Today marks the launch of the new role-playing game Nice Day for Fishing on Steam, where you must save the world with a fishing rod. MyMMO editor Sophia Weiß has played the game and found enjoyment in the one thing that usually annoys her in MMORPGs.
I hate fishing mini-games – no matter what game it is. I gave up after a few tries in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. In Final Fantasy XIV, my personal favorite game, I avoid the fisher like the plague. And in Stardew Valley, I’m close to installing a mod to skip the mini-game.
However, I have spent a few hours in Nice Day for Fishing – and I had fun, even though fishing is probably the most important mechanic.
Another thing that fascinates me about Nice Day for Fishing: Traditional fetch quests, which are abundant in Final Fantasy XIV, usually annoy me while playing, and I often find them a pure waste of time. But Nice Day for Fishing consists almost entirely of exactly these quests. Only here, they are genuinely fun.
Overall, the game from the German developer FusionPlay has a lot of fun to offer. I played it for you.
About the NPC who set out to save the world
The story of Nice Day for Fishing takes place in the village of Honeywood. It is a quest hub in a fictional MMORPG. Here, many NPCs live, providing players with quests, distributing rewards, and trading. One of them is Baelin, the fisher, who makes his rounds here every day.
However, when a mysterious chest belonging to the local magician is opened, an eerily powerful being destroys Honeywood and locks all gamers out of the MMORPG. Left to their own devices, the NPCs initially do not know what to do. Entertaining the players is their life’s purpose.
Then it turns out that whatever happened has given fisherman Baelin the ability to take on and complete quests. Now it is up to him to step into the role of the adventurer and save Honeywood.
However, he is still armed only with his fishing rod.
Calculated currents, fish gods, and arrogant wizards
The mechanics in Nice Day for Fishing are relatively simple at first: The remaining NPCs in the village give Baelin tasks to complete at the nearby Honeywood Lake. For example, three Honeywood herring must be acquired, or the hammer of blacksmith Bodger must be fetched once again.
Fishing is done from the shore or from a boat. The water is divided into different zones, and the deeper you drop your hook, the harder it becomes to pull the fish to shore. They resist, by the way:
If you have one on the line, you need to reel it in by mashing E (or A on the Steam Deck). The fish are certainly not keen on that and repeatedly mount counterattacks that you need to fend off.
Some fish are so powerful
that Honeywood’s high wizard Baradun teaches Baelin spells. These are particularly important when facing a boss enemy. By the way, the wizard Baradun explicitly calls this out as well.
Shining Eye Burnerand dealt a total of 130 damage!
As you progress through the game, you unlock various types of bait. The fish have their preferences. The length of the fishing line is also improved. Eventually, a carp fish god grants Baelin his blessing and introduces currents in the water. Thus, the hook no longer drops straight down but can also be maneuvered.
The further you advance in the story, the more complex the underwater puzzles and, of course, the quests become. Additionally, the intensity of the storyline increases: At the beginning, you simply fish for gold, but later you even rescue a drowning knight from the depths of the ocean.
The best-case scenario of an international cooperation
Overall, Nice Day for Fishing is a nice, albeit unexciting pixel art game, which is perfect for relaxed gaming after work or before going to sleep. I tested it on the Steam Deck as well as on my gaming PC and must say that I enjoy it more on the handheld.
Besides the absolutely successful gameplay by the German developers at FusionPlay, the world and its inhabitants play the absolute main role: Honeywood and all its NPCs are characters from the parody YouTube series Epic NPC Man
by the New Zealand YouTube group Viva la Dirt League.
The group released its first skit featuring garlic farmer Greg in the lead role on May 30, 2016 – almost nine years ago. Fisher Baelin, wizard Baradun, and blacksmith Bodger are NPCs that were added to the series over time. Almost all the characters I’ve encountered in Nice Day for Fishing have a direct counterpart in the YouTube videos and speak and behave just like in the skits.
Read more about Viva la Dirt League and their work here:
So, anyone who is already familiar with the humor of Viva la Dirt League will appreciate Nice Day for Fishing even more. The game is Epic NPC Man in the best sense. Those who don’t particularly enjoy slapstick and meta-gaming humor may find the dialogues a bit strange.
Generally, the game is for anyone who enjoys playing RPGs or has at least dipped their toes in one. Especially for the mentioned relaxed (cozy) gaming sessions after a long day at work, Nice Day for Fishing is excellent.
I, at least, will regularly face the difficult question in the coming weeks of whether to continue perfecting my Stardew Valley farm, grind Kreszentia in Final Fantasy XIV, or just go fishing and relax. Probably the latter, simply because I personally have a lot of fun with Baelin and company.
By the way, if you want to try it out yourself, you can: Nice Day for Fishing has a free demo on Steam. But if you’re less interested in relaxed fishing expeditions, you can also gear up in Elden Ring: Nightreign starting Friday: The latest trailer for Elden Ring: Nightreign spectacularly showcases the multiplayer; players celebrate: “Only FromSoft can make suffering look so majestic.”
