Minigames are oftentimes a major part of video games, and everything from Grand Theft Auto features some kind of minigame. It's especially important in massive RPGs or open-world titles, as having a minigame for players to kick back with can help make things more varied.
Among the wide array of side activities, fishing has been a constant in the world of video games. While there are plenty of titles out there that completely focus on fishing, more often than not it's a minigame within a massive world.
While plenty of games have featured fishing, there are a few titles that go above and beyond with their fishing systems, turning them into an experience that players can sink hours into. Here are the best fishing video game mechanics, in games that are about something other than fishing.
Final Fantasy XV
Fishing and JRPGs go hand-in-hand, but Final Fantasy XV features one of the most in-depth systems the genre has seen. Players can upgrade their rods and reels, as well as use a variety of different lures and lines. The actual fishing gameplay is fairly intuitive and easy to use, but what makes it so much fun is how much the main character, Noctis, loves fishing. The core idea of Final Fantasy XV plays into the road trip experience, and fishing is a good way to kick back during any trip.
Noctis regularly talks about how much he loves fishing and how spots would be perfect for casting a line. At the same time, Prompto can take charming pictures of Noctis while he's fishing, and it's a joy to see the party jump into the water to help Noct reel in a massive catch. Fishing also serves a practical use, however, as anything caught can be used in Ignis' cooking, which grants stat and experience bonuses. Outside of simply being fun, Final Fantasy XV's fishing minigame is so good because of how it ties into the overall experience.
Yakuza 6
The Yakuza series has featured fishing plenty of fishing in the past, but Yakuza 6's version doesn't quite fit the typical idea. Yakuza is well known for being utterly ridiculous, and the spearfishing minigame fits that bill to a tee. At the Onomichi docks, Kiryu can help out a fisherman and his daughter by doing the fishing himself, in an expectedly Kiryu style. The on-rails shooter features into multiple substories but is also a great way of earning money early on in the game. Each stage even ends with a climactic boss battle against fearsome creatures of the sea like sharks or giant squid. It's easily one of the best minigames in Yakuza 6 and works as a subversion of the typical fishing game.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Ocarina of Time. However, it's Twilight Princess that can claim the mantel of the best fishing minigame in the series. What pushes Twilight Princess ahead of others is just how robust and realistic its fishing system feels. Players can choose from different bait and bobbers, and the fishing hole even goes through the four different seasons of weather, and fishing conditions can change as it gets later in the day. It's simply a joy to take a break from Link's adventure and kick back in the fishing hole for a bit.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Despite the action and drama of cook them up to recover stats, donate them to the camp, or sell them to make a tidy profit.
Breath of Fire 3
Breath of Fire 3 is, yet again, another JRPG with an intensely detailed fishing system that can distract players for hours on end. The game has a wealth of different fish to catch and a scoring system that can keep players going back, again and again, to try and get the top score. Like other great fishing minigames, though, what makes Breath of Fire 3's so great is how it ties into the rest of the game. Early on fish can be sold for gold, which is incredibly useful for outfitting the party with weapons and equipment. Later on, players can catch bigger fish to use as items, and there's also a lengthy sidequest that ties into fishing. Considering Breath of Fire 3 released back in 1997, it's even more impressive it managed to have a robust fishing system.
