Dredge Reviews
Dredge's slow dive into Lovecraftian horror intermingles with its simple fishing and sailing mechanics to create an approachable boat management sim that's as unsettling as it is relaxing.
Dredge is a fantastically twisted fishing horror full of charm. It snags in parts but still successfully reeled me in from start to finish. A beautifully dreary bite-sized mystery.
Blending fishing with Gothic horror and Lovecraft is a fine hook, but Dredge is too defined by simple loot-and-upgrade rhythms to reel you in.
Overall, Dredge is a nice, enjoyable fishing game with a low-fat horror coating. The mechanics, upgradability, and weird fish variety are enough to make for a lightweight and engaging time. But if your primary interest is in the narrative or atmosphere, you may find yourselves disappointed.
Dredge makes sure to weave in gentle horrors that ensure you can never fully relax
Dredge parses out these moments of rewarding exploration without losing focus on its core conceits of fishing and discovering new creatures. But it also masterfully balances two distinct tones. It comprises the sort of dread and horror that sneaks in, eyes jittery, after too many nights with too little sleep. It’s not a boiling terror and panic, but more of a simmer. There’s enough daylight for something of a reprieve, but it never sticks around for too long. Dredge is the perfect sort of dark yet cozy game. It can be unsettling, yes, but it never swims too far into the abyss.
Dredge's engrossing gameplay loop and dark, Lovecraftian themes elevate a simple fishing game into something far more intricate and engrossing than its cheerful veneer may suggest.
Dripping with atmosphere and armed with several compelling story hooks, Dredge is an eldritch fishing tale that will have you hooked from the word go.
With its encyclopaedia of over 125 fish, Dredge's bounty is a boundless as the sea, its action RPG upgrade compulsion loop as deep. That said, you get out what you put in – during the first couple of hours, anyway. Once you achieve the sweet spot of an upgraded boat, manageable difficulty and a story in full flow, it's magical. The excellent presentation of a terrifying ocean really hits home. The need to stretch the limits of safety to reach your next catch leads to edge-of-the-seat moments, while the slapping rain and eerie creaks of the sound design hardly help you to peace out. Interspersed with confidence-building angling in the sunshine and the fun of slotting oddly shaped creatures into your tight inventory, there's just enough encouragement to keep enjoying the horrors. A wonderful first effort from Black Salt, Dredge is absolutely the kind of game you mount over the mantelpiece rather than throw back into the water.
DREDGE blends relaxing fishing and Lovecraftian horror to create a compelling and truly unique game
For all its hidden delights, its strengths shine brightest when you just want to stare into the distance, admiring a beautiful view. When these moments inevitably occur, time stops. There’s no rush. But you will need to carry on, you’ll check your map, and find something else to explore–and you’ll feel rewarded once again.
Dredge successfully balances a rather serene fishing game with something rather more dark and sinister lurking beneath the surface. Despite the spooky eyes, tentacles, and things going splash in the night, it's really quite relaxing.
Part fishing simulator and part Lovecraftian adventure but while the two concepts work together surprisingly well, they both feel disappointingly undercooked.
Slightly above average or simply inoffensive. Fans of the genre should enjoy them a bit, but a fair few will be left unfulfilled.
An extremely enjoyable and well-built solitary fishing experience, made of fears, mysteries, trips offshore and a past that, perhaps, is not the case to bring to light.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Dredge is both relaxing and unnerving in the best ways. While the day/night cycle could be handled better, it's still an exciting seafaring voyage and one that's worth checking out.
Dredge reeled me in to the point I sunk hours into it, and even if my patience floundered at times, the net experience was fun to tackle. While its content isn't stuffed to the gills, it’s hard to be crabby with a gameplay loop that had me hooked, and the intriguing horror angle perched on top of a swimmingly good adventure is worth wading into. It doesn’t have to fish for compliments, but since I’m trawling for puns and you’re probably salty about it, I’ll wave goodbye and say that Dredge isn’t crappie. Sea you later!
From the expertly interwoven gameplay loops to the horrifically charming story and art design, Dredge succeeds in creating a new genre blend that I desperately need more of.
All in all, DREDGE not only met my expectations, but exceeded them. As of writing, this is now my most favorite fishing game of all time. If you want a game that is relaxing and fun, I highly recommend you give this game a try.
Plumbing the depths of our fear of the ocean, this clever and compelling video game will suck you in for hours at a time