It is a accuracy universally acknowledge that a undecomposed video game must be in want of afishing minigame . The time - honor side activity has been featured in everything fromFinal Fantasy XVtoHello jackpot : Island Adventureas a abbreviated reprieve from the main story . The fuss is that whenever a sportfishing minigame protrude up I recover myself neglecting everything else , even keep start the world , in party favour of throw away a line . That is , unless the fishing minigame sucks .

Indie RPGSea Fantasyis here to solve that problem . Developed by METASLA , Sea Fantasytakes the fishing minigame and turns it into the main event . Gone are turn of events - establish battles , random brush , and multi - colored mages . There is still an appropriately folderal news report about saving the world from it ’s imminent destruction , but this time you ’ll be doing it through the power of sportfishing . Do n’t demand too many questions as to how that play . WhileSea Fantasy ’s charming pixel - graphics compensate court to authoritative RPGs , the mechanical core of the biz draws inspiration from an unexpected beginning : Stardew Valley .

The ever - popular life sim shun the impression that sportfishing is a easygoing activity and therefore should be bare , which makes it the perfect pick for METSLA to take guidance from . Rather than the one or two button military press affairs found in many RPG minigames , Sea Fantasyrequires skill and perseverance . Timing is everything . A marker moves along a horizontal bar in which a target zona of variegate size of it is place . hold on the marking when it is in the target zone deals damage to any potential catches . Depending on the wight ( called SeaAZ ) the target zona may be much humble and harm wo n’t make as large a dent in the health bar . There is also a countdown timekeeper that monish that the enemy will bite back with its own damage deal attack . This leads to long drawn out battles between you and the SeaAZ that feel like they were draw straight out ofThe Old Man and the Sea .

Do n’t expect to lurch in these monsters right away . Instead , Sea Fantasy‘s early hours pit player against small fish which grant experience every time a successful catch is made . Each story grants skill point to habituate on upgrading stats like attack , wellness , and how heavy the fair game zone is during fishing . Rods and claw , which can be mixed and matched to produce unparalleled loadouts tailored to each SeaAZ , also improve stats on a case by case position .

This turnsSea Fantasy ’s fishing into a much more strategical experience that encourages smart distribution of skill points as well as proper preparation of equipment . That tangible sense of steady betterment that comes from grinding and learning the ins and out   finally pays off when I make do to land an elusive catch I ’ve been hunting . Even with the veracious gear and a high level , capturing SeaAZ never sprain into an easy chore thanks to constant eddy on the core fishing cringle .

One of the only flaws ofStardew Valley ’s fishing is the deficiency of miscellanea . While the secret plan ramps up how quick and wandering fish move on the bar , they all have the same introductory conduct . Sea Fantasyavoids a similar pitfall by once again pull out from its RPG inspirations , specifically how those games design wide-ranging foeman . One SeaZ will make house of cards appear on the fishing bar that , if not hit with the marker before a countdown reaches zero , will blow up and make out harm . Another SeaAZ makes you hit one of three rocks with your marking to determine if the butt will be smaller , larger , or the same as it usually is . These are only two of the 104 unparalleled SeaAZ that populateSea Fantasy ’s watery world .

Sea Fantasy‘s decision to weave traditional RPG design into fishing is made in armed service of one thing : excitement . The foe of any good fishing secret plan , mini or otherwise , is tedium . The 2d the player feels like reach a successful match is too easy or too monotonic , you ’ve misplace them . Sea Fantasyworks extra time to keep you on the hook shot . Even the short main report ( which direct or so eight hour ) is in service of this philosophy . It ’s long enough to teach you the basics ofSea Fantasy ’s systems , but does n’t outstay its welcome . This means you have more time for what really count : reeling in the next expectant catch .

Sea Fantasyis usable now on PC .