Fishing: Barents Sea Reviews

great once you get the hang of the game

who ever made this game dont know how water works

Perfect game to play if you wanna pass time a relax.

Fishing: Barents Sea is a maritime simulation game that offers a surprisingly meditative and technically detailed experience centered around commercial fishing off the coast of Norway. Developed by Misc Games, this title sets itself apart from the usual simulation fare by narrowing its focus to one occupation and doing its best to replicate that profession with realism and atmosphere. Set in the cold, expansive waters of the Barents Sea, players begin with a modest vessel and a simple line-fishing setup, and through a mixture of smart resource management, navigation, skill development, and economic choices, the journey expands into owning a fleet and managing a small fishing empire. It's a niche title, but one that finds power in its quiet dedication to authenticity. At its best, the game captures the unique rhythm of life at sea. There is a deliberate pacing to every aspect of gameplay—sailing between fishing zones, using sonar to locate schools of fish, deploying equipment, and hauling in your catch. These processes unfold in real time, and while that may initially feel slow or even tedious, it's exactly this realism that makes Fishing: Barents Sea so immersive. There is something profoundly satisfying about carefully setting a line, waiting hours (in-game time) for optimal conditions, and finally pulling up a full haul of cod or pollock. The developers have clearly invested a lot of effort into creating a realistic fishing environment, complete with dynamic weather, accurate port layouts, and fish population simulations that respond to overfishing and seasonal patterns. Visually, the game delivers a serene and convincing atmosphere. The ocean is rendered beautifully, with dynamic lighting and weather effects that shift from crisp, calm mornings to stormy gray afternoons. The Norwegian coastline is sparsely populated but feels authentic, with small harbors, rugged terrain, and isolated settlements giving the world a sense of grounded place. The ships, too, are modeled in impressive detail, both inside and out. Each vessel you acquire over the course of your journey is more complex than the last, with better engines, larger storage, more advanced equipment, and realistic cockpits you can navigate from first-person perspective. Sound design adds to the immersion with ambient sea noises, the hum of engines, seagulls circling overhead, and the gentle clatter of fish being sorted below deck. What makes the game compelling, especially for simulation enthusiasts, is its commitment to gradual progression. Starting small and earning money to repair, refuel, and upgrade your ship is rewarding. You're not simply grinding for cash—you’re developing your own efficiency. New fishing methods like netting or longline fishing become available as you level up your skills and acquire better gear, and each one plays differently, with its own techniques and challenges. You also begin to hire crew members, manage their roles, and eventually delegate tasks, bringing light touches of management sim into the mix. There’s a quiet pleasure in mastering this flow—charting a course, monitoring your sonar, positioning correctly, and timing your hauls just right. However, Fishing: Barents Sea is not without its shortcomings. While the core simulation is strong, the gameplay loop can eventually become repetitive, especially once you’ve unlocked most of the vessels and mastered the fishing techniques. The economic system is functional but shallow, and while port upgrades, repairs, and fuel costs create a bit of pressure early on, they become negligible in the later game. Interactions with the world are minimal—you don’t engage much with other ships, ports, or environmental events beyond fishing. This leaves the game feeling somewhat empty over time. Additionally, AI pathfinding and crew management can be a little clunky, with crew members occasionally bugging out or failing to perform tasks as expected. Another area that could use more depth is the storytelling or career progression. There’s no overarching narrative or major goals beyond buying bigger boats and catching more fish. For players who thrive on open-ended simulation, this is fine, but for others, the lack of narrative stakes or varied mission types may make the experience feel flat. There's also a lack of environmental feedback or challenge—for example, weather can look dramatic but rarely affects your operations in a way that changes gameplay meaningfully. Mods and DLCs have tried to address some of these issues by adding new ship types, crab fishing, or expanded mechanics, but the base game remains fairly linear in its progression. Despite these limitations, Fishing: Barents Sea offers a relaxing, oddly captivating simulation experience that stands out in its genre. It succeeds not through spectacle or complexity, but by embracing the steady, quiet, methodical nature of the profession it simulates. It’s a game that asks for patience and offers a kind of zen return on that investment. While it may not appeal to players looking for fast-paced gameplay or rich storytelling, it’s an excellent choice for those who enjoy slow-burn progression, technical realism, and the serene beauty of open water. It's not a game that screams for attention, but rather one that invites you to take a deep breath, listen to the waves, and work the sea on your own time. Rating: 7/10

Very satisfying, this scratches the same itch for me as Farming Simulator.

needs a bit of performance update, better tutorial, more jobs, more money for jobs, more money for seperate fish selling, needs more crabbing options

Great game, a tad repetitive, but so is fishing is real life. So not bad overall.

Last update was in 2022, multiple bugs that have never been addressed yet when you report them the only reply I've ever gotten was, you should try North Atlantic.