You know that feeling when you've been sitting on a pier for three hours, your coffee is cold, and the only thing biting is a stray mosquito? Digital fishing used to feel exactly like that—minus the bug bites. But then Expansive Worlds, the same folks who gave us theHunter: Call of the Wild, decided to drop Call of the Wild: The Angler.
Honestly, the launch was a bit of a mess.
It was buggy. The fish logic felt "off." People expected the same grueling simulation depth of their hunting predecessor and instead got something that felt a bit more like an arcade game in a simulator's clothing. But fast forward to right now, and the landscape has changed. If you’re looking for a reason to jump back into the water, or if you’ve been hovering over that "Buy" button on Steam or Game Pass, there is a lot to unpack about how this game actually plays today.
It’s not just about catching fish anymore. It’s about the vibe.
The Massive Shift in How Call of the Wild: The Angler Actually Plays
When you first spawn into Golden Ridge Reserve, the sheer scale hits you. It’s huge. We're talking about a massive open world where you can actually drive a 4x4 or pilot a boat to find your own secret honey hole.
Unlike Fishing Planet or Russian Fishing 4, which can often feel like spreadsheet simulators where one wrong click ruins your day, Call of the Wild: The Angler focuses on the physical experience of the catch. The developers have spent the last few years refining the "Apex Connect" ecosystem and patching the fish AI. Earlier on, you could basically throw a bread crumb into a lake and catch a Diamond-rank Largemouth Bass. It was silly.
Now? The fish are pickier.
They react to weather patterns. They react to the time of day. If you’re out at midday when the sun is scorching the surface, those Lake Trout are going to be hugging the bottom of the deep trenches. You actually have to use your map’s depth chart. It’s a game of patience that finally feels rewarding because the "fight" mechanic—the actual tension on the line and the drag of the reel—has been tightened up significantly.
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Understanding the Gear Trap
New players always make the same mistake. They buy the flashiest lure in the shop and head to the nearest dock.
Don't do that.
The gear system in Call of the Wild: The Angler is surprisingly nuanced. You have to balance line strength with rod flexibility. If you put a 20lb test line on a rod rated for 5lb, you’re going to snap that rod the second a decent Northern Pike looks at your lure. It's about synergy.
There are three main styles:
- Float Fishing: Great for beginners. You sit, you watch the bobber, you strike. It's chill.
- Lure Fishing: This is active. You’re jigging, twitching, and retrieving. It requires you to understand "strike triggers."
- Bottom Fishing: The addition that changed the meta. Perfect for those massive Catfish that just want to sit in the mud.
Most people get frustrated because they don't vary their retrieval speed. In this game, a "constant" retrieve is rarely as effective as a "stop and go." You have to mimic a dying baitfish. If you just mindlessly reel in, the AI treats your lure like a piece of floating plastic. Because, well, that’s what it looks like to them.
Why the Multiplayer Isn't Just an Afterthought
Most fishing games are lonely. You sit in a lobby, maybe see a chat box, and that's it.
In Call of the Wild: The Angler, the multiplayer is seamless. You’ll be casting off a bridge and a Jeep might just roar past you, driven by another player heading to a mountain lake. You can hop into a boat with a friend—one person drives, the other fishes. It sounds small, but it changes the entire tempo of the session.
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There’s a communal aspect to finding "Diamonds." When someone in the server hooks a trophy fish, it pops up in the feed. It creates this weird, organic competitive energy. "Oh, Sarah just pulled a 15kg Muskie out of the north river? I guess I’m moving my boat."
It’s also worth mentioning the cross-play. Whether you’re on PC, Xbox, or PlayStation, the community is unified. This keeps the servers populated and ensures that the "Souvenir" shops and community challenges actually feel like a global effort.
The Maps: From Norway to South Africa
The base game gives you Golden Ridge (USA), which is your classic temperate forest environment. It’s beautiful, sure. But the DLC is where the game truly shines.
- Norway (Trollsporet Nature Reserve): This is the peak of the game's atmosphere. The fjords are stunning, and the introduction of Atlantic Salmon changed the fight mechanics.
- Spain (Aguas Claras): This is for the carp hunters. It’s more technical. The water is clearer, and the fish are skittish.
- South Africa (The South Africa Reserve): The newest heavy hitter. It’s vibrant, dangerous-feeling, and introduces species that fight like freight trains.
If you’re sticking to the base game, you’re missing out on the best water physics the engine has to offer. The way the light hits the water in Norway during a storm is genuinely some of the best visual work Expansive Worlds has ever done.
Addressing the "Grind" and Misconceptions
Let’s be real. There is a grind.
You start with a basic spinning rod that feels like a wet noodle. You won't be catching any monsters on day one. But the misconception is that you need to spend real money to progress. You don't. Everything is earnable through "Credits" gained by completing missions and catching fish.
The real hurdle isn't money; it's knowledge.
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The game doesn't hold your hand regarding hook sizes. This is where 90% of players quit. If your hook is too big, small fish won't bite. If it's too small, you'll never hook a Gold or Diamond rank fish. You have to constantly swap hooks based on the "Rank" of fish you're targeting in that specific area.
Check the handbook. Seriously. It’s in the game menu and lists the preferred bait and hook size for every species. It's not "cheating" to look; it's how you actually catch things.
The Technical Reality
Look, it's still an Apex Engine game. That means you need a decent rig if you're on PC. Even in 2026, the lush vegetation and real-time water ripples can chug on older hardware.
On consoles, the performance is locked in now, but at launch, it was a stuttery mess. They've optimized the draw distance so you don't see trees "popping in" as much when you’re flying down a trail in the 4x4.
Is it perfect? No. You’ll still see a fish clip through a rock occasionally. You might see a goat standing vertically on a 90-degree cliff face. It’s got that "Euro-jank" charm that fans of theHunter have grown to love, but it doesn't break the immersion as much as it used to.
Actionable Steps for Your First 5 Hours
If you’re just starting out or coming back after a long break, do these things in order:
- Unlock the Watchtowers: Just like in the hunting game, these reveal the map and fast travel points. Don't fish until you can move around easily.
- Complete the Tutorials: I know, they’re boring. Do them anyway. They give you free gear and a massive chunk of XP that skips the "beginner" struggle.
- Invest in a Boat: The best fish are rarely reachable from the shore. The basic boat is cheap and changes your accessibility immediately.
- Ignore Diamonds Early On: Focus on catching "Silver" and "Gold" ranks. They provide the best XP-to-time ratio. Trying to hunt a Diamond with starter gear is a recipe for a broken line and a bad mood.
- Watch the Weather: If it starts raining, swap to lures that create more vibration. The fish "vision" drops in murky water, but their lateral line sensitivity stays the same.
Call of the Wild: The Angler isn't a game you "beat." It’s a game you inhabit. It’s about the fifteen minutes of silence followed by thirty seconds of pure adrenaline when a legendary fish finally slams your bait. It took a few years to get there, but the water is finally fine.
To get the most out of your sessions, start by focusing on the "Taylor's Tackles" missions in Golden Ridge. These missions are designed to force you into using different techniques, which naturally builds your gear stash without requiring you to mindlessly grind for credits. Once you have a medium-weight casting setup, head to the deeper lakes in the northwest corner of the map. That’s where the real challenges begin.