Hello gamers, and people that don't play games!
Today i bring you a simple yet enjoyable exploration/fishing game, that just might bring you into the gaming world. That is, if you enjoy mystical stories and eerie atmospheres!
DREDGE is a graphically stylish and mechanically simple game, that'll run on your potato PC and will allow you to dip your toes in upgrading systems and WASD controls.
If you already do play games, you still might enjoy this game, as it is a very chill and enjoyable experience.
Story
We play as an unnamed fisherman who's recently taken on a new job, as the local fisherman for a group of islands, far from home.
As we start fulfilling our duties, we quickly discover that not all is right in the area, as nights are more eerie and dangerous that one would expect!
This because an unsettling fog has taken over the area, affecting the local fauna, some of the islanders and, has quickly started to affect us!
Still, we have a job to do and we stick to it.
Shortly after, however, we meet a mysterious islander whom asks us to find and retrieve some items that have sunken to the bottom of the sea.
For what purpose is something we learn as we progress the main story.
So we must navigate our fears, find all lost items and perhaps get to the bottom of the mystery that is affecting the islands and waters around it!
Gameplay
We play Dredge as a fishing vessel, spending most of our time out in the ocean, catching fish and dredging the bottom of the sea, for valuable items.
All of which we then sell to local markets, as we still need to make a living.
While out at sea, there are islands to discover, which we can explore from our vessel.
And there are many inhabitants to speak with. Most will need our help, and we can choose to help, and others will help us, by telling tales of the islands and shedding some light about the strange occurrences that the fog has brought about.
With our vessel's cargo full of fish and valuables, we can head to a market and sell our catch.
And, if we need to, we can rest for a couple of hours, to restore our mental health.
Because the fog truly messes with it!
Mechanics
In this world, time only advances when we are moving, fishing or installing equipment in our vessel. Time management helps us prevent time from slipping away, allowing us to plan our day and safely make it to port, before sundown.
Fishing and dredging are done through simple mini-games that test our reflexes.
There are many types of fish and fishing locations to find, out at sea. Each type of fishing location dictates what type of minigame we play, and what type of fish we can catch.
The better we do at fishing, the less time it takes us to reel in our catch, allowing us to catch more fish each day.
The game also offers a achievement-like aspect to it, when it comes to fishing. There are plenty of different types of fish to catch, and we hold an encyclopedia which we can complete, learning about all the existing fish in the area.
As we progress through the game, we gain abilities that improve our vessel and fishing efforts.
Like the SpyGlass, which lets us detect what type of fish a location offers, from afar.
And other, more "magical" abilities we unlock along the game which i will not spoil.
Research, Equipment and Upgrades
In order to purchase new equipment, like better fishing rods and such - which improves our fishing capabilities - we first need to research the equipment.
We do this by obtaining and spending Research Parts, unlocking the equipment we want to buy with the earnings from selling the fish we catch.
With our earnings and with building materials we dredge out of the sea, we can also upgrade our vessel.
We can increase the vessel's cargo capacity and, modify existing cargo space, turning some of the space into equipment slots which allows us to install more or better suited equipment.
Equipment like different types of fishing rods and trawls - which allow us to catch fish from different types of locations -, more powerful engines - increase our vessel's speed - and brighter lights - which helps to see better through the fog, in case we decide to venture out after dark.
Final thoughts
Dredge is a very simple and chill game. It doesn't offer much of a challenge but, for some reason, it's very satisfying to play - it's like an ASMR for peacefully navigating the ocean and catching all types of fish. Kinda like Pokemon. You know, "Gotta catch them all"!
The story, which i thought would not be good, actually does not disappoint. And the writing throughout the game is surprisingly eloquent. There are actually a lot of very strong aspects to this game: the writing is good, the mechanics and how the vessel controls is satisfying, the sound effects are on point and the artsy graphics look very nice - it's actually impressive, for such a simple game!
As for its playtime, it varies. It depends on how much of what the game offers you try to complete. But a regular run-through of the main story should take no more than a handful of hours.
Verdict? Recommended.
Thank you for reading, and happy dredging!