I want to preface this articles by saying my experiences with the game were on the Oculus Quest 2
Free games tend to be a large hit or miss market. There are some out there that are far too fun and should be charging something. While others aren’t worth the time it takes to download them. Bait is something that falls into the category of being worth the effort.
The main reason I picked up Bait was because it was free and I was looking for games that I could really test out the VR system (Oculus Quest 2) with before spending money on games. I am still finding myself occasionally playing the game even now that I have bought other games.
The graphics aren’t top notch so you might have a hard time feeling really immersed in the environment. Even so I did enjoy sitting back in my lounge chair with a fishing rod overlooking the lake. The sounds of birds and other critters makes it feel a little more real while you’re casting your rod into the water.
The casting itself feels about as realistic as I can imagine it feeling on the console. Not that it’s a fault of the console itself but just a recognition of the limitations of VR at the moment. For anyone who has fished in the past it’s a ways away from being able to create the satisfying feeling of the perfect cast.
Bait! Gameplay | Timewasters, youtube.com
Another issue I have with the game is when reeling in a fish. To be able to reel it in you need to bring your hands fairly close together, spinning one around (as if actually drawing the fish in). My issue is with the proximity that your hands are supposed to have. I understand they are going for a distance that feels similar to doing it in real life but when I have controllers in my hand all it’s prompting me to do is occasionally smack them together. The range where I can do this safely while being able to perform a consistent reel is rather small making for some unnecessary frustrations.
On the upside, other portions of the game are done really well. The gauge that you need to watch while drawing in a fish is very intuitive so there’s no ridiculously frustrating technique to make the catch (looking at you Stardew Valley).
Overall the biggest saving grace of the game is it’s cost, $0. It may have some major flaws and is very short but I highly highly recommend getting it yourself. Especially if you’re just diving into virtual reality breathing. Bait! is a great game to learn the simply mechanics and feel more comfortable with movement before spending money on other games.
