Russian Fishing 4

Over 1,000 Hours in RF4 — A Game I Loved, but Can No Longer Recommend Playtime: 1,000+ hours | Level 31 | Premium player I never imagined that after spending more than 1,000 hours playing Russian Fishing 4, I would eventually write a negative review. Let me start by saying that RF4 has some of the best fishing mechanics I’ve experienced in a simulator. The variety of fish, equipment, fishing techniques, and the satisfaction of landing a difficult trophy are genuinely impressive. That’s what kept me playing for so long. Unfortunately, great fishing mechanics cannot compensate for an increasingly frustrating progression system. The Economy and Excessive Grinding I have absolutely nothing against grinding. In fact, I enjoy working toward better equipment. Progression should require effort, and expensive gear should feel like an achievement. But there needs to be a balance. When I first started fishing at Lower Tunguska, I was earning approximately 250–400 silver per real hour. That motivated me to keep playing. After roughly ten days of grinding, I finally purchased equipment that wasn’t top-tier but was good enough to handle more challenging fish. I expected that investment to improve my fishing experience. Instead, I’m now earning approximately 150–200 silver per hour, despite having better equipment and more experience. I’m not claiming that the developers deliberately reduced my catches. I’m describing what I’ve experienced. When hundreds of hours of progression leave you feeling less rewarded than before, something is wrong with the experience. Progression Shouldn’t Feel Like a Second Job Players shouldn’t feel forced to spend endless hours farming the same species just to afford meaningful upgrades. Fishing should be enjoyable whether you prefer spinning, float fishing, or bottom fishing. I don’t expect free equipment, unlimited silver, or trophies on every cast. I expect my time and effort to feel worthwhile. Premium Membership I’ve supported RF4 financially through Premium, but I increasingly question whether the benefits justify the cost when the underlying progression remains so exhausting. I’m not asking for paying players to receive unfair advantages. I’m asking for a more rewarding experience for everyone, including free players. Community Feedback and Player Treatment This is perhaps my biggest disappointment. I recently took the time to write a detailed post on the official RF4 forum explaining my concerns about the economy, progression, Premium benefits, and player harassment. Instead of receiving a meaningful discussion about those concerns, the official response focused heavily on my broken equipment statistics and personal playstyle. The harassment and humiliation I reported weren’t even directly acknowledged. I accept criticism. I accept that I’ve made mistakes with equipment. But those mistakes don’t invalidate my experience or my right to provide feedback. I wasn’t asking for special treatment. I genuinely wanted the game to improve. Unfortunately, the response left me feeling that my concerns weren’t being taken seriously. Final Thoughts I don’t hate Russian Fishing 4. Quite the opposite. I spent over 1,000 hours playing because I genuinely loved it. But today, I struggle to find a reason to continue investing my time and money. The most disappointing part isn’t losing silver, breaking equipment, or failing to catch trophies. It’s losing the motivation to play a game I once loved. RF4 has enormous potential, but until the developers seriously reconsider the balance between progression, rewards, and player enjoyment, I cannot recommend it. I didn’t want to leave RF4. I wanted RF4 to give me a reason to stay.