boats and the blocky rendering of your in-game persona. With that in mind, who buys
a fishing game to look at the boat or representationn of the angler? As long as the
boat/angler representations are adequate (which these are)- who cares??!! Bring on the
awesome looking gamefish!!
The interface is pretty straightforward- typical of
what one would expect with this genre of gaming. Players choose a fishing location from a
list of 13 first class fishing areas (Florida, Hawaii, Australia, Mexico, South Africa,
etc.), one of eight styles of boats (each with individual advantages and disadvantages)
and off you go! Once out to sea, players can access the options menu in order to change
bait, jump around on the regional fishing map and take a peek in the livewell (in a
sense). Once you choose your bait or lure, you're ready to start trolling. A "fish
finder" shows you fish activity in the area around the boat- the fish appear as blips
on the fish finder as they move about. All of this is pretty typical and not overly
complicated.
The species found in this game range from Marlin and Sailfish to Dorado and Wahoo to,
yep, Great White Shark. The total number of fish species found in Virtual Deep Sea is 18-
each with it's own mannerism, fighting characteristics and appetites. Don't be surprised
if that Mako that you hooked not only makes some spectacular leaps- but charges your boat!
Players can switch from fisherman view to an underwater camera that shows the fish in all
of it's awesome 3D rendered glory.
To reel in line all you do is hold down the left mouse button. In order to pull back on
the rod, players actually shake the mouse from side to side (as opposed to just pullling
back on the mouse). In order to effectively land a fish (especially those 1,200 lb. Black
Marlins), players must use a combination of pulling back/raising the rod tip, reeling in
slack as you depress the rod tip, and manuvering the boat in reverse. The boat can be
moved around using the arrow keys. This is not easy so be prepared for quite a few broken
lines and thrown hooks before you get the hang of it. Needless to say, the learning curve
is a bit on the steep side. Like the real thing, Virtual Deep Sea Fishing takes some
practice to get the hang of. The whole reeling/pulling/boat manuvering thing can be a bear
at times- especially when starting out.
Interplay Sports has developed the deep sea fishing
sim that the virtual fisherman has been waiting for. It had my heart pounding as I reeled
in a couple monster fish (a 1,000 lb. White Shark and a 1,200 lb. Black Marlin)! Enjoy the
finest fishing sim of it kind.
THE SCOUTING REPORT:
THE PROS:
- Awesome water and fish renderings
Excellent selection of fishing locations
Excellent selection of gamefish
Challenging- maybe too much so
THE CONS:
- Bland renderings of in-game persona and boat
Reeling action takes some pratice
Review by Steve Ellis
