Hands on with Creatures of the Deep for N-Gage
One to reel 'em in or be cast away?
Nothing says next generation like hooking a worm and sinking a line. Really!
Okay, maybe not. But as part of the Nokia line-up at the Game Developers Conference earlier this month, Creatures of the Deep certainly caught our eye – and demanded our thumbs' attention – with its unique take on mobile fishing.
The game casts you as an up-and-coming angler darting around the globe with the goal of becoming a champion fisher.
Using a trusty trawler, you can steer you way to destination points on a world map to talk to fellow game-controlled fishers. Chatting up these characters opens up various fishing quests and adventures. For example, one quest we tried demanded we reel in a single 40lb tuna before the end of the day. Others will require hauling in a total number of fish or earning a set amount of experience.
The game is filled with these sorts of missions, repeatedly sending you out to the expanse of the ocean to bring in the day's catch.
Moving about on your boat is done with the control stick or arrow keys. Once you've found a suitable fishing spot, you can drop anchor using the '5' key. With the anchor down, the game switches to a first-person view from which you can cast your reel and wait for the fish to bite. Nibbles on your line are given a little vibration feedback, which lets you know it's time to start reeling in a catch. Bringing in a fish is as easy as repeatedly pressing on the '5' key.
We found the entire system pretty straightforward, and easy enough for anyone to pick up and start playing.
As you catch fish and complete quests, you'll gain experience and increase in level. Your level reflects your talent as a fisher, enabling you to access new locations and aim for bigger, badder fish. Creatures of the Deep's locales would do a high street travel agent proud, ranging from tropical isles to frosty floes that can be visited day or night, depending on your skill level.
As well as the fishing quests, there are mini-games to keep things fresh. Each location on the map hosts a boat race, which you can enter by driving your boat up to the set destination point. Here you'll compete against three other boats, using the control stick to steer your way through the course.
We found keeping our boat under control pretty challenging (in a good way!) especially as we were also trying to avoid collisions and beat competitors to the finish line. Racing against friends via Bluetooth should be even better.
On the N73 handset we tried it on, the game looks impressive. The world map is near photo-realistic and the first-person sequences run smoothly. Sure, Creatures of the Deep doesn't exactly rock the boat with either its presentation or gameplay, but it does promise an entertaining experience.
At least you won't have to wake up at the break of dawn in order to enjoy a bit of fishing when Nokia releases Creatures of the Deep later this year, along with its next gen N-Gage service.
