If you think big games are constantly copying each other these days, and it’s all about promoting service play and multiplayer systems, luckily this March leaves us with a little gem from the dark depths. . I’m of course referring to Dredge, the debut game from small indie studio Black Salt Games, made up of four people in New Zealand.
But these four people set the bar high and also stepped outside the box. In Dredge you are the captain of your own fishing boat and you have to do business while sailing through the small archipelago of The Marrows, and at the same time, like the rest of the inhabitants of the islands, you feel intrigued by the events enigmatic happenings in these waters. A thick fog settles over the islands every night, creating hallucinations that lead to dangerous madness, mutated fish, and mysterious figures worshiping ancient monuments.
The idea is that you pilot your small fishing boat, earn and spend money, and complete side quests for the various inhabitants of the archipelago, while a Cthulhu-like menace lurks in the dark depths of the ocean. ‘ocean. East a kind of high seas survival horror. Four people from New Zealand came up with it and are doing it very successfully.
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However, it is mostly the assembling of the game and the curious mix of narrative elements that generate entertainment, suspense and engagement, as Dredge lacks an organized narrative. Sure, one of the missions ends up being the centerpiece and leading to a real conclusion, but the steady beats that give a sense of progression are conspicuous by their absence. That being said, Black Salt tries to slow things down a bit so you visit new islands as you go. You also learn new details about the threats to The Marrows as you upgrade your ship. This generally works quite well, but the overall flow needs a bit of extra refinement.
The characters are eccentric, wacky, enigmatic and exciting in their own way. And while Dredge doesn’t focus on their development, it does give off all the Lovecraft vibes, which is sure to please fans of this universe. Side quests are usually about finding something or bringing special types of fish to a destination. Under normal circumstances this would qualify as repetitive, but here these secondary goals are so organically part of the overall flow that they don’t bother you. You are a fisherman, “and a fisherman must fish”.
As there is a day and night cycle here, the time management is essential. You dock in the morning, carry out any necessary repairs, upgrades and other maintenance before heading out on the water. You’ll see the small boat from a third-person perspective, and if you’ve set up the right rods and tools, which take up limited inventory space, you’ll catch fish to sell. At the same time, you will dig up the remains of the wreckage which will help you upgrade the ship and other valuable items. But if you haven’t planned your trip well, you could find yourself far from port when night falls and dangers suddenly lurk in the mists. I don’t want to spoil too much, but avoiding going out too often in the evening is part of the loop, and it’s extremely satisfying.
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All wrapped up in a sparse soundscape that perfectly matches the mood, and a cartoonish visual design that really sells the game’s forward-thinking identity. Everything looks brilliant, and Black Salt made sure that a game created by four people looks like 40.
There are little frustrations here and there. Dredge is around 8-9 hours long, and while entertaining throughout, some aspects could have been overhauled a bit more. Greater ship customization is also missing. Yes, you decide which tools you take with you, but you don’t feel as attached to your ship as you might think. Additionally, monsters, fog, hallucinations, and general weirdness become simple and unavoidable gameplay elements that you as a player and the characters around you consider trivial. Maybe a slightly longer playtime and more gradual reveal of the threats you face would have been better in the long run.
But Dredge is a smash hit, and it’s an incredibly easy game to recommend to anyone with a penchant for wacky little experiments that can do more than meets the eye.
