Fishing Sim Moonglow Bay review: fishing minigames and heartfelt story

The people of Moonglow Bay is afraid of the ocean, and for good reason. For them, it is an abyss filled with more than just fish: it has brought them a lot of pain. The once prosperous fishing village has witnessed a host of tragedies, mostly caused by the sea. He took away loved ones and disputed dreams. Since these tragedies struck, the city’s vibrancy has been replaced by myths and legends centered on the ferocious beasts that prowl beneath the waves, devastating the local economy to the point that the city council is about to shut down.

Moonglow bay, the voxel art game now available on Windows PC via Steam And on Xbox One and Xbox Series X, it begins three years after the main character, in whatever name you choose, loses his partner. Three years earlier, that character and his wife, Robin, had moved to the small Canadian bay to revitalize their fishing industry, a dream of Robin. But soon after, Robin disappeared. Moonglow bay It begins when Robin is pronounced dead in absentia, your character homebound by grief. Little by little, life begins anew and her daughter moves to the city to help.

You start fishing, cooking, and selling your wares, bringing Robin’s dream to life in his absence. Fishing begins along the beach and from the docks, but eventually you will also have access to a boat. Everything centers on this act: throwing the line into the water and seeing what it lifts. The mechanical act itself is not difficult, and that is intentional: Moonglow bay eliminates friction from fishing. It encompasses all the best parts of fishing, fishing as an idea, and makes for the relaxed, meditative act that many of us wish it were in reality. For reference, Moonglow bay‘s fishing is comparable to Stardew valley in terms of participation. But it’s not as difficult as, say, Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

That’s what makes me good to play Moonglow bay – allows you to take things easy. There is not necessarily a rush to move the story forward or focus energy on a particular task. Instead, the focus is simply on being a middle-aged fisherman who learns to live again after a great loss. A large part of that is also being embedded in the Moonglow Bay community. Your character meets others cooking for them, part a kind gesture and part publicity for the new business.

Much of the “help” in Moonglow Bay – doing chores or cooking for other residents – is not essential to finish the game, but it is quite significant. Here, you learn about the losses the community has faced, come to understand their fears, and help them live with them. It’s somehow sad and sweet in a way that surprised me.

I have seven hours in Moonglow bay At this point, and for lack of a better phrase, I’m hooked. Moonglow bay it has its fair share of bugs and glitches; I had to restart the game several times to get out of the crashed screens, and faced a massive bug that made an encounter at sea impossible. I’d also recommend playing this with a controller, too, if you’re on a Windows PC; keyboard controls feel fuzzy and not clearly explained. (Even with a game controller, there are still times when things still feel unintuitive, particularly Moonglow bay“boss” fishing fights.) However, those shortcomings have been easy to ignore.

The slow pacing and smooth but solemn storytelling, with many bright and joyous moments too, is delightful, and I am eager to learn more about Moonglow Bay and its people, in a city shaped by both fishing and pain. .

Moonglow bay It was released on October 26 on Windows PC via Steam and Xbox One and Xbox Series X, where it is available at no additional cost to Xbox Game Pass subscribers. It hits the Epic Games Store on November 11. The game was reviewed on Windows PC using a download code provided by Coatsink. Vox Media has affiliate associations. These do not influence editorial content, although Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased through affiliate links. You can find Additional information on Polygon’s ethics policy here.