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Sig, Edgar, and Norman Hansen, the Northwestern, Deadliest Catch. If these names and titles mean nothing to you then you're obviously living under a rock. Deadliest Catch is the number one non-fiction show on cable TV. The Northwestern is one of the featured boats on the show and the Hansen brothers operate her and head up the crew. Captain Sig Hansen, deck boss Edgar Hansen, and engineer Norman Hansen come from a family of fisherman, men who have braved the untold dangers and perils of the arctic waters of the Bering Sea, untold until now.

The Discovery Channel originally ran a ten episode pilot season of Deadliest Catch in 2005. The Northwestern was part of the inaugural season and has been a mainstay of the series ever since. The show takes place in the Bering Sea around the Aleutian Islands and the tiny fishing town of Dutch Harbor. While fishing of various species of fish and crab are a year round industry in Dutch Harbor, Deadliest Catch focuses primarily on the king crab and opilio crab seasons which take place during the brutal winter months and result in the most dangerous conditions for the ships and their crews. Sadly, it's not a rare occurrence to lose a crew member or an entire vessel to these frigid and often stormy seas.

We were fortunate enough to have been given the opportunity to spend some one on one time with Sig aboard the Northwestern, and we had the opportunity to ask him some questions about the show, the soon to be released Xbox 360 & PC game, Deadliest Catch Alaskan Storm, and how it all came to be. He shared with us his thoughts on a lot of topics, and we'd like to share some of the question and answers with our readers in an effort to give them a better understanding of the man and the game.

History

Sig Hansen grew up in the footsteps of his father, who was also a fisherman. You could say he and his brothers are carrying on the family business. We asked Sig if he ever thought that he would attain celebrity status being a crab fisherman.

Vision

Moving on to the idea for the game, Sig told us that he got the idea from the popularity of the show and the amount of questions that they received on their web site. He thought people would enjoy playing the game and experiencing for themselves what it's like to be the captain of a crab boat in the Bering Sea.

Industry

We asked Sig his feelings on growing up in the industry and how he felt about the celebrity status that the show has brought to himself and his brothers, and whether or not he'd rather go back to the way things were before the show. Sig tells us that while the attention can some times be frustrating, he knows that it's good for his entire industry and that because of the positive affects that it's had and will continue to have on the industry as a whole, it's worth it.

Liquid Dragon

On the subject of how they got involved with Liquid Dragon, the developers of Deadliest Catch Alaskan Storm, Sig tells us about the chance meeting that led to the creation and publishing of the game. We also asked Sig about his involvement with the production of the game and how he participated in contributing to the reality of the game while at the same time making it as user friendly as possible.

Influence

Sig talked to us about what it was like to have an influence on the lives of people all over the world and on the subject of being a role model. He also discussed some of the opportunities that he's had to participate in charitable events and organizations.

Out At Sea

We asked Sig if he's ever been in a situation at sea where he thought that they weren't going to make it, either due to storms, or mechanical problems, etc.

Alaskan Storm

Back on the subject of the game, Sig tells us about some of the effects in the game including the awesome water and wave effects. I had seen some in game videos from Deadliest Catch Alaskan Storm prior to the interview, and personally I feel that the game has some of the best looking water and wave effects I've ever seen. Sig also told us about some of the character design and the voice sampling and video of the actual crew members.

Comparisons

Up in the wheelhouse Sig goes over some of the equipment and gives us an explanation of how he uses it and compares it to using the equipment in the game.

Gameplay

Once the guys from Greenwave got everything setup in the galley, we were able to get some game time with Deadliest Catch Alaskan Storm. We also got Sig to play one of the mini-games, and we got to go through several of the in game tutorials.

Captains' Seat

I couldn't leave the Northwestern without hopping in the captains' seat just once. We also took a tour through the Northwestern's engine room with John, a long time friend of the Hansen family. We owe a huge thanks to John for taking us through the shipyard to the Northwestern and for staying with us until Sig arrived and showing us around. Thank you again John.

