Game:

Deadliest Catch: The Game (2020)

Category:

Review

Duration: 33:08

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Welcome to my Deadliest Catch: The Game Review & Gameplay as part of this channel's series New Release Friday. Let's dive in... well, actually don't. That water is pretty cold.

For any of you who aren't aware, Deadliest Catch is a television series from Discovery Channel that follows the adventures of a handful of crab fishermen around the Bering Sea. Facing massive squalls, tension among crew mates, and bountiful hauls of massive saltwater crabs - Deadliest Catch saw massive mainstream success even though it seemed like a stupid show to put on Discovery. I have a feeling this was probably one of the earliest iterations of the Discovery network bending the learning as far as they could for the sake of pumping out more dramas.

Deadliest Catch: The Game however is a video game published by Ultimate Games S.A., Playway S.A. and developed by Moonlit S.A. Don't know what all the S.A. is for, but Ultimate is the same publisher from Ultimate Fishing Simulator, if any of you were around for that NRF episode then you're the real MVP. I liked UFS, so choosing to do a Deadliest Catch: The Game Review and Gameplay seemed like a pretty decent idea even though I haven't watched Deadliest Catch in like 10-15 years. I just like fishing games for whatever reason.

As far as the review of Deadliest Catch: The Game, I usually think that video game adaptations of movies, series, etc. are usually doomed to be pretty bad, but I think that is just a old mindset from like the PS2 era that I've carried along with me. That being said, I came into this Deadliest Catch review pretty optimistic and was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't a complete wreck. Of course, like any early access game, this one isn't without its issues. These types of games all have a very similar, somewhat under-detailed look - there is a lot of work put into the primary assets, but when you look around you start to notice more and more lifelessness. Deadliest Catch: The Game gameplay doesn't suffer because of this, but it does impact immersion a bit.

Review of the graphics options brought to my attention the absolute lack of anything worth a damn. I sort of wonder if there are more detailed tweaks to be had in a cfg file as opposed to during gameplay. The menu options are fine, but more is better in this instance. The performance wasn't an issue for me at any point, so I shouldn't be too upset but that always makes me wonder if I can milk more quality out of it. For now, Deadliest Catch: The Game looks and feels fine but I would like to see some more options.

The biggest glaring issue I came across in my Deadliest Catch: The Game gameplay started with the sorting table thinking it was in a different position than it actually was. I tried leaving the area, different buttons, etc. hoping that it would move but ultimately decided that I should just save my game and load it back up after restarting the game. This was a mistake. Upon reboot, Deadliest Catch refused to load up my most recent career save, tossing all of my work so far overboard. Obviously, save corruption is a massive bug that needs to be addressed by the dev team. Luckily, that was pretty much the only issue I had during my gameplay.

I'd say the area which Deadliest Catch: The Game shines the most is its mechanics. Not to say that they are particularly polished or cleanly implemented, but the depth is perfect for building a methodical, calculated simulator feel without inconveniencing the player. Every action I performed felt like part of a task list and made sense in the grand scheme of the operation, even from someone who hasn't watched Deadliest Catch in over a decade. It is a simple formula, but when you do everything right it feels good. Of course, that means when you mess up it feels AWFUL - and that is a good thing. I think a lot can be said about immersion when you drop a pot without a buoy and just want to dive in after it (preferably drowning in the process.)

During my Deadliest Catch: The Game review and gameplay I spent quite a bit of time off camera reviewing all of the upgrades, items, skills, etc. available for purchase in Dutch Harbor. Yet another area where they knocked it out of the park. There are a lot of resources you have to make sure you have, but not so overwhelming that you are completely screwed if you forget something. There are also tons of different skills that help with the feeling of progressing as a fisherman and allow you to tailor the gameplay more to your preference.

Overall, I think there are a few places where Deadliest Catch: The Game could stand to improve (ship customization, bug fixes, detailing environments, UI improvements) but, has actually nailed a really great formula between a simulator and a casually enjoyable crab fishing game. While editing I found myself wanting to get back in and play more and even am interested in uploading more of this game. For $10, you could definitely do a lot worse.

#NewReleaseFriday #DeadliestCatch #NRF #DGG

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