Matt Hayes Fishing Game@Rodfishing.net

Fishing games are few and far between on the PC so ‘Matt Hayes’ Fishing’ is not entering a crowded market. Unfortunately, this means that there is little to compare it to, but also it means there is little that it has to try to be superior to.

The game itself is quite solid, the graphics are clear but uninspiring and they certainly won’t blow you away. It does deliver all you would expect, just with varying degrees of success.

When you venture into the actual game there are three play types available; Matt’s Challenge, which relies on real fishing know-how, including paying attention to the weather conditions and which bait is best for the fish you’re after. Fishing Trip, where you get out on the boat to find the fish and then catch them. Finally there is the Tournament where you fish in competition with virtual pros in a one-to-three day event.

The boating section of the game gives some much-needed variety as you are handed the controls so you can float about to your hearts content.

After deciding in which of the game elements you wish to partake, you are given the choice of 4 characters to represent ‘You’. The first two I can only assume are meant to be Matt himself in different gaudy T-shirts. The next choice appears to be Matt as he enters his twilight years, as the figure is the same as before, just now with greying hair, no sunglasses and more tasteful clothing. The final option seems to be Matt if he were born a girl, same figure, just a bit smaller and with a pony tail. The choice of player seems to be purely cosmetic and hold no bearing on the game-play itself.

For every selection you make and option you choose throughout your virtual fishing expedition you are rewarded by a ridiculous clicking noise that set my teeth on edge from the first time I heard it.

The game options are quite impressive and provide the player with a lot of choice in a commendable attempt to make the experience more realistic. These extend from the basics, such as weather and locations, to the smaller things, such as wind speed and temperature, which apparently will affect the fish in the game much as they would by a real lake.

For the more adventurous, there is the option of network play, but this will involve having two PC’s in the same room linked together and two copies of the game. There seems to be no option for online PVP gaming.

One of this title’s biggest problems is the awful sound effects, from boat noises to bait effects. They all have a cheap ‘manufactured on a ZX Spectrum’ quality about them which will have you yelling at the screen. Unfortunately, though they are irritating they are also sometimes useful so you can’t get away with just turning the sound off.

In summary, this game will not challenge your PC or your intelligence it will only challenge your patience, as it is in no way fun and very quickly becomes a chore and soon after that a dust trap.

Reviewer

Peter Austwick
dunan_5@hotmail.com