Dredge Reviews
Dredge is a game that is clearly inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft but doesn’t push those ideas to make them too obvious. Instead, it uses a slow-building dread to keep the tension high and impose a sense of urgency, as if the world is about to end and you need to complete every quest you have on the go immediately. The gameplay is solid, with just the right amount of micro-management to make it feel like a fishing game while retaining your interest through a gripping narrative that’s carefully woven throughout the whole world. If you like fishing, cosmic horror, and everything in between, then this is a game you’re going to love.
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.
It’s indicative of just how important a game’s moment-to-moment hooks are that even with its shortcomings, Dredge is by and large an enjoyable experience. There are games with bigger problems, but for Dredge, a few missteps and an eldritch twist that never goes anywhere make a solid foundation feel a little like a wasted opportunity.
Slightly above average or simply inoffensive. Fans of the genre should enjoy them a bit, but a fair few will be left unfulfilled.
Part fishing simulator and part Lovecraftian adventure but while the two concepts work together surprisingly well, they both feel disappointingly undercooked.
Dredge is an extremely fascinating game that has its foundations in simple but addictive ludics and eerie, distressing imagery.
Review in Italian | Read full review
We will say the gameplay can become repetitive when you need to grind for cash or certain items. Additionally, managing the game's grid-based menus can be pretty fiddly. The remedy for both things is those all-important upgrades, which smooth out frustrations with cramped inventories or limited fishing capabilities. Despite any rocky waters, though, Dredge's rewarding progression and enjoyable premise keep it afloat.
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.
DREDGE offers an addictive fishing loop that pairs well with its surface-level Lovecraftian horror, undone only by a missed opportunity to dive deeper.
Despite some nasty snags on the line, DREDGE is nevertheless a rare catch.
DREDGE offers an original single-player adventure and a whole new concept of fishing adventures that we could have. While the storyline takes an important place, the developers let the player discover at his own pace. The system of management and improvement of our trawler works well and adds a little challenge to our adventure. The biggest flaw remains in the repetition of the tasks performed, I would have appreciated a little more diversity in the fishing activity itself. Nevertheless, the title offers several hours of gameplay and a story that we can't wait to discover.
Review in French | Read full review
Dredge is an unmissable game for fans of Lovecraftian stories and procedural horror experiences. The open world is unique and memorable, the fishing and exploration are fun and intuitive, and the gameplay loop of risking your life and limb for another great catch is surprisingly addicting. Dredge is a light in the fog amongst a saturated genre; we need more dedicated horror fishing sims.
A commendable and adequate Lovecraftian tale worthy of your time.
DREDGE may not go down as a landmark title, but it's definitely one to try to be very, very pleasantly surprised.
Review in Greek | Read full review
Dredge plunges players into a world of Lovecraftian horror, making it a catch worth reeling in. Its stunning art style and engaging gameplay make it a standout title.
It’s quite clear that Black Salt Games has made Dredge its lovechild, with the sheer amount of effort and thought put in place underneath the game’s surface. Every time a player interacts with something in the game, be it a fish, fisherman, or Eldritch monster, it feels purposeful and important, reflecting the hard work and attention from the devs. As a small indie team hailing from New Zealand, Black Salt Games should be proud to release Dredge out into the sea, knowing full well that the game will keep people hooked in their own mysterious fishing adventure for hours on end.
Enriched lovingly with scenic qualities and bolstered by the delightful day/night contrast to which it excels at evoking a juicily contradictive atmosphere, Dredge may not look like a meaty steamboat-empowered expedition, but when you find yourself supplementing your vessel with new hulls and boosts, as well as interacting with the various personalities sequestered on each of the islands you visit, Dredge may look like shallow waters, but it’ll surprise at how quickly it can submerge you in its depths. No, Dredge did not need the horrors of the nighttime, and banging into suddenly-appearing rocks can prove a hassle, but Dredge is otherwise a splendid offering that’s certainly worth checking out.
DREDGE mixes moments of contemplation and relaxation with good doses of mystery and exploration. It's an experience whose pacing depends a lot on how the player wants to interact in the game world and rewarding it, regardless of which approach will give the most anxiety during their solitary and mysterious adventure.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
DREDGE is a great fishing adventure game, with Lovecraftian horror influences. It's admittedly simple, but it absolutely works, and fortunately it ends before it could ever run out of steam.
It's a delightful mix. It's really fun to fish peacefully during the day and try to escape the monsters at night to reach the nearest harbor. Unfortunately, the sense of tension wears off quickly and once you figure out the monsters, you can easily escape them all. Still, it's fun to try to catch all the fish species, solve the mystery of the islands and reach different endings.
Review in Turkish | Read full review