Summary
- Fishing games offer a variety of experiences, from realistic simulations to arcade-style fun, catering to different player preferences.
- Titles like Fishing Planet and Fishing Sim World provide immersive multiplayer experiences that enhance the realism of fishing gameplay.
- Commercial fishing simulators like Fishing: North Atlantic offer a unique gaming experience focused on the business side of angling, setting them apart from other titles.
Fishing has been central to game mechanics for a long time, acting as a core gameplay feature in franchises such as Animal Crossing, Red Dead Redemption, and Minecraft. Fishing can take many forms, with some games focusing on river and lake angling through course fishing. Conversely, other titles have leaned on ocean fishing as a gameplay component, with players braving the elements in the hope of catching a whopper.
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While many fishing games are arcade-like in appearance, some prioritize realism over everything else, capturing the authenticity, relaxing nature, and beauty of real-world fishing. Several titles stand out in this regard, with realistic fishing mechanics that encapsulate the various types of fishing, from casual to commercial.
6 Rapala Pro Bass Fishing
Rod And Reel Peripheral
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Released |
28th October 2010 |
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Developer |
Fun Labs |
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Publisher |
Activision |
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Platform |
PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360. |
Rapala Pro Bass Fishing was a legendary fishing title that stood at the forefront of realistic fishing mechanics when it was released in 2010. Pro Bass Fishing featured innovative fishing tournaments that pitted players against pro bass anglers in fully commentated fishing contests.
For its time, Rapala Pro Bass Fishing set the standard for realistic graphics that established the tone for its scenic setting and for the thrilling fishing matches players could compete in. The title also came bundled with a wireless rod and reel peripheral controller, faithfully recreating the feeling of a fish on the hook and the precision needed to cast a rod. Rapala Pro Bass Fishing is arguably one of the best fishing games ever made.
5 Fishing Planet
Seamless Fishing With Friends
Fishing Planet
Fishing Planet® is a highly realistic first-person online multiplayer fishing simulator. Developed by avid fishing enthusiasts to bring you the full thrill of actual angling on your PC.
Fishing Together with other players on the same boat. Our ocean fishing yachts can accommodate 2, 3, or 4 friends simultaneously.
Compete online with other players in events and competitions with personal scores, achievements, leader boards and top-players lists.
Highly realistic world of fishing on your screen:
200+ species of fish with complex AI driven behavior depending on seasons, climate, time of day, water current, bottom type, water and air temperature, wind and more.
26 scenic waterways with photorealistic graphics from all around the world with their own climate conditions, landscapes, bottom topography and vegetation. All waterways are based on real locations.
Freshwater and saltwater fishing with their own features for realistic and immersive experience.
Four types of fishing - float, spinning, bottom and saltwater trolling.
One of the newer titles on this list, Fishing Planet is an online multiplayer angling game that enables players to fish with up to four friends across the game's vast number of environments and tournaments. Fishing Planet features over two hundred fish and a dynamic weather system with seasonal integration.
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What makes Fishing Planet unique is its seamless four-player multiplayer that increases immersion and realism for players who want to feel like they are fishing with their friends in a stunning setting. Fishing Planet is also unique in its many different environments, from the open sea to the many lakes.
4 Red Dead Redemption 2
Realistic-Looking Fishing
Red Dead Redemption 2
While not a full-blown fishing game, Red Dead Redemption 2 has excellent fishing gameplay that is, graphically, the most realistic in the genre. Red Dead Redemption 2 enables players to catch 15 types of fish, sell them, or cook them.
Legendary fish also play a core role in the fishing mechanics of Red Dead Redemption 2; these species are rarer than other fish and require special lures to catch them. While the title is not the most sophisticated fishing game, it is the best-looking, with stunning graphics characteristic of the Red Dead Redemption series.
3 Fishing Sim World: Pro Tour
The Ultimate Fishing Tournament Experience
Fishing Sim World: Pro Tour
Fishing Sim World: Pro Tour features an authentic career mode where you work your way up to an elite angler competing against over 100 of the best anglers in the world across Bass, Carp and Predator fishing whilst unlocking sponsorship opportunities, gaining career earnings and social media followers as you go.
PLAY IT YOUR WAY: Custom multiplayer allows you to set the rules as you take on your friends online. Choose different options such as number of rounds, length of match, catch species, venue, weather conditions etc. Participate in online tournaments which form the Dovetail Fishing League to try and earn the coveted title of ‘Angler of the Month’ and great rewards.
