Released Date: March 30th, 2023
Developed by: Black Salt Games
Published by: Team17
Available on: Xbox, PlayStation, Switch & PC
Reviewed on: Xbox Series X
▫️ code provided by the publisher ▫️
DREDGE is a game I was looking forward to, but knew very little about. I had heard people on various podcasts talk about it being one to watch in early 2023. A kind of fishing RPG with something sinister bubbling under the surface. It all sounded right up my street and so I avoided pretty much all coverage, including the demo on Nintendo Switch and dove in blind for this review.
The game starts with a weary looking fisherman out on the open sea presumably heading towards the job opportunity we see in a newspaper cutting. “Angler wanted” it reads. Thick fog causes the boat to crash into some rocks near the seaside town of Greater Marrow. Cut to the next morning and you are introduced to the Mayor, who generously offers you a replacement boat and instructs you to head out and begin fishing. Anything you catch you can sell at the local fishmongers, with a cut of all sales going to the Mayor until you pay off the boat and do your bit to upgrade the town.
This idea of a loan, and having to pay off debts from my hard earned catch had Tom Nook entering my thoughts and shivers running down my spine. I still wake up in cold sweats worried that wee crook is going to try stick me with another loan out of nowhere. Thankfully though, this particular debt doesn’t get in the way at all. Chances are you’ll have it paid off by day four and it all gets deducted automatically without you having to manage it.
At first, DREDGE seems like such a relaxing and tranquil game. The simple, yet beautiful visuals lure you in and make you feel comfortable. Yet every character you speak with gives off a vibe that something just isn’t right around these parts. The previously mentioned Mayor and Fishmonger are two early examples of this. But their shadowy demeanour is just the tip of the iceberg (sorry but I had to get a Titanic reference in somewhere).
You are ominously told from the start not to stay out too late, as it isn’t safe. I tried to take this warning on board, but it is so easy to misjudge time. You see how this works, is that time only advances when you are moving or performing an action. So you are not penalised for managing your inventory, checking your map, consulting your objectives and other admin work, but when sailing or especially fishing, time moves quick. A day generally lasts only 3-4 minutes, and sometimes you can have the best of intentions to be home before your bedtime, but get carried away by a glimmer in the ocean nearby.
When night falls, everything you thought seemed off about the beautiful archipelago is realised. Swirls of red wind raise a fear bar at the top of the UI, monstrous eyes begin to appear in the water and sometimes you will even be attacked. Visibility is highly limited too and you have to be very careful not to collide with rocks, land and other obstructions. The day/night cycle often reminded me of Dying Light, with there being advantages to braving the night – in this case the lure of different fish – but more danger.
As I said earlier you start in Greater Marrow but there are various small islands around the modest sized map. I remember the tension on my first visit to each of these regions. Heading out towards uncharted territory not knowing what I found find. Looking at the clock and hoping the the direction I was heading did have a port, because it was now too late to turn back before nightfall. The sense of adventure is at the heart of DREDGE and made the experience absolutely captivating.
In terms of gameplay, your boat handles really well and is a joy to navigate. At first, it moves really slow which is great for easing you in. Making contact with anything in the world causes damage, which can result in losing something in your inventory, damaging your equipment or even the engine/lights. Thankfully once you limp back to port there is a Shipwright who will patch you right up for a fee.
Fishing mini games are hit and miss. In the likes of Animal Crossing I got used to it and even ended up enjoying it eventually, but in DREDGE it clicked for me immediately. Different rods switch up the formula a little, but essentially you have a spinning dial that you have to stop inside a green zone. The quicker you do this, the less time you spend on that catch. Missing it, or not even attempting to get it will still result in you catching the fish eventually, but multiple hours can pass in the process.
Different regions are very distinct and often require different kinds of equipment to fish in, such as volcanic, mangrove, costal, abyssal and more. The way Black Salt Games drip feeds you upgrades throughout your time with the game is masterful and quite literally kept you on the hook. Three nights in a row I was sat glued to the screen until nearly 3am, promising myself I’d switch it off after I reached the next milestone.
You won’t just be searching for fish though. Unsurprisingly you can also do some dredging. This works slightly differently, with the dial still spinning around in a circle but instead of stopping it within the green marker, you have to switch between lanes of a circle to avoid contact until the mini game completes. This again was a lot of fun, and never felt like a chore to me.
While dredging you will catch the likes of scrap metal, wood, treasure and the odd upgrade point. These can be used at the dry dock to craft upgrades for increasing the size of your inventory, adding extra space for more engines, lights and fishing equipment. Speaking of the inventory, this is another aspect of DREDGE I loved. Each time you catch a fish or piece of material you have to store it on your ship. Doing this is much like managing your inventory in Resident Evil. You can move and rotate to fit as much in when out on the hunt and then sell or store items once you dock.
One of the only areas I feel a sequel could improve is on the narrative. The main story is set up well at the start and has a satisfying ending, but there isn’t much of anything in the middle. There are some side missions but they amount to little more than fetch quests. I’d love to see Black Salt Games work on a follow up with more variation and depth to some characters.
The achievements/trophies aren’t too difficult, but will take time. It’s a good list that requires you to see all the game has to offer, including catching all 128 fish, fully upgrading everything and completing all side quests. Once guides are available I would estimate this can be done in around 15 hours, but playing blind before launch my playtime clock in at just under 48 hours and I am still missing one side quest and a fish puzzle.
VERDICT
2023 is off to a flyer with some incredible titles already released, but DREDGE is hands down the most fun I have had with a game so far this year. My review may be complete and I only have a slight bit to mop up for the 1000G on Xbox, but the game launched today, and I have already bought and downloaded it on PlayStation ready to do the whole thing over again.
-Craig 🧐
