Ace Angler: Fishing Spirits review: An incredibly fun arcade fishing game

Arcade fishing is a gaming genre I was neither aware nor fond of while going into Ace Angler: Fishing Spirits. However, I was really surprised as to how a game that is essentially centered around a gameplay mechanic, which is usually relegated to just a minigame in most video games, can be so incredibly fun.

Ace Angler: Fishing Spirits, on the surface, is just like any other arcade fishing game out there, but the game features some really cool game modes that, while not that interesting for solo play, are quite enjoyable with friends and family.

While the game lacks in certain key aspects that leave it feeling shallow and uninteresting for players that are looking for a game with in-depth fishing mechanics, it is still an incredibly fun experience through and through.

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The very relaxing gameplay experience of Ace Angler: Fishing Spirits

While I'm not a big fan of fishing, either in real life or video games, I have to admit, the act of catching and learning about different marine life forms can be quite fun in Ace Angler: Fishing Spirits. Playing the game feels incredibly relaxing and is a zen-like experience, something that I find myself gravitating towards regularly whenever I require a short break from work or in my spare time.

Right from the get-go, you basically have access to all the available game modes in Ace Angler: Fishing Spirits. Although the controls felt slightly weird to me initially, playing the game for a few hours helped me get familiar with it.

First, you have to angle the fishing rod in the direction you want to throw it, and then press A to lock it in that direction. What you need to do next is wait for the strength bar to reach where you want it to be, depending on how far you want to cast the line.

Some game modes are available right within the explorable hub area (Image via Bandai Namco)

A rather surprising element of gameplay in Ace Angler: Fishing Spirits is that after having cast the line, there is basically no challenge whatsoever to get the fish on the line. They just go straight for it and bite the bait, but you will still need to reel in the fish that's caught on the line. Fortunately, this is rarely a challenge, thanks to the Lightning ability that can be used to temporarily stun the fish, making it easier to reel in.

Despite my lack of fondness for the activity, I do have a fair amount of experience with fishing minigames in other games such as Final Fantasy XV, Red Dead Redemption 2, and even Assassin's Creed Valhalla. However, fishing in these games always felt like a chore to me. With Ace Angler, I feel the fishing aspect is perfectly balanced for the video gaming format.

The straightforward story and progression system of Ace Angler: Fishing Spirits

Let's be honest, anyone picking up Ace Angler: Fishing Spirits will not be doing so for the story, but they are in it for the gameplay. As such, the story and progression of Ace Angler is pretty straightforward.

The premise of the game is simple: something is causing trash to build up in the oceans and poisoning aquatic life. Players will need to master their fishing skills in order to collect these poisonous fish and find out the reason for this unfortunate accumulation of trash in the ocean.

Right off the bat, players are given a trusty fishing rod, which can be customized to their heart's content, using different handles, grips, bait, and even clothing options for the playable avatar.

Other game modes besides fishing are also fleshed out and fun (Image via Bandai Namco)

There are several game modes that can be played, either solo or in co-op, including a free form story mode, an arcade mode, and a championship mode. While the story mode is meant for solo players, the arcade and championship modes are best played with friends.

Thanks to its simplicity, I really enjoyed the story mode, but I can confidently say that it is not something that will appeal to many players looking for a single-player fishing game. The best aspect of Ace Angler: Fishing Spirits is in its co-op game modes, which makes it a great party game or a great fishing adventure for a group of friends.

Charming artstyle, visuals, and soundtrack of Ace Angler: Fishing Spirits

When I first booted up the game, having no prior knowledge of what I was getting myself into (besides knowing that it is a fishing game), I was immediately surprised and somewhat let down by the artstyle of Ace Angler. Based on what you see below, the artstyle feels eerily similar to Nintendo's Animal Crossing games.

Simplistic and visually appealing artstyle of Ace Angler: Fishing Spirits (Image via Bandai Namco)

However, the game benefits greatly from having a simplistic Animal Crossing-like artstyle in a number of ways. For one, the animations and visuals being simplistic means that the game runs pretty well on the rather underpowered hardware of the Nintendo Switch, and secondly, it is not heavy on the console's battery life, which is a boon to me given that I play on a Switch Lite.

Despite looking like a carbon copy of Animal Crossing, the artstyle eventually grew on me and never came in the way of me enjoying the game. Another big aspect that I adored was the game's serene soundtrack, which perfectly complimented the gameplay.

Few shortcomings

While Ace Angler: Fishing Spirits ran pretty great on the Nintendo Switch, with barely any frametime fluctuations or other performance-related issues, the game did crash quite a few times on my console, which kind of soured the experience for me.

There were also instances of missing audio, both in gameplay and cutscenes, which felt jarring. The game also has audio mixing issues, especially with the announcer voice-over.

Apart from a few technical issues, the only gripe I have with the game is its limited potential as a single-player fishing simulator. I adore the passion that its developers have put into making the entire experience feel so relaxing. However, playing the game solo is not very fun, past the first few hours.

In conclusion

Ace Angler: Fishing Spirits is a great fishing simulator, something that I never thought I'd play or find interesting. However, the zen-like fishing experience and multiple game modes for both co-op and single-player has sold me on the game.

There are a few technical shortcomings, such as occasional crashes and audio mixing issues, but these are few and far between, and may eventually be fixed with future updates to the game.