For a game that’s always looked like a bit of a gag, Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV is surprisingly fleshed out. Packing a story mode, alongside multiple FFXV-esque hunts, there’s a lot to do in this PlayStation VR powered angling adventure. And while the quality is admittedly a bit inconsistent, you may find that catching carp with Noctis and crew becomes a guilty pleasure.
We’re several hours into the game thus far, and while the plot’s yet to really come together, it essentially sees you rescued by resident Hammerhead mechanic Cindy after a literal monster of the deep wipes out your fishing boat. It’s then down to you to reel in all of the daemonic sealife inhabiting Eos’ waters – and catch a few regular whoppers in the process.
The character creator is the same as the one in the Comrades multiplayer expansion, so you have a fair amount of leeway to create a cool looking angler. The really neat thing is that you can customise your protagonist with tattoos and other features, which you can then inspect in intricate detail from the title’s primary first-person viewpoint.
Most of the game takes place at various lakesides, but there is a wooden cabin hub where you can buy new tackle, rods, and clothing. Getting in your car allows you to select your next mission, and characters from the Final Fantasy XV storyline show up to help add a little context to your quests – and also deliver a hearty helping of fanservice.
Of course, it’s the fishing that you’ll be spending most of your time doing, and while it’s simplistic it is very fun. Casting, as is always the case in these games, is the most difficult task, as you need to flick the PlayStation Move forward from behind your shoulder and release the line at just the right moment to hit the area of water you’re aiming for.
There is an easier casting option that requires smaller movements, but both are difficult to judge and it’s definitely the hardest task in the game. A sonar shows you where fish are gathered, and the powerful rumble in the PlayStation Move controllers lets you know when you’ve got a bite. It’s then down to you to reel in the fish successfully, accounting for the critter’s swimming pattern.
In the hunts you’re tasked with catching a very specific type of fish, forcing you to ensure you’ve got the right tackle for the job. However, the story missions see you build up a meter by freely catching fish, resulting in a battle against a particular daemon. These are set-piece type affairs, and actually strangely exciting for a fishing game.
The visuals are certainly impressive, with Final Fantasy XV’s world looking absolutely delicious in PlayStation VR. But our biggest gripe is that the motion tracking seems a little bit swimmy, and that can break the immersion a tad. Furthering that, some of the cut-scenes are displayed in cinematic mode, which pulls you out of the experience.
But there’s way more game here than we were expecting. We balked at the price point ($29.99/£24.99) when we first saw it, but we were anticipating more of a minigame; this does, in fact, feel like a standalone product – albeit one heavily based upon last year’s Final Fantasy XV. Nevertheless, we’re looking forward to perfecting our casting skills – and we’ll have a full review in the coming days.
Do you think Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV is looking like the catch of the day? Reel at the price point in the comments section below.
Comments 12
The ending of the video is quite possibly the best work Sammy has ever done.
Fishing was easily my least favorite part of FFXV (and pretty much the only trophy preventing my plat). Even with VR, it's probably the only FF 'game' not for me....
I'm still not 100% sure this didn't start out as a joke and just snowballed into an actual game.
Should have had a physical release imo. Bit concerned by the lack of cases on store shelves. As great as PSVR is, it needs to be able to demonstrate to Joe public that it is building a fairly impressive library of titles.
Nah, i'm tired already of FF XV, and i played the main game only.
Too bad i won't have the required peripherals to play this
Too scared i'll get trapped in the game or die when the headset gets yanked off (i watch too much sci-fi)
Great article,so glad you are enjoying it because despite not finishing the main game I really like the look of this.Was planning on picking it up today but I played the demo of the Persistence earlier and came away feeling the sickest I have ever been with a psvr game so I spent my money on Knack 2,The Lost Legacy,Life Is Strange Before the Storm and Planet Of The Apes instead.
Wow. Didn't see that coming. I was expecting a crappy, over-priced minigame ! XD
Now, you actually make me interested in it, especially when we all know that you guys don't hesitate to tell what you don't like on FFXV.
Just curious, but do you get to see your character during cut-scenes?
@MadAussieBloke Thanks.
This looks ace!
Gifting this to a friend who has VR so I can s̶t̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶a̶t̶ ̶h̶o̶w̶ ̶d̶r̶e̶a̶m̶y̶ ̶N̶o̶c̶t̶i̶s̶ ̶l̶o̶o̶k̶s̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶V̶R̶ enjoy some fishing.
Tap here to load 12 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...