DREDGE

[h2]TLDR:[/h2] A fun and seemingly-cozy fishing game with a dark underside. [h2]GAMEPLAY OVERVIEW:[/h2] Dredge opens with the player arriving at the island town of Greater Marrow, learning they are replacing the previous fisherman. They are tasked by the town's mayor to get to work and catch fish to feed the town's inhabitants. Though the job seems easy, the locals warn the player to be careful outside of town, especially after nightfall. At its core, Dredge is a cozy fishing game. There are numerous species of fish to catch, separated by geography and time of day, as some fish only come out at night. Fishing spots are marked by disturbances in the water, which can be spotted and scanned from a distance. Some fish can only be caught by certain methods (such as a rod versus a trawling net), and bottom crawling crustaceans require crab pots to nab. Each species of fish also features aberrations—monstrous deformed variants of the normal fish—that can be caught at random. Such variations are often worth more to the fish buyers, as exotic specimens, and their colorful descriptions in the player's encyclopedia set the mood for the game. All of the player's fishing tools, lights, and engines can be upgraded with money earned from their catch. The ship's hull can also be reinforced several times, giving more room and slots for gear, and more durability, at great cost. In addition to fish, some spots offer the chance to dredge the depths, bringing up building supplies (wood, metal parts, etc.) used in upgrading, or treasures (jewelry, sextants, and others) that can be sold to certain collectors. The player may also find or be rewarded research parts used to discover more advanced equipment. Early on, the player will meet the mysterious Collector, who sets the player on a mission to recover five lost artifacts. With each lost artifact, the player gains new abilities, such as Manifest, which brings one back to the Marrows, Haste to give you a temporary speed boost, or Atrophy, which will instantly catch all the fish in a given spot, at the risk of catching rotting or diseased fish. The player will quickly note that something is off with the world. Aside from some of the more questionable encounters with townspeople, it becomes apparent fish aren't the only inhabitants of the oceans. Traveling at night and certain activities raise the character's panic level, which results in hallucinations, obstacles where none existed, and even attacks by submerged monsters. Collective damage to the boat will sink it and send the player back to their last save (the last time they docked). Some threats can be banished with the right skills but often, the player will have to evade or elude enemies. The varying monsters patrolling the waters have different patterns and behaviors that can be exploited. Dredge also features a fair bit of side content. Mysterious hooded figures reside at hidden locations, demanding certain fish to sate their hunger. Fishing shrines offer riddles to be solved and pieces of a treasure map can be pulled from the depths. There are other side missions, most of them simple fetch-style quests, with tangible rewards. Dredge's gameplay loop will probably bore some players, as it’s pretty much the same from start to finish, the new species and threats notwithstanding. For me, the real joy simply came from collecting the fish and completing the encyclopedia. The game is perfect for the OCD-types among us, seeking to catch one of everything. Aside from the general relaxation coming from catching fish (at least during the daytime), the steady pace of upgrading equipment and the ship feels like real progress. That said, the moments of being attacked can be quite tense. Hostile mobs can be very fast and while the ship is decently maneuverable, it's still hard to evade strikes at times. Worse, colliding with anything solid (other than docks, which are visibly cushioned by old tires) damages the hull, so one can very easily sink themselves by panicking and trying to evade an attack in tight quarters. The player just has to keep their cool and, if entering an area with a known threat, go in with an escape plan ready. [h2]STORY / WORLDBUILDING:[/h2] The story for Dredge is pretty bare-bones, at least at first glance. The behavior and dialogue of the townsfolk hint the story is more complicated and sinister than a simple job replacement. Dredge borrows heavily from Lovecraft's mythology and that influence is felt through the entire game. Successive clues and discussions as the player finds the relics build the uneasy narrative toward a grim conclusion. Depending on the player's choices, the game ends somewhere between bittersweet and disastrous. Though Dredge takes place over the archipelago, there are hints at a wider world with civilization beyond the islands. The islands themselves are laid out well, with each cluster showcasing slightly different topography, ambience, and threats. There's enough variety in the settings to keep the game feeling fresh. [h2]DLC:[/h2] The game has several DLC. Two—Pale Reach and Iron Rig—add new main/side quests, fish to catch, and achievements. Pale Reach concerns an icy area and a doomed expedition. Iron Rig centers around an ill-fated drilling platform. Both add a few hours of content and are worth a look. A third DLC, Blackstone Key, is really only worth purchasing to support the devs, since the items it adds don't have any lasting impact on gameplay. [h2]TECHNICAL ASPECTS:[/h2] Dredge ran flawlessly, and I didn't have a single error or issue over 20+ hours of gameplay. The minimalist, low-polygon graphics and muted color palette work for the game, but I really have to highlight the ambient sound and music. Both are cheery and relaxing while everything in the game is calm, but grow increasingly tense and moody when the player is in tentative situations. The overall sound scheme feeds the mood perfectly. This is a relatively easy game to max Steam achievements, though it may take a little exploration and thinking through some of the puzzles. Getting 100% also requires the Pale Reach and Iron Rig DLCs. [h2]FINAL WORD:[/h2] Dredge is fun in a moody, chilling kind of way. I'd recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind a little "twisted" in their "cozy" gameplay. [quote]Follow our Curator page, [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/41449676/]Summit Reviews[/url], to see more high quality reviews regularly.[/quote]

