Dredge Review
Developer: Black Salt Games
Publisher: Team17
Release: March 30th, 2023
Reviewed on: PC
Also on: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch
By: Evan1Sonic. This game might appear to some as just a relaxing fishing sim, but it has a panic-fueled Eldritch horror twist that you’ll find if you linger out late in the night. This horror backdrop is incredible and works surprisingly well with the gameplay to create a fantastic title that, while not completely free of flaws, balances a relaxing fisherman’s routine with eerie mysteries to great effect.
The opening hours of Dredge showcase what this title does incredibly well: instilling dread. Along with your limited starter equipment, the locals of this sea warn you not to linger or navigate in the foggy darkness. You never know what monsters might be lurking in the water or what this surf will throw at you. It’s not as easy as avoiding the waters when it hits midnight, however. Sometimes the draw of one more nocturnal catch sways your caution, or perhaps shelter is miles away. Thus the dread begins to build, starting with seeing things that couldn’t possibly be real and eventually growing in intensity until you die in the dead of night.
Your nighttime experiences are far from the only mysteries in this world. Many of those enigmas seem to revolve around the Collector. This unusual man asks you to bring him any relics you find on your journey in exchange for special rewards. While those relics seem to radiate evil energy themselves, the rewards you gain from adding them to his collection are unmistakably twisted. While all of the collecting is the main mystery of the game’s plot, there are many smaller perplexities around every corner. There were even some I did not solve after rolling credits and combing through the seas.
At the game’s core is the fun and calming act of fishing for a fresh catch. The minigames used to accompany this act always felt rewarding and were fun to execute. Along with catching the fish to gain some cash, an encyclopedia pushes you to catch every variant in the seas, of which there are more than a hundred. I didn’t collect them all, even by the end. While catching the same fish over and over gets repetitive, the variety of marine animals you’ll find and the engaging minigames attempt to help break the repetitiveness.
Once you have your fish caught, it's time to store them in your hull. Similar to Resident Evil 4, your inventory has a limited number of slots to fit items. Using each slot to your advantage is how you can excel as an angler and get maximum profit. I loved this part of the game, and the Tetris-like organizing of the inventory was outstanding. After you have the boat full of fresh bait, it's off to a fishmonger to sell and return back to the seas. This gameplay loop of navigate, fish, sell, repeat is very compelling, and countless times I decided to rush back to the waves. Most of why I was drawn into this loop is the fact that at the end of each run, you can pour your newfound resources into a ton of different upgrades that enhance your ship.
There's a lot of water to explore in this open world, and while it’s not massive, there's a lot to discover sprinkled throughout it. Each of the world's four zones has a distinct visual style, and each is only about a day's journey away from the hub. Each new area has creatures set on destroying your ship that you must avoid or defeat. Sometimes, this drifting from island to island is an unexciting journey with only your thoughts to keep you in check. It’s a little soothing by way of calming music, and finding things on your way through it still can feel monotonous.
Throughout your voyage on the seas, you’ll encounter a lot of different people, many of whom could use your help. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting all of those characters and unraveling their personal stories by completing their quests. It was a bonus to speak with them to learn more about the islands. Not every quest has a happy ending, but each is engaging, and most draw you in. The ending left me a little confused and not completely satisfied, but I discovered why some things are best left forgotten, and overall, the story completed the gameplay well.
Dredge is an incredible game, though an unsatisfying ending, as well as occasionally repetitive fishing and monotonous navigating, can drag the adventure down a bit. The nightly dread is fantastic and nails the feeling of being lost at sea wonderfully. Squeezing every fish I can catch into the boat's hull to maximize the rewards is another section in which the game succeeded. Stunning visuals and a great soundtrack full of relaxing piano tunes, as well as spooky numbers that made my skin crawl, are both other highlights of my nine hours with the adventure RPG title. I highly recommend Dredge, whether you are a fishing game fanatic, a lover of light horror, or ready for the next big indie of the year.
Dredge 9/10
This game was reviewed using a code provided by Team17. What did you think of this review? Are you planning on playing Dredge? Let me know in the comments below.
Thanks for reading and Game On!!
