The crew behind Viva La Dirt League (VLDL) have released their first game, Nice Day For Fishing, with help from developer FusionPlay and publisher Team17. VLDL has already immersed itself so deeply in online content creation through their skits, D&D games, and shows that even if someone doesn't recognize the name VLDL, they have most likely seen some of their work. Nice Day For Fishing continues many of their epic tales, bringing the humble Azerim town of Honeywood into an actual video game where Baelin is suddenly no longer just a simple NPC fisherman.
I have been a fan of VLDL for a long time, watching their skits, following their Dungeons and Dragons liveplay games, and even owning their merch. I am also a fan of video games and fishing in games, so Nice Day For Fishing seems as though it was made just for me. That said, I approached the game wondering how someone who doesn't know the world of Azerim and the history of Viva La Dirt League would receive these jokes and adventure. While the game is obviously a love letter to VLDL fans, it's impressively well done.
The Story Behind Nice Day For Fishing's Adventure
Baelin Is Cast Into The Role Of Adventurer, Hua Ha!
Azerim is the World of Warcraft spoof that VLDL has created for many of its skits, and includes the small and humble town of Honeywood as a popular town. Here, NPCs like Greg the Garlic Farmer, Bodger the Blacksmith, and even Baelin the Fisherman hand out quests to Adventurers as they through. This time, after a cataclysmic event which surely was not at all Baradun's fault, all the Adventurers are missing, and Baelin has suddenly been reprogrammed to be able to accept quests and level up.
Playing as Baelin, it is up to players to save Honeywood from a conveniently fishing-related threat and restore things to their proper order. Like the traditional hero, Baelin is a man of few words and holds within him an incredible strength and power. He seems happy to go from quest to quest, gathering fish and materials from the watery depths.
Although his fellow NPC friends aren't able to do much towards defeating the evil, despite Baradun claiming to, Baelin does get helpful direction and upgrades from his comrades. Whether it's Bodger upgrading the fishing pole into tools that seem quite uncomfortable for fishing, but useful nonetheless, or Eugene selling Baelin comical hats that provide the fisherman with new strengths, the town does its best to their friend.
The VLDL Easter Eggs Are Constant, Which This Fan Loved
The Characters And Jokes Of Viva La Dirt League
Fans of VLDL will be delighted at the constant references that are made in the Nice Day For Fishing. Bodger is constantly losing his grandfather's hammer and needs Baelin's help getting it back, at which point Bodger happily tells the story behind the hammer again and again. Greg the Garlic Farmer is much too focused on garlic, yet somehow this crop is significantly more useful in Azerim than it is in the real world, so it makes sense.
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Even the names of the fish are designed to give players a chuckle, although the infamous "Toulet To Pologize" song from their DnD game, Adventures in Azerim, was frequently playing in my mind when I fished for Toulet Tuna.
Eugene's "cry.wav" and Fred and Freya's relationship all added to the feeling of familiarity for fans. Yet, nothing felt so over the top that if someone did not know VLDL they wouldn't be able to appreciate most of the humor.
Someone Who Doesn't Know VLDL Well Could Still Enjoy This Silly Game
Gameplay Of Nice Day For Fishing Feels Like An Old School Game
Nice Day For Fishing is heavily inspired by retro games, with everything from the art style and audio to the basic gameplay mechanics feeling a lot like old platformers, only with fishing as its focus. Much of the game is played using fishing lures under the water to pick up treasures and fish for specific fish, gradually going deeper and deeper beneath the world's surface. However, there are also platforming components in the forest and caves, and the typical mechanics of leveling up and getting better gear and spells.
Nothing requires any prior knowledge, and although fans will get more out of it, newcomers will still get plenty of laughs from the jokes here.
Players who are approaching Nice Day For Fishing without a knowledge of VLDL would still be able to have a lot of fun with the humor and basic mechanics of the game. Nothing requires any prior knowledge, and although fans will get more out of it, newcomers will still get plenty of laughs from the jokes here. They may even find themselves wanting to seek out VLDL content to see more after playing.
My only real complaint in the game was the amount of walking or sailing back and forth. The fetch quests often result in going from one end of the map to the other and back again, only to repeat the journey for the next quest. However, this was probably a conscious choice by VLDL as part of their poking fun at this very mechanic in other games.
As you can probably guess, the main gameplay mechanic in Nice Day For Fishing is fishing. Yet, unlike the common fishing minigames from games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons or a plethora of other games, here it's a mixture of combat and fishing, with several useful spells taught by Baradun.
Surprisingly, players can pick and choose from the available gear and spell upgrades to create a feeling of class types for Baelin. Several fishing poles, hats, rings, and charms offer equal stats but differ in their focuses. If someone wants to lean heavily into attack damage, they can create a stronger fighter. Or, if they want to be able to heal well or do damage over time, there are ways to lean into that.
Nice Day For Fishing Is An Indie Diamond
ScreenRant Gives VLDL's Game 9/10 Stars
I went into playing Nice Day For Fishing with high expectations, which, as we all know, can sometimes be worrisome when setting the bar too high. Thankfully, VLDL and everyone who worked on this game did not disappoint. There were no bugs or glitches that I encountered in the entire experience playing on PS5; it was longer than I had expected it to be, and the humor and gameplay were perfectly balanced, so that I did not feel like anything was too much. Even constantly retrieving Bodger's hammer ended in a fun surprise.
Yes, the game was made for someone like me, a longtime fan of VLDL who loves video games. I think that it could be enjoyed by many, though, with its comedic value blended with simple game mechanics and a perfectly ridiculous story. VLDL's Azerim may not be quite the same level as World of Warcraft's Azeroth, but this is a game that I would absolutely give 9/10 stars to for how well crafted it is and the sheer amount of joy I felt while playing Nice Day For Fishing.
Screen Rant was provided with a digital PS5 code for the purpose of this review. Nice Day For Fishing is available now for Steam, PS5, and Nintendo Switch.