Welcome to Patch 1.5.5!
We have exciting updates waiting for you in this one. A new vehicle camera perspective, undiscovered fish species in Norway, and fresh customization options with new hairstyles and facial hair. Plus, we've tightened up gameplay with key bug fixes. More details below!
Highlights
Hit the roads and waterbodies with a new perspective
The third person camera option has been added for all vehicle types. Whether you're navigating the land in a 4x4 or traversing waters by boat, you can now enjoy a new camera point from above and behind the vehicle.
Dev Team’s Notes: We had already added a selection of extra static cameras to vehicles, but we saw that some players were still suffering from motion sickness over the rugged terrain. Hopefully, the all new 3rd person camera will offer a smoother ride as you explore the various reserves.
New fish species discovered in Trollsporet Nature Reserve
Four new fishes have arrived in Norway - Alpine Bullhead, European Bullhead, Common Dace and Ruffe.
Dev Team’s Notes: With bottom fishing added as a new fishing technique recently, we wanted to offer more bottom lurking fish in Norway, so there's more to catch while down in the depths. We’ve also recognized that most of the fish in Norway were larger species, so we've added some smaller fish to balance it out as seen in other reserves.
Unleash your style with new facial and hair styles
We've expanded character customization with four versatile hairstyles and two additional facial hair options, allowing even more ways to personalize your angler. In addition, we've made our original hairstyles compatible with all body types and enhanced the look of the classic mustache.
Dev Team’s Notes: The options for hair and facial hair styles have been somewhat restricted, with only a single hairstyle available for each body type, excluding the bald option. However, the new additions are accessible for both body types and can be modified using the complete range of color swatches.
Features and QoL Improvements
Gameplay
We've improved the casting mechanics to make them more accurate and reliable. Now, you'll find it much easier to cast your line exactly where you want in the water, no matter the angle or distance.
Dev Team’s Notes: Casting is a fundamental part of the experience in the Angler. We noticed that manual casting sometimes seemed too simplistic and, unfortunately, led to many unsuccessful casts. To make it more gratifying, we've updated how the game understands your actions and added horizontal control during the casting movement. This should result in a much more satisfying casting experience for all players.
We're constantly tuning and tweaking fish spawn rates for well-balanced populations across all reserves. We've used your feedback and live data to introduce subtle adjustments, aiming to make your fishing adventures even more fun!
Dev Team’s Notes: As we add new fishing techniques and species, our aim remains to keep the game enjoyable for all players. This is an ongoing process, so expect more adjustment with each update. Your feedback is invaluable in shaping these changes - please keep it coming!
Vehicles you spawn will now stay in place. Whether you wander far on foot, fast travel, or leave the reserve - your vehicle will still be there when you return (unless you've spawned a new one of the same type). This change should greatly simplify your travels, especially when returning to reserves in remote locations.
Dev Team’s Notes: This is just the beginning of several planned improvements to make vehicles more convenient to use. We hope you'll consider this first step as a nice quality of life change.
Visual
Cloud atmospherics have been updated to be more dynamic. You'll now witness a wider range of formations and more noticeable changes as time passes.
Dev Team’s Notes: It might have no impact on the gameplay, but we hope you’ll enjoy the enhanced visual display of the clouds.
UI
We've given a fresh look to the main menu and reserve selection pages.
Dev Team’s Notes: As the game has evolved significantly since its release, we've refreshed the pictures and graphics you see right when you start playing. We hope you'll agree that everything looks even better now!
Button prompts are now clickable using the mouse on PC. Previously a keyboard was required to navigate much of the UI, and now it is possible to only use the mouse.
Dev Team’s Notes: We value creating a game that everyone can enjoy with ease. Acknowledging your feedback about wanting more mouse-based navigation, we've transformed the button prompts into clickable items for easier menu maneuvering.
Patch Notes
Gameplay
- Alongside the third-person camera, we've introduced a new stationary camera at the front of the Ultra Cruiser Jon Boat for a better view.
- To make your travels easier, we've placed a new vehicle spawner near the main cave entrance in Spain as there wasn't one close by previously.
- We've patched up a gap in the Golden Ridge Reserve map where players could accidentally fall through - oops!
- We’ve fixed an issue with some fish getting spooked by the player when they were stood in a Jon Boat.
- If you're a passenger on a boat, you won't get caught in an endless respawn cycle when the boat's owner fast travels to another location anymore.
- An issue, where some photo challenges were not progressing, has been addressed. In particular, the Ruby River Range Photo Challenge 1.
Graphics
- We’ve fixed many minor graphical clipping issues with various water bodies.
UI
- We've fixed an issue where the "Take Photo" map markers were showing "Error/Unknown". They now display correct labels.
- The thumbnail for the Ultra Cruiser [ADD LIVERY NAME] has been updated to make the appearance of the vehicle.
- The soft lock experienced when moving items from the last row of the storage when using a controller has been fixed.
- Players can now click mouse button to Release Fish (rather than hold ENTER) to progress beyond the reward screen.
- Vehicle spawn location icons are now constantly visible on the map instead of only appearing when player is in proximity.
In addition, we’ve also introduced multiple minor bug fixes and quality of life changes to give you the best possible gaming experience. We hope you’ll enjoy what patch 1.5.5 has to offer!
And if you’re looking into expanding your fishing adventures - you can now grab the Norway reserve 60% off on Steam until February 12!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2165500/Call_of_the_Wild_The_Angler__Norway_Reserve/
HAPPY FISHING!