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Cthulu meets fishing in this creepy simulation game - Dredge Quick Review

2K View2023-03-24

PLAY IT OR SKIP IT

Play it, especially if you enjoy Lovecraftian horror. Dredge is a solid fishing game, but its spooky qualities are what make it shine. During the day, it almost feels cozy, but it’s always clear that something dark and terrible is lurking beneath the surface. When night falls, the game reveals its true colors, but there’s not much an ordinary fisherman can do against eldritch horrors. Retreating to the safety of the docks is the only way to avoid a watery grave.

TIME PLAYED

I spent just over six hours with Dredge, which gave me thirty-six days of fishing time. That was enough time to discover new villages, make numerous ship upgrades, and catch a wide array of strange and terrifying fish. While I wasn’t able to see either of the game’s two endings, I did make some progress in the main storyline, which involves dragging mysterious relics out of the depths of the ocean. Every relic I dredged up gave me new abilities, making it easier to traverse the waters and explore the world.

WHAT’S AWESOME

• Creepy atmosphere. Everything about Dredge feels unsettling, even when there’s not anything scary happening. Faces are slightly distorted, giving even the kindest characters a sinister appearance. While the game has some music, a lot of my fishing happened in silence, with only the sounds of the ocean and my boat to keep me company. These unnerving details ramp up the tension, making things even scarier when real monstrosities come out at night.

• Fun fishing mechanics. Dredge may be a horror title, but it’s also a solid fishing game. Once I found a fishing spot, I played a timing-based minigame to reel in my catch. I enjoyed these little minigames, but if you’d prefer to skip them, they can be turned off in the game’s menu. Over the course of the game, I unlocked boat upgrades, like new fishing rods and nets, giving me access to a wider range of fish. Occasionally, I would fish up something strange and horrible at an ordinary fishing spot, which added a little excitement to every cast.

• Excellent inventory management. Inventory management is my passion, and it plays a major role in Dredge. Fish come in a variety of shapes and sizes, ranging from small to massive. Bigger fish sell for more, but to sell those fish, I had to make room in my cargo hold. Not only did I need space for fish, but I also had to make room for fishing poles, nets, and other ship upgrades. Whenever I improved my ship, I lost valuable cargo space. There’s a risk/reward element to ship upgrades that I really appreciated.

WHAT SUCKS

• Repetitive gameplay. Dredge’s gameplay loop mostly consists of exploring and catching fish during the day, then docking at shore and selling my haul at night. This got repetitive pretty quickly, especially when I’d been in an area for a while. Occasionally, I’d try to deviate from this routine and explore at night, but this usually resulted in my ship being smashed to pieces. I didn’t mind the repetition all that much, but I wish there was a little more variety.

• Upgrades make the game less scary. Like many horror games, becoming more powerful causes Dredge to lose its edge. In the early hours of the game, it was terrifying to lose track of time and find myself surrounded by darkness. Once I had better ship lights and faster engines, these moments didn’t feel like a big deal. I enjoyed the upgrades and abilities I unlocked, but the game is at its most potent when you feel helpless.

💬 Will you face unfathomable deep water horrors in Dredge, or would you rather stay safely on land? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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