For many people, fishing is just an excuse to get intoxicated by a riverbank on a sunny day. Serious fishing takes commitment - getting all the kit, a licence, a good spot and then being prepared to sit there and stare at a landscape that rarely changes. The cold, the wet, neither will scare off a man of the water. It's you against the elements, you versus the fish.

I've never caught a fish in my life - but I reeled in plenty whilst playing Sega Bass Fishing on the long-defunct Dreamcast. The surprisingly entertaining gameplay helped me understand the enjoyment of trying to bag a whopper.

So when the first Xbox fishing game arrived we were ready to don a floppy hat, fill up a Thermos and wait for the fun to begin. We waited, and we waited and yup, we waited. But the fun never came. And that's because it's damn near impossible to get so much as a bite on the end of your line with this game.

We're serious. Pro Cast makes fishing look so difficult you'd have more luck trying to tickle them from the water. It's not that we can't find the fish - they're everywhere, it's just that they'll often just tentatively approach the bait and smell it like a couple of dogs sniffing each other's bums. They'll even chase after the bait, and once a year they may even bite, but can you catch 'em? Nope. We've tried about ten different types of lures, we've gone from one corner of a lake to another and we've tried to cast our rods in every way imaginable - but still no joy. Loads of us have played this game and all we end up doing is cursing the bloody fish for never wanting to play. We even called up Capcom to make sure the game wasn't broken. They said it wasn't; we think it pretty much is.

PCSF represents the most frustrating type of game to review because it has all the potential to be a perfectly competent fishing game. You've got tournaments and the chance to upgrade all your stuff - and we understand that if you buy different types of bait you stand a better chance of getting a bite, but it sure didn't work for us.

It's completely OTT on the difficulty level when a room full of games journalists can't catch one lousy tiddler. Make like a fish and leave this bait well alone.

1. The first fishing game on Xbox
2. Good competition mode and upgrades

1. Uncatchable fish, so you won't get any upgrades, or win any competitions!

Power
Graphically average with nothing to make it shine like an exclusive Xbox title.

Style
A cheesy voiceover and camp characters make it feel like a poorly translated title.

Immersion
If you want to drag a lure across a riverbed for hours then just go right ahead.

Lifespan
You'll grow a beard quicker than getting a bite. Tedium to test the patience of a saint.

Summary
A perfectly competent game completely ruined by fish that have smaller appetites than an anorexic on a diet.