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Usually I like to play video games and look forward to trying a new one. In the case of Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm, I had no interest. However, playing the game, I can see how it might appeal to a small audience.

In Deadliest Catch, which is a simulation/strategy game based off the Discovery Channel TV show “Deadliest Catch,” you are in control of a fishing vessel. If you’ve never seen the TV show, you’re in for a bit of a vocabulary lesson. There isn’t a LOT to learn, and it’s pretty easy, but this is just a fair warning. In the game, you basically take on the role of a fishing boat captain and perform the duties the same as Capt. Sig Hansen — who helps you throughout your tutorial and the game.

I’m not a fan of simulation games or strategy games, so I didn’t particularly enjoy this. It felt more like work than fun. Having to hire a crew, buy supplies, plot your course, pilot the boat and control your crew isn’t much fun for me. The game does, however, follow the feel of the show as far as what is required in fishing.

I found there to be quite a bit of lag while I was playing. For an Xbox 360 game, I wouldn’t expect there to be much lag. It doesn’t really hinder gameplay, but it is noticeable.

When you first start Deadliest Catch, you have to pilot the Northwestern into the bay. This takes FOREVER. I am not a fan of piloting the boat. It’s like walking a regular character from point A to point B &mwash; walking not running. It become tiresome rather quickly. Luckily, not all of the game is just piloting the boat through the water. Sadly, I didn’t find the other parts of the game that much more enjoyable.

The graphics were pretty when it came to the boat and the ocean. However, when you zoom in on the crew, the people seem blocky and the animation work seems to have been rushed. When the crew is sorting the crab they catch, the crabs are all just a big blob and the hands of the crew members don’t even touch the crabs as the pile dwindles. I would have liked to have seen a bit more detail in the crew and on deck, but I guess since this game is more about being the captain of the boat, I can forgive it. I could have done without the flock of seagulls constantly flying around the boat, though.

Throughout the tutorial, you saw videos of Sig, who would instruct you on how to do something. The videos were live-action and looked good. I didn’t see much point in them, though. They were more of an afterthought or just something to “brand” the game.

Controlling the boat wasn’t easy at first. You use the left stick to push up or back on the throttle and to steer the rudder. When you start the game, you have to control the rudder completely, even setting it back to its centered position. But, you can change this in the options menu and make it an “arcade controls,” which automatically sets the rudder back to center. I found this to be a much easier way of controlling the game.

The sound of the game was what you would expect. I heard a lot of ocean and seagulls. The voice acting was kind of flat, but they weren’t really actors doing the voices more as they were real people doing “acting.” The main music is that of the show, which is Bon Jovi’s “Dead or Alive.” It’s a good song, and I now have it stuck in my head. The rest of the sound isn’t very memorable, though. I can’t really remember any of the music from the gameplay — just oceans and seagulls.

I haven’t played much of Deadliest Catch, but what I have played wasn’t really my cup of tea. I would recommend this game to fans of the show and to fans of fishing and simulation/strategy games. There’s a lot of micromanagement involved, so I don’t think it would be a great game for kids.

Anyone want a fishing game?