Position-playing video games can typically promise a grandiose journey, and there’s definitely been no scarcity of these this 12 months. A few of the heaviest hitters of 2023 are prolonged RPG journeys that publicize dozens upon dozens of hours of questing and storytelling. So it’s good when a sport like Sea of Stars lets me cling up my adventurer’s hat for just a little little bit of fishing.

I’m only some hours into Sea of Stars, which is out immediately on PlayStation, Xbox, Swap, and PC. It’s a chill, fascinating RPG that undoubtedly has some love for the golden oldies, but additionally has some neat concepts of its personal. Not stunning, given its the staff that made the same retro-modern fusion in The Messenger.

And whereas I might simply discuss in regards to the fight system and its intricacies, or the artwork and music, or some intriguing character writing for the prolonged forged, I’m right here for the fish. The second I noticed a lake with swimming silhouettes lurking beneath the floor, I knew the place I used to be spending my time.

Gone fishin’

Sea of Stars‘ fishing minigame is discovered all through its overworld, in designated fishing holes dotting the panorama. Simply head in and you may forged a rod into the blue, seeking to hook a catch.

The premise is straightforward, even when not clearly defined: maintain the fish inside your bounded strains whereas reeling them in. Tug an excessive amount of whereas it’s outdoors, and line stress will construct as much as a breaking level for those who let it. Oh, and if the fish leaps within the air, you are able to do a timed smack of the A button (or respective press in your controller of selection) to get just a little stun-strike.

Speaking to others who’re a lot farther in than me, Sea of Stars fishing doesn’t get way more difficult than that. Discover a lake, forged a rod, get some fish. You’ll be able to filet them up for cooking supplies, or launch them again.

A close-by board tracks what fish you’ve caught from the lake. There may be prizes for filling these out. However actually, I don’t actually care, as a result of that’s not why I’m right here. I’m simply right here for a chill time.

It’s not like Sea of Stars is especially arduous or something. However as the dimensions of video games has grown, I actually respect when the massive ones supply these little respites.

Take a load off

A part of it’s the sheer variety of huge, enormous hour depend video games. I’m led to consider Sea of Stars is on the shorter facet. However in a 12 months the place I’ve lined the likes of Octopath Traveler 2, Ultimate Fantasy XVI, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and Baldur’s Gate 3, having little moments of calm sprinkled all through the journey is sweet.

Particularly with Sea of Stars, I like how its a tiny tour. You veer off the trail, like a detour in Tremendous Mario World, to a facet space that’s nearly you and the fish. Not one of the ponds I’ve sat beside to this point have had fight zones or the rest main in them. Simply fishing Zen.

It’s not simply fishing; any minigame can present this. I’ve heard there’s a board sport in Sea of Stars that’s fairly participating. However I discover these little spots in different fantasy worlds too. Whether or not it’s Fort Condor in Ultimate Fantasy VII Remake, or Gwent in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, these facet moments are fantastic distractions. Heck, my love for these facet ventures might be why I’ve been so decided to get the Triple Triad mount in Ultimate Fantasy XIV. It’s shut now, I can really feel it.

However these facet actions additionally assist inform our social gathering members. They’re not simply roaming adventurers who should be heroes on a regular basis. They will break off to run a blitzball squad, or strike up a sport of Caravan with a roaming service provider. Or for those who’re Kazuma Kiryu / Kasuga Ichiban, you do a lot of facet actions.

Level being, I just like the little moments of calm. They create a great ebb and stream to the journey, and provides a narrative like Sea of Stars a pleasant second to chill out, neglect about your troubles, and snag some fish. If that’s your jam, Sea of Stars is out now, and it’s on each PlayStation Plus Recreation Catalog and Xbox Recreation Move too.