I was hoping to see something epic. A mortal battle between man and fish.
Prompto
Fishing (釣り, Tsuri?) is a minigame in Final Fantasy XV where the player can gather food ingredients for cooking at camp sites and prize fish that cannot be eaten. The player can catch fish of all sizes in bodies of water, using various different rods and lures. Upon catching new fish, the party can unlock new recipes. Fishing is an optional pastime, but some quests require one to fish.
Mechanics[]
How to fish[]
The fishing game minigame uses button prompts while reeling in a fish. The fish that appear blue on the radar are acquired as "treasures" in the item inventory; the yellow ones on the radar are "ingredients" that can be cooked at camp. Dots with an outer circle on the radar indicate the location of uncommon fish. Quitting fishing and restarting respawns the fish, so the player can keep trying for the specific fish they want. Sometimes the fish splash on the surface of the water to tip the player to an especially good spot to cast their line.
Fishing requires at least one usable fishing line and lure. Both can be purchased at shops, including tackle shops located near select fishing holes. As Noctis's fishing skill increases, both the speed at which lines deteriorate and the cost of lures decrease. Noctis can acquire new fishing rods and reels, boosting his fishing offense and defense.
To start fishing, the player must find a fishing spot in a body of water. They become marked on the map after being discovered, and the player can also learn about them beforehand from tipsters and from fishing magazines found lying around the world. Some fishing spots have signs that denote what kind of fish can be caught there, although these are not fully comprehensive. Fishing at different times of day and in varying weather may yield different fish. The player can't fish with Aranea in the party, or in Chapter 14.
When the player begins to fish, Noctis summons a rod to his hand. Entering the menu at this point lets the player choose their fishing equipment.
The player uses the action button to cast the line and the right shoulder button to reel the line. To get the fish to bite one must use a lure, and specific lures work for specific fish; if the player uses an incompatible lure, the fish will simply ignore it. When the lure is near a fish a red bar appears to the top of the screen and a sound cue will play, same as for initiating a battle on the field. The fish pulling on the line wears it down, and if it snaps and the fish gets away, the player will lose their lure (there is one special lure obtained from a side quest that cannot be lost, however). The line wear is depicted as a numerical value, and the player should replace their line from the equipment menu when it wears thin.
The player must follow the button prompts that appear on-screen to reel in the fish. The player should not reel when there is no tension on the line that makes the gauge go red, and when there is tension to push the analog stick to the direction the screen prompts to relieve it. At times fish jump out of the water with a button prompt to follow, which lets Noctis reel his catch a little closer.
There is a record of what kinds of fish have been caught. It is possible to catch fish up to one meter in length.
Tips[]
A good strategy is to not look at the strength of the line or the progress gauge at the top, as once a fish has been hooked the player is committed to catching it. Instead, the player can watch the fish to anticipate its movement, and move the rod the same way the fish is moving. If a fish is far away, the player can use its wake to determine movement. The camera always moves in the same direction as the fish and can thus also be easier to observe.
It can be a good idea to not reel when the fish is changing direction rapidly, and only reel when it is moving consistently in one direction. When the water splashes and the controller is vibrating, the fish is struggling. Reeling is much more effective when the fish doesn't struggle, and for the big fish it is advised to not reel when they struggle as it creates tension on the line. Tapping the reel button once, rather than holding, when the fish struggles, doesn't deplete from the line strength, but can slightly advance the progress bar at the top. For catching the big fish, repeatedly tapping the reel button rather than holding tends to work better to avoid wearing down the line.
For the superfish like the Mummy Bass in the Windows and Royal Editions that destroy the line fast, one may tap the pause button and adjust the reel/do not reel and direction as needed while paused, although it takes a long time to reel in a big fish this way.
The Booster Pack +, which is included in the season pass, contains the second most powerful fishing rod and reel, making it easier to fish and level up Noctis's fishing skills. This can enable the player to get fishes that yield tremendous status boosts early in the game to gain a huge advantage and level up efficiently as well as leveling Ignis's cooking skills from cooking complex dishes.
Skill level[]
The player can level up Noctis's fishing skill via fishing; the fishing experience is added when resting at camp or at lodgings, the same as for EXP. The bonus at each level up will improve the player's chances of catching bigger fish, which in turn improves the chances of getting big AP bonuses from fishing once unlocked in the Ascension. Fishing level carries over when using chapter select.
