Bass Pro Shops - The Strike - FISH ON!
First of all what makes this game different from the other types of fishing games on the market is that you can purchase the game with a fishing rod controller. I must admit that I was kinda curious how it would work on the XBox 360 for the motion and response... being it is not a Wii contoller... but I must admit now... it is very responsive and as close to fishing as you can get in a video game! Just standing on the boat in 3rd person view I was able to move the rod controller around and watch my character mimic me exactly to what I was doing. Very nice indeed.
The controller also has motors in it that add vibration and a forced feedback sensation for when you get a fish on your line or get caught on a snag. That added so much realism to the game. Another thing that was very real was the control you have over your lure. For instance I was fishing with a skitter pop (a lure for bass that floats on the top of the water). Just like in real life... you put your rod down and jerk very small twitches to the left and right and then stop to use this lure. Well in the game it reacted just like in real life. It even moved it more abruptly when I gave it a harder twitch or very small with a short twitch. I really liked that because it was acting just like in real life.
The gameplay takes place over 10 real lakes in the United States and let me say this... it is the entire lake for each lake... not just part of it. They really went all out on mapping each one down to the last detail. I was very happy to see that they put in Lake Champlain in New York in... because it is a very beautiful lake! You can fish for everything from Walleyes to Large and Small Mouth Bass... Black Crappies and even Muskies too! Each fish acts different that the others and that too adds more realism to the game. You also get to go to the Bass Pro Shops and purchase new lures of all types and colors (which do make a difference in what you catch and when you do in the game unlike other fishing games) along with new rods, reels, and then even Boats too!
The graphics and sound in thei game are simply amazing. They really put alot of detail into the fish and the underwater environment. You can fish from either the boat mode or lure mode... but I found the lure mode to be the funnest and most beautiful. I was a little dissapointed in the fact that they were not as generous with the graphics for the shorelines or the landmass surrounding the lakes. It would have been nice to see weeds and foliage along the shores to give it even a more realistic look.... but still it was simply amazing. The sound in the game was pretty nice too. From the occasional bird or car driving by on the road... to the sound of water running in the background near a bridge or dam. You also have the sound of your boat as you move across the water with the waves splashing at you and your trolling motor as you move in slowing to position yourself for a better spot to fish. There is some background music when you catch a fish or in other parts of the game... and it is a nice addition to the game as well.
You have several ways you can play from arcade mode to pro... you can free fish or enter a tournament. You even have other challenges like boat races and fishing skill competions to earn money to purchase new lures and rods to fish with! You can even go after the 10 legendary fish in the game to show off your skills. They are quite challenging to get... but with skill and luck... you can get them.
In conclusion... if you are a fan of fishing you would probabaly really enjoy this game! I think even the novice gamer might find this game quite fun and very addictive. I started playing it and just couldn't stop because it was simply that much fun! This game is definately a nice change of pace from your ordinary game and I highly recommend it to all!