Why Is It That The Games Where Fishing Isn't A Major Component Seem To Do A Better Job Of Making It Fun?

As anyone who plays any kind of live service game knows, there can be a lot of downtime, action-wise, in between updates. In many (or perhaps most) cases, games go about six weeks between patches. For competitive games, this is fine. An update drops, and then players compete throughout the season to earn all the rewards that they can.

But for more narrative games, things are a bit different. Of course, there are things players need to do to be prepared for the next patch, such as leveling and gearing characters. And there are challenges and titles to earn. But not everyone is interested in fighting their way through all the levels of a tower or competing against other players in whatever version of PvP a game may have. Of course, even if you’re more of a story-hound and a crafter/gatherer main like I am, there’s still stuff that needs doing. But sooner or later, you’ll find yourself needing other things to do. And for those of us who are here for the vibes, fishing seems to fill that spot.

That said, not all fishing is equal. In some games, it can be both a pretty chill activity while also having the potential to be one of the most insanely boring yet difficult things to do. A good example of this is Final Fantasy XIV’s fishing. It’s easy to level up. All you need to do is hop on the ocean fishing boat every two hours. (It’s also a good way to earn scripts and, during the Moogle event, tomes.) On the other hand, fishing related to almost anything else is time-consuming, filled with RNG, and relies upon very specific conditions – time, weather, whether or not you’ve caught specific fish immediately before, and the like. This is why sites exist to track the beeeg feesh.

It’s no wonder it’s an achievement-worthy activity. And, of course, it’s good to have things to work toward in any MMORPG. But that doesn’t mean it’s fun. It’s one of the most tedious things to do, and you don’t even have the ability to blame other players’ actions for your bad luck. And yet, at some point, if you’re a crafter/gatherer, you’ll get around to doing all of it. It’s fine. We’ve learned to live with it.

That said, it’s difficult not to compare fishing in various games and know that some have just done it better. One of the games that I’ve had the most fun fishing in is, kind of shockingly, Zenless Zone Zero. The game’s fishing event is simple, relaxing, and offers you small breaks in between where you spend time on story content related to the fishing contest. They even mixed some batches of combat in the Hollows, so you’re definitely not just sitting there waiting for hours. The actual mechanics are fun too.

Another game that I enjoy fishing in is Wuthering Waves. Again, it’s part of an event. (In both games’ cases, these are permanent events.) It’s also story-focused, with the main character helping to figure out what’s happening with what’s essentially a guardian of an island nation. This requires a lot of fishing. It also requires some sailing and other interactions. In the case of Wuthering Waves’ fishing mechanics, the sailing is the trick. There’s still some RNG to it. (There is in every game that has any kind of fishing mechanic.) But rather than sitting in one spot for hours, you’re sailing around, looking for the spots that will provide you with the fish you need. This also means having to watch out for dangerous areas on the ocean, or else you risk your ship being damaged.

While neither Zenless Zone Zero’s nor Wuthering Waves’ fishing is terribly complex, it does offer variety. It's also just kind of amusing that the F2P games where fishing isn't a major feature are the ones where it's more fun, which means I’m far less likely to zone out while watching a show while fishing. That said, sometimes that’s fine too. It is an easy way to get caught up on that series you’re behind on.