- Level 1 - Amateur Angler: No Bonus
- Level 2 - Long-lasting Line: Fishing line wears down 25% slower when fish struggle
- Level 3 - Tackle Discount I: Tackle shops offer a 10% discount
- Level 4 - Lure Allure I: Chances of hooking a fish increased by 25%
- Level 5 - Able Angler: Catch fish up 31.5 inches
- Level 6 - Tackle Discount II: Tackle shops offer a 30% discount
- Level 7 - Longer-lasting Line: Fishing line wears down 50% slower when fish struggle
- Level 8 - Lure Allure II: Chances of hooking a fish increased by 50%
- Level 9 - Tackle Discount III: Tackle shops offer a 50% discount
- Level 10 - Ace Angler: Catch fish up to 59 inches
Improving fishing level for the first time earns the Angling Rookie achievement/trophy. Maxing it out earns Angling Expert.
Ascension Grid[]
The Exploration grid provides boosts for the fishing minigame.
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Name | Effect |
---|---|
Angler Action | Gain 1 AP from catching a fish. |
Item Angler | Double items gained from fishing. |
Expert Item Angler | Triple items gained from fishing. |
Reel Experience | Gain EXP for catching fish (each species has its own value). |
Sportfishing | Gain extra AP for catching big fish (each species has its own value). |
Victory scenes[]
Upon making the landing, there are four different victory scenes depending on the fish caught:
- For a small catch, Noctis reels in the fish and hoists it up. The team expresses disappointment for such a small or unappealing catch.
- For a general catch, Noctis reels in the fish and hoists it up. The team compliments Noctis's catch.
- For a large catch, Noctis reels in the fish, but kneels over, puts his rod aside and uses both hands to hoist up the catch. The team comes over, and celebrates Noctis's catch.
- For exceptionally huge catches, Noctis looks over in excitement, and summons Gladiolus to handle the catch, who dives on into the waters to subdue the fish.
- For the Murk Grouper, the same will happen with the addition of the rest of the team huddles over, Ignis looks over the dock, before Prompto playfully pushes him in to follow through and Noctis playfully kicks Prompto into the water. As the team stands in the shallows, they all hoist up the fish. Prompto pulls out his camera, and the group poses with the catch in celebration for a photo. This will go down in the player's photo gallery for the day.
- For the Bluefin Tuna in the Royal and Windows Editions, Gladiolus jumps into the water. Ignis and Prompto look at each other and nod. Ignis puts his glasses away and the two jump in after him. The next scene shows the fish on the vessel's deck with everyone admiring the catch.
List of fish[]
There are over 100 different fish, some fish having small and large variants. Size variations do not alter the appearance of the fish, but do change the values for stamina, power, SP, EXP and AP.
List of fishing rods and reels[]
There are 7 rods and 7 reels the player can acquire.
List of lures[]
There are 48 lures in the game.
List of fishing spots[]
There are 25 fishing spots in the game, plus fishing enabled from the royal vessel in the Windows and Royal Editions.
List of tackle shops[]
Noctis's fishing level affects tackle shop prices.
