In recent years, the gaming industry has seen consumers appreciate indie releases more than ever. AAA games will always have a place and make money, but it’s good to see more appreciation for independent studios. Black Salt Games, the developer of Dredge, is one that should be on every gamer’s radar right now.
Players take on the role of a boat captain who has lost their vessel. But you’re in luck as you are welcomed to the seaside town of Greater Marrow and given a fishing boat. Starting with a basic setup, explore the seas and surrounding islands while helping locals, fishing, collecting artifacts, upgrading your boat, and unlocking new abilities. There is, of course, a catch. The waters are plagued with unspeakable horrors. Along with the sea beasts you encounter, nocturnal exploration has its own challenges as the captain’s paranoia takes over. As you continue, you will unlock the mystery of the islands and learn the truth behind the horror.
The game is now available via publisher Team17 on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One. For this review, I played on Steam for PC using a keyboard and mouse.
Dredgers Gotta Dredge
Fishing and dredging are the two most common activities in the game. You will see “disturbed water” in every direction as you cruise the open waters. This is where you can locate creatures and items to collect. Sea life is divided into seven classifications: Coastal, Shallow, Oceanic, Abyssal, Hadal, Volcanic, and Mangrove. To fish in each category, you must have the proper equipment. A rod designed for Shallow, for example, cannot be utilized in Oceanic, and vice versa. You will also use nets and crab pots to fish passively. As you continue, you will upgrade your equipment to multi-use rods, saving space.
RELATED: ‘Zortch’ Game Review: A Comforting Throwback to Early 3D FPS Games
You can earn money by selling your daily catch to the fishmonger unless you need it for a task or order. However, the creatures will decompose and lose value the longer they are in your inventory. Mutated versions, or “Aberrations,” can be sold at a greater price. Everything you capture will be cataloged in an encyclopedia, complete with information on where to find them, how to catch them, how much they sell for, and how many you have caught. I rely on my telescope to survey the area and find disturbed water. It will display the categorization, creature type (if known), or dredge.
As mentioned, some of the disturbed water will contain things that can be dredged. This is where you’ll locate crafting supplies and research parts to improve your boat, fishing equipment, and motor. There will also be trinkets and coins to sell to vendors, as well as items for missions.
The clock only advances when your boat is in motion, fishing, or dredging. Because you begin the game with a low-performance motor, getting from point A to point B will consume the majority of your time. There will be quick-time events while fishing that, if successful, will allow you to reel your catch to the surface faster. Just don’t be surprised if you start fishing in the afternoon and finish at night after just a couple of creatures.
Even as someone who doesn’t typically enjoy quick-time events, the fishing and dredging process is addictive. I was concerned that this would put me off the game, especially because it isn’t optional for dredging as it is with fishing. It is pretty intuitive and hasn’t resulted in frustration or avoidance—quite the opposite.
RELATED: ‘Spookware’ Game Review: Charming Microgames Prevail Over Horror
For those who want to explore more before nightfall, the speed with which the daylight hours pass can be intimidating at first. Because I wanted to fish as much as possible for income, I made the early decision to prioritize acquiring additional rod options. If I were to start over, I would have made the motor and rods more equal or just focused more on the engines. It made a world of difference when I started upgrading, and it extended my daylight hours. But there is no wrong way to play.
When it gets dark, you’ll notice an eyeball at the top of the screen. This will gauge your level of paranoia. During the night, you will encounter hallucinations, phantom rocks (that cause damage), an entity that will infect your catch, and monsters that will damage or totally destroy your boat, returning you to your last save. There are daytime enemies as well, as the game effectively ensures you never feel safe unless you’re docked. But nighttime really amps up the horror.
The monsters you encounter can be unforgiving at times and initially difficult to evade. This can be aggravating because you have no choice but to take damage and even lose items in your inventory.
The Dock of the Bay
Docks can be found throughout the islands, including floating docks for traveling merchants. This is where you sell items and creatures, upgrade equipment, modify your boat, buy supplies, receive new quests from locals, access your inventory, and sleep. Each location provides different services, but all will include sleep and research. Because the game uses global storage, your stash will be accessible from any dock that provides it.
Depending on your preferred gameplay style, you may spend a significant amount of time sleeping in addition to fishing and dredging. Resting will reduce your paranoia and give you a safe haven during the night. In my effort to experience everything for the sake of this review and my own curiosity, I didn’t get much sleep. As a horror fan, I was naturally curious about what lurked in the shadows.
RELATED: Exclusive: Ian Shaw Talks Playing His Father Robert Shaw in Jaws-Inspired Play
Admittedly, the game’s cute aesthetics first led me to believe it would be more relaxed than it is. Dredge can, however, be an anxiety-inducing experience, never allowing you to become too comfortable. At times, I was relieved to see the crusty old fishmonger and other residents. Although Dredge appears to be a casual game, it does an excellent job of instilling feelings of isolation and dread.
You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat
Inventory management is an integral part of Dredge. Each creature and item will take up room on your boat, and some, like a hammerhead shark, will take up many spaces. As you can see in the image above, you only have so many squares, and some are designated for fishing equipment, engines, and a light. It definitely gets a bit tricky, but it’s a process that keeps you fully engaged. You will arrange, rearrange, and swap items out pretty regularly. Checking the encyclopedia and getting familiar with the most valuable creatures is recommended. Size doesn’t always matter!
Just like the equipment, the boat itself can also be modified. You will be able to extend the sections assigned for all of your equipment and expand the storage by upgrading the hull. Along with the fishing gear, motor, and light, a telescope (as mentioned) and map are also equipped but do not take up any space.
RELATED: ‘Trepang2’ Game Review: Guns, Ghosts, Gore, and More
Surprisingly, the game does not direct you to map markers on your screen. There is a compass, and you can view your map at any time (by hitting ‘M’ on PC), but you will refer to the whole map quite frequently. The map system is easy to use, and there are a variety of markers to place, but having an on-screen waypoint navigation would have been ideal. However, this provides another reason to utilize your telescope because it lets you see which direction to head in and how far the marker is.
Overall Thoughts
After nearly 25 hours played, I’m hooked. While some players may complete the game considerably faster, it all depends on the player. I enjoyed taking my time exploring the map while completing things other than the main quests. So if you want a faster play experience, it won’t be an issue.
Dredge is a near-perfect game and one of the year’s best indie releases. It is a must-play if you appreciate open exploration, Lovecraftian horror, and supporting a talented dev team.
