The fishing minigame in NieR Replicant is a relaxing pastime for some players. For others, it can be a frustrating chore. Those who have made it as far as Part 6 in The Fisherman's Gambit questline have proven that they have the dedication to see things through to the end. In this leg of the series, players are prompted to fish up three Sandfish for the old man. With this guide as a reference, tracking down the elusive creatures will be a cinch.
As the name implies, Sandfish dwell beneath the dunes of the Desert region. The quest to catch Sandfish is only available in the second part of the story in NieR Replicant. This means that players should have access to the ferry for fast traveling. Anyone who speaks to the NPC with the red bag and takes his service to the Desert will find that they are already very close to a Sandfish spawning ground.
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The exact location where Sandfish can be caught is shown on the map below. The shifting sands near the ferry pier act as a fishing spot. If the fast-travel feature has been unlocked, players can use the bag-carrying NPC as a landmark to know where to fish - there's an interactable fishing point right next to the man. It could be a good idea to remember this spot for later, since farming Sandfish can be a good source of gold. As for bait, the simple Lure will suffice. No need to seek out more expensive tackle for the sake of this quest.
The Sandfish is one of the feistier targets that players will have encountered thus far. It might be necessary to brush up on the basics of fishing, because winging it won't be a valid strategy this time around. For more difficult fish like this one, it's more important to rely on the vibration of the controller rather than visual cues to know when to start reeling in.
Another vital piece of advice is to remember that there are essentially three directions to pull when attempting to land the fish. Players will either pull straight back on the analog stick, back and left, or back and right, based on where the fish is relative to the player character.
After catching three Sandfish, players can breathe a sigh of relief that this section of the quest chain is complete. There's little time to rest though, as there are still a few more quests in The Fisherman's Gambit side story. Still, there's plenty to be happy about for those who have mastered the art of catching Sandfish. These hefty critters are worth 2500 gold when selling to a vendor, so there's a nice money-making opportunity for skilled fishers. And since there are many powerful weapons being sold in shops after the story timeskip, a little side hustle could be a wise time investment.
NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139 is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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