The Big Catch is an upcoming 3D platformer planned to release some time in 2026. It had a surprisingly extensive free standalone prologue released in back in 2024 called The Big Catch: Tacklebox, which I absolutely adored and will be gushing about here.
| YouTube trailer | Steam Page | Free Demo Link | Official Website |
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Momentum Is King
This is a 3D-Platformer, so the movement has to feel good — and my goodness gracious, it does! Tackle, the bird/rabbit-hybrid fisherman protagonist, feels extremely snappy and smooth to move around thanks to very responsive controls and liberal use of squash and stretch in his expressive animations.
Despite this, the basic jump in this game is surprisingly... weak. There is no double jump or similar ability to correct your trajectory in midair either. To make up for it you have a ground-pound and a slide, which can be combo-ed into wall-runs and wall-jumps. Using your momentum and committing to jumps is key!
This game is not afraid to raise the difficulty and push you to utilize its move set to the fullest. Failure is often pretty punishing with no fast respawns, which I consider one of two blemishes of this game.
You should be aware that there is no set order in which to complete the game, (nearly) all areas are accessible right from the start. There are no ability unlocks and only one progression gate. So if you find yourself getting stuck and/or frustrated, maybe try somewhere else and come back later.
Fisherman in the Desert
This game's setting and art-direction oozes style, feeling both fresh and familiar at the same time. Its low-poly aesthetic intentionally evoking console classics like Super Mario Sunshine or Shadow of the Colossus, and combines it with distinct and charming cartoonish designs for its characters and creatures. The soft and warm colours of the desert, the many mysterious looming ruins within it and the smooth and squishy animations are simply a joy to look at!
Earning Your Scales
This prologue is all about Tackle trying to "earn his scales", a rite of passage for his tribe of people. In the game's brief tutorial you meet your instructor Bail, who tasks you to venture out into the vast desert plateau to search for... fish! Find them, hunt them, exhaust them, smack 'em and reel them in. It pays well, after all! Just don't let them run away. Oh yeah, the fish have legs.
The Big Catch: Tacklebox is a collectathon, and somewhat limited in its scope. There is very little story and only one other character besides yourself. The closest thing to an ending can only be unlocked after 100%-ing everything else, and combing the desert for the last few little coins you missed can be painful (that's the game's second blemish). Thankfully the game's compass (which you can summon to be visible at all times by pressing D-Pad down on controller, or 3 on keyboard) has a hot-cold function that helps you track down any missed collectibles. The final challenge and ending are well worth it though in my opinion!
Development Background
The Big Catch originally launched as a Kickstarter campaign by the Canadian two-man team Filet Group, Quade Zaban and Harrisson Bright, who have previously worked together on YoNoid II and a few other game jam games. The successful campaign lead to the team expanding and eventually being picked up by XSEED as a publisher.
The Tacklebox prologue was originally intended to be an exclusive reward to high tier backers, but Filet Group decided it would be better to release it to anyone, for free. I am very thankful for that decision because I missed the Kickstarter campaign.
Looking Ahead to the Full Game
The Tacklebox prologue is an entirely stand-alone game, and all of its content is unique to it. You won't be retreading the same ground in the full game. As mentioned in the preface, The Big Catch is planned to launch some time this year. It was originally slated for late 2025, but caught a delay to this year, with no specific release date or window provided.
There is actually surprisingly little info about it, and how it'll be structured. We know you'll be playing as a different character, Caster, who works for the eponymous restaurant by providing it with fresh fish. There are little bits of footage of various areas smattered across the trailers, along with hints of something more sinister lurking in the depths (also hinted at with the checkpoint lanterns and the broken moon in Tacklebox). I'm personally fine with this though, Tacklebox gave me more than enough confidence that this game will be fantastic, and I'll get to experience the full game mostly blind!
I highly recommend anyone with even a passing interest in 3D-Platformers to give this one a look!
