I remember a few years ago when most cable channels, especially the Discovery Channel, started producing shows that let us enjoy an often-sanitized and idealized view of different dangerous or weird occupations, from being a lumberjack to flipping real estate. However, the show that really stood out for me, and for critics since it was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards, was The Deadliest Catch, the show about crab fishing in the Bering Sea. After two relatively unsuccessful games based on the TV show, Tapinator, a mobile game developer, announced today that it’s developing a game called Deadliest Catch: Seas of Fury for mobile platforms so we can all finally dare Alaska’s icy waters from the comfort of our couches.
According to Tapinator, the F2P game will take fans deep inside the turbulent Alaskan crabbing season through more than 20 levels of difficulty. Apparently, you’ll go from being a deckhand aboard six of the most famous boats from the show to protecting your pots and lines from obstacles and enemies at the bottom of the ocean. There will be, of course, fishing licenses and gear to purchase. For some funny reason, I always get briefly excited when I hear about games based on The Deadliest Catch, because the skill involved in successfully fishing in those dangerous waters is remarkable. From the strategic decisions involved in choosing fishing areas, to the risk-reward balance a Captain needs to strike between avoiding a huge storm and taking in enough crab, to the arcade-level dexterity necessary to catch pot lines in stormy seas, there are plenty of promising gameplay experiences that could come out of this license (there could even be a TellTale game there). Who knows, maybe Deadliest Catch: Seas of Fury will at least come close to doing something decent with the license.
