Review - Dredge... Hitting the Depths

 

Image courtesy of Black Salt Games

When you look up Dredge in an attempt at defining the game, one of the labels it possesses is that of a role-playing adventure game. I'm not entirely sure that I would classify it as adventurous in the traditional sense of that word at all. And role-playing is also a definite misnomer. It's a misnomer that has been repeatedly utilized throughout gaming in recent years, however, where every game and its offshoot are classified as "role-playing" simply because it might have an element or two found in a true RPG.

    But I digress.

    Dredge is, in my humble opinion, a cozy/casual game where the player will spend more time navigating the puzzles of where, when, and how to catch certain kinds of fish than anything else. As a humble fisherman, it's your job to help supply the townspeople of a couple habitable locations with all the fish they need whilst also solving the disturbing nighttime occurrences plaguing those same people. For years, there has been a dark kind of entity disrupting the quiet peace of the archipelago, and as a traveling boatman it falls to you to discover just how deep and dark these depths go. 

    "It's dredgin' time."

The Good

Well, to start with, no one actually says that line above. So that automatically scores a point in this game's favor.

    Narratively, the game uses some interesting devices to push any semblance of a plot forward. It's not a heavy-handed story, so if you're looking for that you might want to look elsewhere. Dredge is really more about the atmosphere built up in the archipelago, and how that affects everything around it. The only glimpses of story that we get are through interactions with a few key villagers, namely the collector who has you running all over the isles to hunt down key items that will alter the destiny of you and everyone in the vicinity. The way that the story is established in a game like Dredge works very well, I would say, because you don't really need to focus on it but you can still get more than an idea of just what the hell is going on in the dark.

    Visually, the art of Dredge is great. Box-like painted styles are always an interesting choice to me, and the creators at Black Salt knew what they were doing. They managed to make friendly characters a goofy-looking variation on inviting. On the flip side, they also did a great job of making those things that are meant to be repulsive entirely so. Whether it's a rotten fish dripping tar-like ooze, or a monster straight out of H.P. Lovecraft's wildest dreams... the art style hones in on the tone Black Salt Games was going for with ease.

The Bad

Anything found in the audio department is pretty much nonexistent. Creepiness could have been enhanced here through the use of a solid score, or even just better sound mixing for creatures. Although the game would likely find itself in a horror-esque category, it doesn't really pull off the creepy vibe in the same way that Call of Cthulhu does. A lot of that has to do with a lack of spooky sounds. This is why I have thrown that cozy label on it.

    Now, although it's cozy and casual, that does not mean that Dredge is without its frustrations. There were plenty of times that shoddy controls resulted in a smack into a rock that cracked the deck or even busted an engine - or three, because everyone knows several engines hanging on your trawler makes a lot of sense. When that would happen I would typically just reverse and slam into that shoal a few more times just to sink the bitch so it would reload me back to where I was about thirty seconds ago anyway. Upgrades for your ship to prevent some damage are viable options, you just have to find the right locations to plunder. Don't worry, you'll definitely do some dredging the depths to boost your boat in various ways. Oh, so this must be where all those illustrious RPG elements are! All jokes aside, it's not a bad set-up there, but it could have been done better. I'm not sure that all the upgrades needed to be as in-depth (pun-intended, thank you) as they end up being. Some boat upgrades could have required a little less grind, and yes I'm fully aware that the game is only about 7-8 hours long. Nevertheless, getting ten bolts of cloth, three big chunks of iron, and eight wooden planks to help upgrade my fishing rod capabilities is kind of annoying.

The Summary

Dredge is by no means a bad game. If you want a game you can casually fool around with every couple of days when you're bored, go for it. If you want a cozy game that isn't quite as cozy as a hug from Stella in Spiritfarer, then Dredge might just be your jam. Could it have been better? Absolutely. But it by no means belongs at the bottom of the ocean.

6/10

Better than Some

To read my own version of a nautical adventure, check out Severance.