[h1]🌊 DREDGE[/h1] DREDGE é a própria definição de [b]talassofobia[/b]. É insano como esse jogo consegue navegar entre a tranquilidade, a ansiedade e o medo constante. No começo, ele parece ser apenas mais um [i]chill game[/i], onde você sai pescando, vendendo peixes, melhorando seu barco e explorando pequenas ilhas. Tudo parece muito simples e relaxante, quase como um jogo para desligar a cabeça depois de um dia cansativo. Só que essa sensação dura muito pouco. Conforme você avança, percebe que existe algo muito errado naquele arquipélago. As pessoas escondem informações, acontecimentos estranhos começam a surgir e, principalmente, o mar deixa de parecer um lugar bonito para se tornar um ambiente completamente hostil. A cada nova região explorada você encontra criaturas mais bizarras, fenômenos inexplicáveis e mistérios que fazem você querer descobrir o que realmente está acontecendo. O mais impressionante é que o jogo nunca precisa exagerar para causar medo. Ele faz você imaginar o que existe nas profundezas, e isso acaba sendo muito mais assustador do que simplesmente mostrar monstros o tempo inteiro. Existe uma sensação constante de que alguma coisa está observando você, esperando o momento certo para aparecer. O oceano é gigantesco, escuro e completamente desconhecido, e perceber que você literalmente não sabe o que existe ali embaixo é [b]DESESPERADOR[/b]. [hr][/hr] [h2]⚓ Gameplay[/h2] A mecânica de insanidade é facilmente uma das melhores partes do jogo. Quanto mais tempo você passa navegando durante a noite, mais seu personagem enlouquece, e junto com ele você também começa a duvidar do que está vendo. Rochas aparecem onde antes não existiam, criaturas gigantes surgem na água, barcos fantasmas cruzam seu caminho e sons estranhos fazem você questionar se aquilo realmente aconteceu ou se é apenas fruto da insanidade. Isso transforma viagens simples em momentos de pura tensão. A gameplay também é extremamente viciante. O ciclo de sair para pescar, administrar o espaço limitado do barco, vender os peixes, conseguir dinheiro para melhorias e explorar áreas cada vez mais perigosas funciona perfeitamente. Existe sempre aquela sensação de [i]"só mais uma pescaria"[/i], mas quase sempre essa decisão faz você voltar durante a noite... e é aí que o jogo mostra sua verdadeira face. A exploração também merece muitos elogios. Cada ilha possui sua própria identidade, personagens interessantes e pequenas histórias que deixam o mundo muito mais vivo. Você nunca explora apenas por recompensa; você explora porque quer entender aquele universo. [hr][/hr] [h2]📖 História[/h2] A narrativa é excelente justamente porque ela não entrega todas as respostas. Grande parte da história é construída através da exploração, dos diálogos e dos próprios acontecimentos estranhos que cercam o arquipélago. Tudo parece fazer parte de algo muito maior, e a curiosidade para descobrir o que realmente aconteceu naquele lugar faz você continuar jogando por horas. É aquele tipo de jogo que constantemente recompensa quem presta atenção nos detalhes. E sinceramente, a lore desse jogo é muito interpretativa e você não vai entender logo de cara (pelo menos eu não entendi) mas isso deixa o jogo MUITO mágico [hr][/hr] [h2]🛠️ DLCs[/h2] Sobre as DLCs, não tem nem o que discutir. [b]The Iron Rig[/b] me prendeu [b]MUITO[/b]. Além de trazer uma história extremamente interessante, ela adiciona novas mecânicas, melhorias para o barco, novas missões e consegue expandir o universo do jogo sem parecer um conteúdo jogado de qualquer jeito. É uma DLC que realmente parece uma continuação da experiência. Já [b]The Pale Reach[/b] acabou me decepcionando um pouco. Depois de terminar The Iron Rig, minhas expectativas estavam muito altas, mas essa expansão é bem mais curta e simples. A ambientação gelada continua fantástica e combina muito com o clima do jogo, porém ela acaba rápido demais e deixa aquela sensação de que poderia ter desenvolvido muito mais sua própria história. [hr][/hr] [h2]🎵 Trilha Sonora[/h2] A trilha sonora desse jogo é simplesmente [b]ABSURDA[/b]. Ela acompanha perfeitamente tudo o que está acontecendo. Durante o dia, enquanto você apenas navega e pesca, as músicas passam uma sensação enorme de paz. Mas basta anoitecer ou sua insanidade aumentar para tudo mudar. As músicas ficam mais intensas, desconfortáveis e angustiantes, dando a impressão de que alguma coisa horrível está prestes a acontecer. Em vários momentos eu realmente senti que meu tempo estava acabando e que precisava desesperadamente encontrar um porto seguro antes que fosse tarde demais. É uma trilha que não serve apenas como música de fundo: ela faz parte da gameplay. [hr][/hr] [h2]🎨 Visual[/h2] O estilo artístico também merece muitos elogios. Mesmo não sendo um jogo focado em gráficos ultrarrealistas, a direção de arte é incrível. O contraste entre os dias ensolarados e as noites cobertas por neblina faz parecer que você está jogando dois jogos completamente diferentes. O mar consegue ser bonito e assustador ao mesmo tempo, e isso reforça ainda mais toda a atmosfera de horror. [hr][/hr] [h2]⭐ Conclusão[/h2] DREDGE consegue transformar algo que normalmente representa paz em uma fonte constante de ansiedade. Ele mistura exploração, gerenciamento de recursos, horror psicológico e mistério de uma forma que poucos jogos conseguem. É uma experiência que começa como um simples jogo de pesca e termina fazendo você olhar para o oceano com um medo completamente diferente. Se você gosta de jogos com uma atmosfera pesada, um mundo cheio de mistérios e uma sensação constante de que existe algo observando você nas profundezas... [b]DREDGE é obrigatório.[/b] Dito isso: 10/10