- Level 3: Tackle shops offer a 10% discount
- Level 6: Tackle shops offer a 30% discount
- Level 9: Tackle shops offer a 50% discount
- Bob's Bait Emporium – Galdin Quay
Item | Cost |
Spider Silk | 30 |
---|---|
Super Baleen | 100 |
Poppeck: Chocobo | 50 |
Poppeck: White Chocobo | 50 |
Poppeck: Red Chocobo | 50 |
Sweet Jamming: Custard | 50 |
Sweet Jamming: Flan | 50 |
Sweet Jamming: Mousse | 50 |
Bomber: Bomb | 50 |
Bomber: Ice Bomb | 50 |
Bomber: Thunder Bomb | 50 |
- Dory of the Deep – Daurell Spring
Item | Cost |
Spider Silk | 30 |
---|---|
Super Baleen | 100 |
Burrower: Mad Pink Sandworm | 200 |
Burrower: Green Sandworm | 200 |
Burrower: Abyss Worm | 200 |
Whiskers: Pearly Moogle | 50 |
Whiskers: Crystal | 50 |
Whiskers: Chocolate | 50 |
Fatal Roulette: Ahriman | 50 |
Fatal Roulette: Floating Eye | 50 |
Fatal Roulette: Bloody Eye | 50 |
Hell Blaster | 3,000 |
Acubens | 4,500 |
- Tabby's Tackle Shop – Rachsia Bridge
Item | Cost |
Spider Silk | 30 |
---|---|
Super Baleen | 100 |
Deadly Waters: Sahagin | 200 |
Deadly Waters: Coraldevil | 200 |
Deadly Waters: Seadevil | 200 |
Hot Breather: Red Dragon | 50 |
Hot Breather: Green Dragon | 50 |
Hot Breather: Blue Dragon | 50 |
Jumbo Tusk: Garula | 50 |
Jumbo Tusk: Green Garula | 50 |
Jumbo Tusk: Garulessa | 50 |
Butterfly Edge | 7,000 |
Galatea | 6,800 |
- Bert's Bobbers 'n' Stuff – The Vesperpool – East Bank
Item | Cost |
Spider Silk | 30 |
---|---|
Super Baleen | 100 |
Dragon's Beard | 500 |
Stinker: Malboro | 200 |
Stinker: Malbodoom | 200 |
Stinker: Great Malboro | 200 |
Giant Needle: 10,000 Gigantuar | 200 |
Giant Needle: 10,000 Metal Gigantuar | 200 |
Giant Needle: 10,000 Gold Gigantuar | 200 |
Burrower: Mad Pink Sandworm | 200 |
Burrower: Green Sandworm | 200 |
Burrower: Abyss Sandworm | 200 |
Death Spin | 12,000 |
Nereid | 9,600 |
- The Fisherman's Friend - The Archaean's Mirror
Item | Cost |
Spider Silk | 30 |
---|---|
Super Baleen | 100 |
Dragon's Beard | 500 |
Bomber: Bomb | 50 |
Bomber: Ice Bomb | 50 |
Bomber: Thunder Bomb | 50 |
Needle 1,000: Cactuar | 50 |
Needle 1,000: Metal Cactuar | 50 |
Needle 1,000: Gold Cactuar | 50 |
- The Fisherman's Friend – Saxham Reservoir
- The Fisherman's Friend – The Maidenwater
- The Fisherman's Friend – The Vesperpool - Islet
Item | Cost |
Spider Silk | 30 |
---|---|
Super Baleen | 100 |
Dragon's Beard | 500 |
Deadly Waters: Sahagin | 200 |
Deadly Waters: Coraldevil | 200 |
Deadly Waters: Seadevil | 200 |
Hot Breather: Red Dragon | 50 |
Hot Breather: Green Dragon | 50 |
Hot Breather: Blue Dragon | 50 |
Jumbo Tusk: Garula | 200 |
Jumbo Tusk: Green Garula | 200 |
Jumbo Tusk: Garulessa | 200 |
There are also general stores at various locations that sell leisure goods. Their prices are not lowered by Noctis's fishing level. Leisure Goods are also sold on the Regalia's shop and more inventory becomes available as the player encounters them in other shops.