Game Review

Now that we've got the interviews and game footage that you've all been dying to see out of the way, let's get to my review of the game. Fans of the Deadliest Catch will be thoroughly pleased. The game is very true to the show, which is of course true to the men and the jobs that they do. That realism is due largely to the participation of the Hansen brothers throughout the game production. From the initial concept throughout the design Sig and his brothers have given their feedback to make sure that the feel of the game is as real as possible. The way the waves hit, the way the boats pitch and roll, to the way they steer are all as Sig puts it Ònuts on". The differences are also apparent when you change vessels. For example switching from the single screw Northwestern to the twin screw Cornelia Marie will give the player an entirely different feel for the boat. The player also has control over how the boats feel and handle by the way they load them down. Load too many pots and you'll be heavy, thus affecting how your boat handles.

That said, not only can you captain the Northwestern, the Cornelia Marie, and other boats from the show, but you can create your own boat from a selection of hull designs, choose your own colors, and make your boat truly your own. The customizations don't end with the boat. You can pick your crew members, including several of the guys from the Deadliest Catch show. How you assemble your crew could seal your fate. Each potential crew member has their own strengths and weaknesses from how good they can handle a wrench to how well they know their way around a first aid kit to how much fishing experience they have and many other factors, and picking a balance between them could be the difference between successful fishing and going home broke. Of course to get the best, you'll have to pay for the best, and the good guys don't come cheap. Picking the best of the best means a larger percentage of the boats profits which means less money in your pocket. Between balancing your crew members skill sets, balancing you boat, and buying the right amounts of provisions and fuel, you'll be challenged before you even leave the docks.

With all of the attention to realistic control and feel, attention to detail hasn't been ignored. The boats mirror their real life counterparts, the weather is as realistic as being on the Bering Sea, the water is as near to realistic as I've seen in any game with foam and bubbles in the wake of the boats to whitecaps and enormous waves the likes of which have taken many a boat to the bottom of the sea. You'll have to take breaks to chop ice off your boat, make repairs, and strategize with other boats and their captains to figure out where the best fishing is. You'll also have to keep an eye on the morale of your crew members, giving them time to rest and eat in order to keep them happy and keep their stamina up. An angry crew with no energy could spell disaster for your season and your career. Nobody wants to work for a tyrannical captain. If all of this sounds like a lot to take in, don't worry. The developers included numerous videos of Captain Sig Hansen of the Northwestern giving you useful tips. The game also includes over 4,500 dialogue sequences ranging from the seriousness of a critical situation to the ribbing of a crew mate.

Interaction in the game doesn't only take place with your crew. You also have the ability to communicate with other captains, and you'll need to in order to get information from them on where the fishing is good. Just hope they aren't telling you a fish story to keep you away from their hot spots. Online play via Xbox Live will also be available with multiplayer mode. Captains will be able to talk just like the captains on the show, and scores will be kept on a leader board that will proclaim your victory or highlight your defeat for all to see.

If you don't have time for a full mission or a round of career mode play, Deadliest Catch Alaskan Storm includes several mini games, some of which we found quite fun. As you saw in the videos, our guys had a blast collecting buoys against the clock and competing against each other to get the best time. Of course you wouldn't go really blasting around the open ocean with huge swells in a skiff, but it's a hell of a lot of fun in a video game. Can you say airtime?

To conclude this review I'd like to say that I think Deadliest Catch Alaskan Storm is a solid title that will see much success. Again, fans of the show will love how well it portrays what they've come to love about the show. You'll be challenged to think about what you're doing at all times, from picking your crew to prepping your boat to when and where to fish. Online play will challenge you to make partnerships and test your intuition as well as how good you are at judging the character of others. You never know when the other captain you're talking to might be shooting you a line of bull just to throw you off of his hot spot. That said, to quote captain Sig Hansen, it's time to "Shut up and fish!"