First time dredger. Bought the game with the DLC because of the sale. accidentally just played through the entire thing without going to the DLC locations. Still had a blast. Get it.

Dredge is a very good, compact indie game built around a solid gameplay loop. Fishing is entertaining, quick, and convenient. Inventory management was cleverly designed and I never felt overly frustrated with it. The game encourages explorations and the quests (pursuits) progress seamlessly from point to point. Taking cues from lovecraft, over time, you will discover that there is something unsettling about the ocean. Malformed fish, frightening sea monsters, hints of the occult, and a panic meter to manage, Dredge's biggest strength is it's atmosphere. Though the early nighttime sections are genuinely unsettling, once you understand the threats and learn how to avoid them, the fear drops considerably. Eventually, the supernatural creatures become more of an obstacle to manage than something you're actually afraid of. This is where I feel that they could've improved the most. Still, Dredge is a breakout success, and even if you do not enjoy fishing games, I believe this game is worth a playthrough. Pick this one up when you can. Great on the Steam Deck.

Probably would be a nice game if they gave you the whole thing. But no, it's got a bunch of DLCs that its content is split between. And if you don't buy those DLCs, you WILL notice the gaping hole in the content of the game, the achievements list, and even some innocuous interactable objects. 6/10, would be 8/10 if the game wasn't clearly intended to sell DLCs foundationally.

I do recommend this game if you like cosy games with a fantastic eerie atmosphere. What I learnt playing Dredge, is that I can enjoy that for a bit but ultimately find it unsatisfying. I really wanted to love Dredge, and it's a great game in many ways. The atmosphere, the art, the characters, the music are wonderful. The gameplay loop is surprisingly enjoyable. And the general air of mystery amongst all the oddities in the gameworld kept me going happily for a good 10 hours. After that it started to feel pointless. I like leveling up, and developing the boat was fun. But after getting a decent engine and a good range of rods, developing it more just didn't matter anymore as no element of the game actually depend on it. I like exploring and completing side quests, and found many intriguing secondary characters scattered across the map. But their limited stories didn't really tie in with anything, and completing the quests only unlocked parts to develop the boat further which doesn't achieve anything. I like finding messages scattered across the world and reading dialogues to uncover more of the story. But it didn't really draw me in, and I didn't truly get what the game was about until literally one minute before the credits. At that point, it felt like there should have been more to it, so I tried to finish the game again from the last save. But I got stuck because of the game's lack of logical narrative. And when I finally got to the end again, it turned out that there wasn't much more to it after all. So if you enjoy meandering in a cool world with a neat little game loop, go for gold, you won't regret it. What Dredge does, it does really well. For me, while I had fun along the way, in the end I'm left with a feeling of disapointment. Because it came so close. If the story unfolded just a little more. If the side quests and secondary characters were richer. If it all tied in just a bit better together. It could have blown my mind. It just needed a bit more depth...

Игра очень проста в плане геймплея, плавай себе, лови рыбку, прокачивай кораблик, вылавливая мусор из океана, и будет тебе счастье. Но при этом ночные вылазки, ощущение беспомощной тревоги и шкала рассудка добавляют этому приключению особенную изюминку. А чудесная стилизованная графика и местные жители постоянно напоминают, что за фасадом тихого приключения скрывается большая мистическая тайна.

This game helped fill the empty void that Outer Wilds left in my soul. The Lovecraftian horror of this game was perfection. It is not unbearably scary but definitely feeds into the fear of uncertainty. By gods the Thalassophobia that jumpstarts your heart when you stare off out of bounds. The endless horizon and the immeasurable depths... Yes, Black Salt Games did a fantastic job with this game. The puzzles were engaging and cargo tetris brought up that nostalgic feeling. The base game and all of the DLC's were worth the purchase.