PLAY AGAINST THE BEST: As well as over 100 of the best anglers in the world - Fishing Sim World: Pro Tour is fully endorsed by Scott Martin, the most successful FLW Tour bass angler of all time as well as the host of the Scott Martin Challenge TV show on Discovery Channel and Ali Hamidi, leading Korda angler as well as executive producer and presenter of ITV’s Monster Carp and The Big Fish Off.
Rapala Pro Bass Fishing introduced the concept of a pro-level fishing competition; Fishing Sim World: Pro Tour pushed that concept to another level. With a dedicated career mode that integrates sponsorships, social media, and other features, this is the ultimate fishing tournament experience.
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Fishing Sim World: Pro Tour also enables players to create their own tournaments with friends, adding to the fishing competitions' already lifelike and tense nature. This title has been embraced by fishing legends such as Ali Hamidi and Scott Martin, giving it a major stamp of approval.
2 Fishing: North Atlantic
The Best Commercial Fishing Simulator
Fishing: North Atlantic
The sequel to the popular simulation game Fishing: Barents Sea invites you to put on your captain’s hat once again: Explore the large ocean of Nova Scotia, try your hand at entirely new fishing methods and enjoy huge range of highly detailed ships in the commercial fishing simulator Fishing: North Atlantic.
Discover majestic world of Canadian Nova Scotia while admiring the vast diversity of ocean life. Explore the fishing zones with upgradable ships and gear as you progress in your career.
Like our predecessor game Fishing Barents Sea, Fishing: North Atlantic makes you experience an atmospheric and realistic game world based on real maps, boats and fish species. Get ready to enjoy new weather systems with upgraded atmospheric effects, North American Vessels and fishing techniques like harpoons, deep-line-buoy-fishing and lobster pots. Purchasing larger boats and better gear will increase your fisherman skills.
Fishing: North Atlantic offers you 29 ships at your disposal for all types of fishing styles and fishing techniques like the harpooning, which is used to hunt swordfish and tuna. Start with harpooning, then work your way up to setting deep lines, catching snow crabs or lobster. As well as longline, net and trawling. Do you have what it takes to fulfill this challenging task?
While most of the tiles on this list focus on the casual and competitive side of angling, Fishing: North Atlantic concentrates solely on the salable side of fishing. A commercial fishing simulator at its heart, this title lets players explore the vast waters of the North Atlantic to fish and make cash.
As fishing profits grow, ships and equipment can be upgraded for better yields and progression. Fishing: North Atlantic is the genre's most realistic commercial fishing simulator.
1 Call Of The Wild: The Angler
Open World Fishing At It's Finest
Call of the Wild: The Angler
Call of the Wild: The Angler is an open world fishing game that delivers the challenge of the catch and the freedom to explore. Play solo or with up to 11 friends and experience the thrill of finding and fighting Legendary fish species.
Find and fight a wide variety of fish species with behaviors influenced by various factors such as time of day, location, and your actions.
Immerse yourself in authentic fish fights. Learn about different species’ habits, preferences, and traits, and use your knowledge and skill to land the most elusive fish, the Legendaries.
Fish anywhere you like within the reserve. Relax and unwind in realistic natural settings inspired by some of the world’s most beautiful real-life locations.
Master different varieties of fishing techniques, including float fishing, lure spinning, and bottom fishing.
Choose from a wide range of rods, reels, tackles, and lures. Experiment with different combinations as you expand your inventory and grow in skill.
Fish, compete, and bond with up to 11 friends in online multiplayer, or relax in solo mode.
Select your preferred time of day to increase the chance of catching your target species. Choose whether to fish in the morning, day, evening, or night.
- Released
- August 31, 2022
- Developer(s)
- Expansive Worlds
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Sports
Call of the Wild: The Angler puts exploration at the core of its fishing mechanics; hence, its name. An open-world game, the title allows up to 12 players to play together. Players can explore the world on foot, by car, or by water, catching a vast array of fish, from common to legendary.
Call of the Wild: The Angler also has excellent customization options, such as customizable rigs, clothing, and other fishing components. Players can also hold competitions with friends, adding to the realistic nature of the title. Call of the Wild is the best game on this list in terms of realistic fishing exploration in the wild.
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