Fishing is a common side mechanic in video games, but it’s not especially popular with mass audiences. As often as fisꦿhing crops up, it’s often derided for taking time away from the core gameplay loop or simply being too unwieldy to understand (see or the original , two games that do a poor job at explaining the nuances of their fishing mechanics). While still leaves a lot abo♎ut fishing up to interpretation, the remake does a much better job at conveying how the mechanic works through clear visual cues and some revised instructions.
The Fisherman’s Gambit is a series of side quests in Seafront that stretch all the way from Part 1 of into Part 2. Every iteration of The Fisherman’s Gambit tasks players with catchiꦿng a different kind of fish, taking them all over the world in their journey. While fish are obviously caught in bodies of wat꧑er, features sand seas with their own version of sand fishing. The Sandfish is the first fish sends players to the Desert to catch, requiring tighter skills to land than any fish before it.
Updated on June 27, 2021 by Renan Fontes: It really can't be overstated just how difficult landing a Sandfish is compared to all the other fish before it. The Fisherman's Gambit is no walk in the park, but the Sandfish defies the rules you'd come to expect from fishing six quests in while setting a precedent for even harder fish found later in the game. The Sandfish is Nier Replicant's wake-up call.
The Fisherman’s Gambit, Parts 1 - 5
The Fisherman's Gambit becomes available in Seafront as soon as you catch a Shaman Fish for Yonah. The first five iterations of the quest are done during Part 1, but transfer over onto Part 2 if you neglect them. While the Shaman Fish story arc teaches you the basics of fishing, it neglects the nuances.
Make sure to pull away from the fish when hooked and never let go. Actually landing a fish means pulling on the right bob, with different patterns signifying different fish. Discovering which is which does take some trial and error, but it makes subsequent fishing much easier. The firs🐻t five quests require t🤡he following fish to complete:
- 10 Sardines
- 7 Blowfish
- 7 Rainbow Trout
- 5 Bream
- 5 Black Bass
Once you've completed all five quests, you'll be locked out of Part 6 until later in the story.
The Fisherman’s Gambit, Part 6
Unlike the first five Fisherman’s Gambit side quests, Part 6 cannot be completed during Part 1. After finishing The Fisherman’s Gambit 5, you won’t be able to continue the side quest until after the timeskip (the point of no re💦turn being Emil’s Manor). During ꧂Part 2, you can head straight to Seafront and trigger The Fisherman’s Gambit 6.
Unlike his regular requests, the Fisherman will task Nier with catching three Sandfish. Not only is the amount of fish less than usual, Sandfish cannot be♉ caught in natural bodies of water and will likely be the single hardest bite you’ve needed to reel in so far. When you’re ready, leave Seafront an💯d start making your way to the Desert near Facade.
The Art Of Sand Fishing
For anyone who doesn’t have access to quick travel, leave Nier’s Village towards the Eas🐲tern Gate and keep straight on t𒁃he Eastern Road towards the Desert. Keep right after entering the Desert and follow the mountain side. Head all the way down to the docks below where you’ll find a suitable sandsea. If you do have access to fast travel, simply head to Facade to start right at the docks. Unlike regular fishing in water, there are some slight differences to sand fishing.
Where the fishing rod’s bobber normally goes underwater whenever a fish lands a bite, this doesn't actually occur in sandsea. You can still rely on subtle visual cues to know when to pull, but otherwise the best way to catch Sandfish is to start pulling whenever the controller vibrates a bit more intensely than usual (use a DualSense for the best results). Pay attention to the shockwaves coming out of the bob – both the size and consistency – to get a feel for the Sandfish. Aggressive shakes typically come with larger waves, so try to use that as a visual cue.
How To Catch Sandfish
Fortunately, the Sandfish doesn’t require any special bait to catch. S💜tand in front of the sea of sand and cast out your regular Lure. When looking for a Sandfish, make sure to avoid soft tugs on the bobber and only pull back when you feel an aggressive pull (keep an eye out for those deep shockwaves in the sand when they bite the bobber). Due to the san😼d’s ripples, it can be difficult to keep track of where exactly the Sandfish is.
Make sure to always be holding down on the analog and stick to subtle movements whenever the Sandfish changes directions. Be ready to move the fishing rod at any instance, especially once the Sandfish is wearing down. The Sandfish has more endurance than any fish you've caught before, so settle in and don't let your thumb get tired. Sandfish are a bit on the rare side, too, so don’t be discouraged if they don’t bite right away. Once three have been caught, head back to the Fisherman in Seafront to complete Part 6.