Moonglow Bay Review

Released on the 26^th of October 2021, this indie adventure video game called Moonglow Bay was developed by Bunnyhug and published by Coatsink; and within the “slice-of-life fishing RPG”, players start the game as rookie anglers working together with friends, family, and neighbours to hone their fishing skills, nourish relationships, and restore the town’s fractured community.

The Storyline of Moonglow Bay available on Steam for £19.99:

“Moonglow Bay is set along the Eastern Canadian coastline during the 1980s and offers players a diverse and emotionally charged story… you play as a rookie angler, struggling to fulfil your partner’s final wish by keeping a business afloat in the face of impending bankruptcy. Whether playing solo or with a friend in drop-in-drop-out local co-op, you’ll need to cook your catch of the day, then sell a variety of recipes to upgrade your shop, gear, and fishing boat. Combining a playful voxel art style with a sumptuous soundtrack, your journey is split into several distinct story arcs featuring a fully inhabited town to traverse and the potential for epic encounters with the rumoured Mystical Monsters of Moonglow. With your journal and rod in hand, explore the furthest reaches of the ocean, from frigid glaciers to boiling geysers, and learn to cast nets, set traps and fish through ice, documenting over 100 varied aquatic species while uncovering the secrets of Moonglow Bay.”

During the opening and the character creation, players will find that their playable character is in their 60s, which is a fresh change from games such as Story of Seasons and Stardew Valley, where characters are often young; however, the customisation of the character itself is very limited and would benefit players more if there was a lot more freedom to choose who they would like to play as.

Moreover, certain tasks like fishing and cooking requires your character to play a minigame each time, but this can become time consuming after a long period of time where your character continuously cooks and goes fishing as part of the main goal of the video game.

Another disappointment was the fact that, despite the large town map, there are not many places for players to visit. The good thing is that once the Trawler is fixed within the game, your character can start exploring the oceans around the town in search for rare fish and interesting landmarks.

The art style is unique and can be beautiful, although it can also be difficult to decipher certain fish and animals, as well as making it harder to navigate areas that can be explored but does not seem like it due to the voxel-style art.

If you enjoy fishing-heavy simulation games, then the story and the mechanics will definitely pull you in and create a good gaming experience; particularly, the mysteries that you will solve when fishing and speaking to the townsfolk. The story and the music are one of the key aspects that pulls players into an immersive gameplay, which is why the exploration part became so relaxing and enjoyable.

Playing a new game can usually be a hit or miss, especially when it is brand new and something you may not have played before; however, Moonglow Bay is well worth trying for players who are looking to spend time on fishing, minigames and relaxing exploration!

For more information about Moonglow Bay, visit the official website HERE, and check out their official Twitter HERE for any future updates for the video game.