- Mini-Mart – Coernix Station (Alstor)
Item | Cost |
Spider Silk | 30 |
---|---|
Sweet Jamming: Custard | 50 |
Sweet Jamming: Flan | 50 |
Sweet Jamming: Mousse | 50 |
Bomber: Bomb | 50 |
Bomber: Ice Bomb | 50 |
Bomber: Thunder Bomb | 50 |
- Mini-Mart – Coernix Station (Cauthess)
Item | Cost |
Spider Silk | 30 |
---|---|
Needle 1,000: Cactuar | 50 |
Needle 1,000: Metal Cactuar | 50 |
Needle 1,000: Gold Cactuar | 50 |
- Mini-Mart – Coernix Station Lestallum
Item | Cost |
Spider Silk | 30 |
---|---|
Super Baleen | 100 |
Jumbo Tusk: Garula | 200 |
Jumbo Tusk: Green Garula | 200 |
Jumbo Tusk: Garulessa | 200 |
Burrower: Mad Pink Sandworm | 200 |
Burrower: Green Sandworm | 200 |
Burrower: Abyss Sandworm | 200 |
- Mini-Mart – Burbost Souvenir Emporium
Item | Cost |
Spider Silk | 30 |
---|---|
Super Baleen | 100 |
Dragon's Beard | 500 |
Hot Breather: Red Dragon | 50 |
Hot Breather: Green Dragon | 50 |
Hot Breather: Blue Dragon | 50 |
Whiskers: Pearly Moogle | 50 |
Whiskers: Crystal | 50 |
Whiskers: Chocolate | 50 |
- JM Market – Cape Caem
Item | Cost |
Spider Silk | 30 |
---|---|
Super Baleen | 100 |
Deadly Waters: Sahagin | 200 |
Deadly Waters: Coraldevil | 200 |
Deadly Waters: Seadevil | 200 |
- JM Market - Altissia
Item | Cost |
Spider Silk | 30 |
---|---|
Super Baleen | 100 |
Dragon's Beard | 500 |
Stormer: Focalor | 200 |
Stormer: Purple Berry Focalor | 200 |
Stormer: Chert Focalor | 200 |
Invincible Iron Giant | 200 |
Gemlight: Caster Carbuncle | 3,000 |
Fishing quests[]
[]
Navyth Arlund is a fisherman who travels around the Leide, Duscae and Cleigne region, who tasks Noctis with catching particular fish. The fish he requests for can be caught from the fishing spot at which the quest is given, but the player can also catch the fish elsewhere. If the player has already caught the requested fish, it can be presented to Navyth to complete the quest immediately after accepting it.
Name | Location | Unlock | Reward |
---|---|---|---|
Navyth's Challenge | Cleigne | Complete "Fishing, Naturally", reach Chapter 07 | 3,000 EXP, Invincible Iron Giant x1 |
Fishing, Naturally | Cleigne | Complete "Fishing Buddies" | 2,000 EXP, Butterfly Edge x1 |
Fishing Buddies | Duscae Alstor Slough | Reach Chapter 03 | 1,500 EXP, Knife T. Tonberry x1 |
Angler's Nightmare | Galdin Quay | Complete "Navyth's Challenge" | 5,000 EXP, Tranquility x1 |
Liege of the Lake[]
If the player camps near Vesperpool with a full party, Gladiolus will want to go fishing for the legendary Liege of the Lake. The tour is completed once the player catches the Liege; quitting fishing puts them back at camp, but the tour can be restarted at any time by camping at the same haven again. It is possible to catch the Liege outside of the tour when fishing at the same spot.
The "Liege of the Lake" is one of the toughest fish to catch. It is not marked on the radar until Fishing Level 10 and lurks in the top left corner of the fishing area. It can be caught with the Giant Needle 10,000: Gold Gigantuar lure that can be bought at the shop at the same fishing spot. It is advised to use the best fishing line, an upgraded rod and reel, and to have Fishing Level 7 or above. Cooking Kupoberry Cheesecake at camp before the tour that makes a fishing line last 25% longer helps in this quest. The player only needs to cast their line until the liege bites; any other fish that bite the player can let the fish come off the line to have a fresh line when catching the liege.
Catching the fish yields the Big Blaze Bahamut lure, which is special as it will return even if the line snaps.
Name | Location | Unlock | Reward |
---|---|---|---|
Liege of the Lake | Cleigne | Camp in Capitis Haven | 20 AP |
Royal vessel fishing[]
In the original release, the trip to Altissia is an in-game cutscene. The PC and Royal Edition versions make the boat usable by the player with the same controls as the Regalia. The player can explore the oceans freely and fish from the vessel. Fishing spots are denoted on a radar and can keep changing. When sailing, fishing-related quests become available when the player approaches the correct spot. Most fishing spots don't have any special fish, but two new fish become available in the new quests added to the Royal versions.
Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV[]
On June 12, 2017, Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV was announced as a PlayStation VR exclusive. It provides an enhanced version of the fishing minigame in virtual reality. It was released in September 2017.[1]
Behind the scenes[]
Noctis's love for fishing was developed after his appearance in Final Fantasy XV Episode Duscae demo, when the developers were still amid an effort to humanize and flesh out the party.[2]