[Game Review] Fishing Hook: Take the bait. This game is good.

There are quite a few fishing games in the Play Store. Most of them haven't really held my attention for long. Mobirix's Fishing Hook is another story. Yes, it is free to play, but don't let that stop you from trying out this game. In short order, take the bait. This game is good. It is fun, free, easy on the eyes and simple to play.

Mobirix has created a game that has been taking a lot of my time up when it comes to gaming. To me, that is a hallmark of a good game. When you don't always have a lot of time to get gaming in, what is your go to game? Lately, that has been Fishing Hook. I stumbled across it about a week ago, and have been playing it ever since. The game's graphics are impressive, the controls are simple, and if you enjoy fishing, you might appreciate being able to do so from the comfort of your couch.

Mobirix is known for the popular fighting game One Finger Death Punch. While that game is certainly fun to play, it is not as graphically impressive as Fishing Hook. In Fishing Hook you will have the opportunity to fish in five different regions. You start off in the Borneo Sea. As you level up, you gain access to The Mediterranean Sea, Coral Sea, Bering Sea and finally, the Caribbean Sea. Let me warn you, leveling up may take some time, and some may say even grinding, but it is not an arduous task, with such a pleasant game. Don't get me wrong though, trying to reel in a big one and having your line snap repeatedly can be a bit frustrating. You have to keep fishing until you have enough coins to upgrade your gear. Or, you can simply drop real cash to do that. A lot of that depends on the type of gamer that you are.

You start off the game with your basic rod, reel, line, lure and hook. It is a simple task to get started. At the top of your screen is your rod. It is set in a shallow arc. An arrow shows up on your reel at the bottom of your screen that you have to pull down. Doing so casts your line into the sea. On the rod indicator above, there are three sections that are marked. Two of the sections are marked blue, and one section is marked green. There is a needle that vacillates back and forth. If you release the line at the green indicator in the center of the two, you get an extra 10% if you reel in the big fish. If you release on either of the blue indicators, you get 5% for the big fish catch.

From there, it is you against the fish. You continue to pull down and release until you bring the fish in. Out in the sea there is a fish shown as an indicator. It gives the distance to the fish, and the strength of the fish. If the fish is stronger than your line or reel, it will start to pull away from you. That is when the indicator shows danger, and you have a minimum amount of time before your line snaps. When it does snap,your screen is splashed with water. It is a pretty nice effect. That is why it is important to level up your gear properly, and this is where some of the challenge comes into the game.

Even though Fishing Hook is a one button game, there is quite a bit going on within the game. There is plenty of strategy to encounter if you are willing to take the bait. When you successfully reel in fish, you have a decision to make. You can either take the cash/coins, or you can choose to take the XP that you are given. The XP allows you to gain access to the different regions, in addition to making cash and gaining hooks for making it to the next level. You also gain coins by catching all the fish on that particular map. As an example, there are typically around eleven fish on a map. Each fish has a select amount of times you can catch it. In the Borneo Sea you will find Stripped Marlin, Sawedged Perch, Chinese Bahaba, Bonnetmouth, Talang Queenfish and others. You won't know what fish are on the map until you catch them. Then you have the opportunity to catch it a number of times. Once you have fulfilled that requirement, you get coins for doing so. The good thing about this is that you can revisit any map at anytime and it helps you gain coins and XP. You will have to revisit some areas to level up, as I mentioned before.

The free to play system is structured quite well. You are given ten hooks that regenerate over time. You can also buy hooks using coins. This is actually not a bad way to go because the price of hooks aren't that expensive. Between playing the game and leveling up, which gives you hooks, and winning coins by catching fish, I never felt like I was being forced into buying coins or any of the other equipment that is in the shop. The shop sells lures, rods, reels, lines, lures and hooks. You also can watch an ad to get free coins as well. Sometimes it can be a tough task between choosing XP or the coins from catching the fish, but you have to decide if the payout is better going the XP route or catching the fish. I have generally found that gaining XP is the best route to go. Also, catching five fish on any map gives you coins too. It all depends on how you want to play it.

Fishing Hook is a great looking game. The backdrops look like photo-realistic artwork.  They are pretty much static, with the exception of a beautiful day turning to dusk, to an evening transition that takes place while you are fishing. If you watch closely, you will see a shooting star soaring through the sky. The water looks like you could dive into it, and as you are battling your fish, the fish jumps and pulls and splashes in and out of the water. Granted, there isn't a whole lot to see in the game, but what is put forth here, is exceptionally well done.

Fishing Hook is integrated with Google Gameplay Services and includes twenty-five achievements to unlock, and leaderboards for you to compete with against your friends. This is one game that is free-to-play without too many strings in my opinion. If you like fishing, or don't have a whole lot of time to get gaming in, then this is a great game for you to have on your device. It has plenty of depth, fun and challenges to undertake. Mobirix has a winner in Fishing Hook. I am glad I took the bait, once I saw the first screenshots. Maybe you should too.

Fishing Hook (Playboard) | Fishing Hook (Play Store)