Welcome to EXPlay, (Explain & Play) the review series where we care not for scores, but tell it how it is when it comes to every game we get our hands on, all whilst including some lengthy gameplay, to give you, the reader, the chance to form your own impressions and views while reading and watching.
In this explanatory review, we’re covering Nice Day For Fishing by developer, FusionPlay:
Nice Day For Fishing (Nintendo Switch)
“Mornin’, Nice day for fishing, ain’t it?” These are the common phrases of a certain NPC character in the Epic NPC Man YouTube series by Viva La Dirt League. The character in question is Baelin, a simple fisherman in the magical land of Azerim who is more than happy to just fish and greet adventurers with his rather limited vocabulary. Viva La Dirt League have made quite a name for themselves with 7.13 Million Subscribers on YouTube thanks to their charming and professionally produced videos that parody video games like Skyrim, PUBG, Dead By Daylight, and The Witcher. I have seen a good variety of their videos over the years but imagine my surprise when they actually announced their very own video game of their own.
Developed by FusionPlay and published by Team17, Nice Day For Fishing is a 2D pixel adventure game set in the fictional world of Azerim. When all of the human players mysteriously disappear from the game, the NPCs are at a loss of what to do with themselves when a dark evil falls upon them in the village of Honeywood. Hapless fisherman Baelin goes from background NPC to frontline hero and armed with his trusty fishing rod and hat, he will rebuild the village of Honeywood and save the day, one fish at a time.
As the name suggests, Nice Day For Fishing is primarily a fishing game with a fantasy twist. Battle fish and monstrous aquatic beasts with your fishing rod and using powerful magic spells. Like the waves you sail upon, combat ebbs and flows so there is a time to actively attack and then a moment where you have to defend and parry enemy attacks or risk taking heavy damage. The magic spells at your disposal each have a cooldown and consume stamina, so as easy as it is to spam magic to deal damage, you will quickly deplete your stamina and will require restorative items to replenish it.
There are many types of fish in the game and three different biomes (freshwater lake, sea coast, underwater cave) where you can dip your fishing rod. Each biome has its own ecosystem of creatures and they all have preferences to the type of bait you use, although there are some species that are not too fusy and will chomp down on anything. The types of bait you can use includes garlic, worms, palm nuts, and mushrooms with more types becoming available, the more you play. The worms are a particular favourite of mine as they pay homage to Team17’s iconic game series WORMS, and I can’t help but smile everytime I use them as bait as I remember the countless times I have sunk worms in the likes of Worms Armageddon and Worms World Party.
Of course, what kind of fantasy world game would this be if it different have fetch quests, levelling up, accessories to equip and the ability to purchase better weapons, uh, I mean fishing rods to improve your Baelin’s stats? Well, Nice Day For Fishing has all that as well as upgrades for your fishing rod so it can illuminate dark areas, retrieve sunken treasure chests, and even horizontal control so you can navigate your lure into normally hard to reach areas. The developers at FusionPlay have really thought of everything to make this the most charming and engaging fishing game I have played to date.
Even though, the primary objective of the game is heavily focused on fishing, you can also spend time upgrading the villager’s homes in Honeywood, which gets destroyed at the beginning of the game. Granted, upgrading each abode does require you to procure materials by means of fishing them from the depths. The benefit of doing so, however, will give you access to better gear that will help you catch stronger fish and look good whilst doing so. Hey, if I am going to fish, I want to do it in style.
Speaking of the villagers, they are all familiar characters from Viva La Dirt League’s Epic NPC Man series with Greg the Garlic Farmer, Bodger the Blacksmith, Willow the Maiden, Baradun the High Sorcerer, Fred the Fruit Merchant, and of course, Eugene (*cue pathetic crying sounds). While dialogue in Nice Day For Fishing is text based, there are sound bytes for each of the characters with their familiar sayings from the live action skits. I do really appreciate their inclusion as it helps personify each and every character along with the pixeletated portrait of each character that accompanies the dialogue text.
Now I know, fishing games are not everybody’s cup of tea but they have been quite a staple in many an adventure game (The Legend of Zelda series for example). This is the first time I’ve personally played an adventure game where fishing is the main principle in a fantasy setting and I actually really like what they have done. Sure some folks will find it monotonous at times with the reptitive “accept quest, fish, earn reward, repeat,” but there is also something quite therapeutic about it. Nice Day For Fishing is not quite a cosy game and nor is it a full-on action game either. It somehow sits on the border of each and possess qualities of both genres that will lure you in.
I will admit that I didn’t initially fall for the bait when the game was announced but upon researching more into the Epic NPC Man and Baelin’s story, I was trully snagged, hook line, and sinker. By the way, be sure to check out Baelin’s Route on YouTube for a short film dedicated to the simple NPC that shows there is more to him than meets the eye. Its only about 37-minutes long but if you are a fan of fantasy games, you will surely get a kick out of it. On top of that, you will surely enjoy Nice Day For Fishing even more. I know I did!
Game Specifications:
Developer: FusionPlay
Publisher: Team17
Platform: Nintendo Switch (eShop)
Category: Role playing, Sports
No. of Players: 1 (Single System)
Release Date: May 29, 2025
Price: $19.99
File Size: 1Â GB
Nintendo.com Listing
