Scale The Depths Review – It’s Of-Fish-ial, I’m Hooked

You are a small, adorable robot, and your task is to fish. From the frigid waters of Loch Ness to the infamous Outer Banks – the “Graveyard of the Atlantic” – you must catch fish to feed a variety of hungry customers. But this is no sedate afternoon on the lake simply waiting for your next nibble. Guiding your hook, you must traverse the depths to make your catch (discovering hidden messages and secrets along the way) and then use your trusty knife to scale your fish, remove parasites and barnacles, and finally serve them to a revolving cast of birds, marine mammals, and mythical creatures.

Developer Glass Gecko Games advertises casual fishing game Scale the Depths as “built around a simple but satisfying loop,” and they could not be more right. This is one of the most addictive gameplay loops I have had the good fortune of experiencing. Each session of playing Scale the Depths stretched far longer than I planned, as I kept telling myself “just one more upgrade, just one more satisfied customer, just one more dive.” This game is absolutely my new obsession, and I will not stop until I have fed every critter, found every hidden artifact, and perhaps even learned why a robot is tasked with fishing in iconic locations around the world.

Each location in Scale the Depths features an elaborate underwater map for you to explore. As you buy longer and longer lines, you will be able to dive deeper and deeper and catch larger and more challenging fish. (Don’t forget that you can also upgrade your hook to do more damage to potential catches!) There are even some mythical monsters lurking in the deepest corners of each location, which will require both patience and skill to reel in.

The controls for navigating in Scale the Depths are easy to learn but difficult to master. There is a “floatiness” to it – which makes sense, as you’re underwater! – and plenty of obstacles that might be your path. Learning how to move in each of the game’s maps is a really satisfying experience, especially as you come to know the shortcuts and hidden passageways or learn which fish tend to hang out in which areas.

There are also some fairly tricky underwater puzzles that you will need to solve if you want to unlock optional objectives such as artifacts, bottled messages, and cosmetics both for your character and your boat! The navigation section is excellent – although some of the harder-to-find artifacts in later areas could possibly use a few more hints, as some of them require some tricky line-manuevering or specific interactions with underwater objects, and the game definitely leans towards the “no handholding” side of things.

Unlike most fishing games, however, Scale the Depths’ gameplay doesn’t end once you have brought your haul of fish aboard your boat. Using a knife (which, of course, can be upgraded via the in-game store!), you must remove each fish’s scales, get rid of any pesky parasites or barnacles, and chop off the fins and head before they can be served to your customer.

While this sounds like it could potentially come off as repetitive, I found myself greatly enjoying this section of gameplay. It is soothing and meditative, and there is an extreme satisfaction in removing a chunk of scales with one solid knife stroke, or moving slowly and deliberately enough to lure parasites from their hiding places. And chopping off fish heads, even virtually, is a great way to work out any stress you might be feeling in your daily life!

I do have a small bit of feedback here – sometimes you can get almost all the scales off a fish, but the game won’t let you move on to chopping because there are a few tiny patches remaining. These are really hard to see and, while the game does highlight the missed sections in yellow, I think the highlighting could last longer or happen more frequently. The yellow can also be hard to see on certain-colored fish, and it sometimes leaves you fruitlessly scraping over and over to find those last few scales. (The game kindly does allow you to skip this part, although it decreases the quality of the fish and how much money you get for it).

The addicting gameplay loop is Scale the Depths’ greatest strength, but I have to give a nod to the characters and world. The customers you serve are a delightful mix of real and fictional creatures, each with their own personality and specific tastes. It’s fun getting to meet each one and figure out what fish they want (and don’t want) based on their dialogue. The Loch Ness Monster, who greets you with an adorable lowercase “hi im nessie,” and enjoys the majority of fish you serve her, was a particular favorite of mine.

There is also a story in this game – as of this writing, I haven’t discovered the full details of what’s going on, because I haven’t found every message and artifact, but I can tell you that it’s an intriguing one. There is a reason why this robot has been sent to fish for everything from trout to mythical serpents, and discovering it is a fun process. Of course, it’s also just fun to hunt down a rare artifact and, upon discovering it, ask yourself “what is THAT doing in this particular patch of lake/ocean?”

There’s also an educational element to Scale the Depths as well. The game provides facts about each kind of fish you can catch, as well as information about the birds, seals, otters, and other creatures that you find yourself feeding. I learned quite a lot playing this game, and I loved how accurate the inclusion of real-life fish was. It was great to see the Outer Banks, a location I’ve visited frequently throughout my life, used in the game, and it was cool to see fish I’ve actually caught myself there be catchable in that particular Scale the Depths level. Finally, I want to shout out the customization: every outfit you can decorate your robot with is super cute, and I had a hard time choosing between them. And did I mention that a default name for your boat is the S. S. Dixie Normous? I love a good pun, and that one had me cackling!

If you’ve ever enjoyed a fishing mini-game in any video game ever, then you absolutely have to give Scale the Depths a try. It’s a new and fascinating take on the fishing video game, and one that will keep you entertained for quite a long time with what is truly one of the most addictive gameplay loops I’ve encountered in a while. Now, if you don’t mind, it’s time to bring this review to an end, because I need to get back to fully upgrading my knife and hunting for artifacts!

Kate played Scale the Depths on PC using a provided review code. This review is based on the version of the game available at the time of writing and our score will not be changed.