something then your boat's capacity for fish will decrease (represented as the red 'X' in the screenshot above). If you hit rocks, have run-ins with shallow reefs, or get chomped on by. You need to be careful when navigating your boat. What happened to the previous fisherman? What's with the ominous, looming vibe coming from the lighthouse? And why does everyone keep telling you to get back to shore before sundown? There’s something serisouly sinister going on in this archipelago. After being greeted by the mayor and introduced to other town locals, it's not long before things start to get… a little fishy. You’ve arrived to be the town's new fisherman, but your boat got caught in the clutches of a monstrous creature in a storm as you were coming into the dock. It all begins with your nameless character washing up on the shores of Great Marrow, a grotty fishing town in the middle of an archipelago. Actually, scratch that, it's basically in another dimension. Occasionally, it gets more of the spotlight like Bunnyhug's lo-fi fishing RPG Moonglow Bay, but anything more and you're often looking at full-blown sim games like last year’s Call of the Wild: The Angler, or 1977’s Sega Bass Fishing - what a classic.ĭredge is a world away from all that. Usually, fishing is a light mini-game in life sims like Disney Dreamlight Valley and Spiritfarer. I mean, fishing is supposed to be relaxing! It's meditative and laid-back and its interpretation in games has followed suit (not you, Stardew Valley, never you). Dredge already feels like one of this year’s greatest indie horrors and all this, from a fishing game of all things. Basically, I'm completely enraptured, hook, line, sinker. Its eldritch world keeps pulling me back with its mystery and malevolent horror, and its sense of atmosphere and tension is incredible. ![]() I’ve spent hours exploring its murky waters and my constant shock at what unsettling creatures my hook brings in is seemingly never-ending. Black Salt Games' sinister fishing RPG is gripping and enchanting in a way I didn’t anticipate. I’ve not been playing Dredge long, but I’m calling it one of my favourite games of the year, right now, in February. I chuck my prize into my cargo and speed back to town, the phrase ‘fuck round, find out’ circling my brain. Suddenly there’s a deep rumbling in the ocean and panic starts to creep in. ![]() ![]() The more morbid it is, the more money I get. Yes, this should make for a fine amount of cash. The third one, however, is monstrous, a mess of jagged teeth and sickly pale flesh. I find a squid spot and start to fish, reeling in one or two fine-looking catches. I can barely see three feet in front of my nose because of the thick blanket of fog, but I'm trying my hand at night fishing, hoping to hook something really good. I’m in my little tugboat out on open waters. All of these minor systems are smartly interconnected to craft an experience that rapidly oscillates between calmness and chaos, flitting from tranquility to terror as if it’s nobody’s business.Ĭheck out Dredge’s launch trailer for a taste of things to come.It’s the dead of night. You can mitigate this by turning your boat lights on, but obviously that also makes you more visible to the monsters. Rocks will also randomly start to appear as you sail, with the explanation being that because it’s dark and you’re not thinking straight, you can’t see them until the last minute. When your panic level in Dredge rises, you become far more prone to being boarded by monsters. Other, larger creatures will simply try to smash up your hull, which not only damages your boat and causes you to lose cargo, but increases how panicked you are. ![]() Some of these slither on board and infect your haul. In Lovecraftian fashion, players will need to have strong mental fortitude to withstand the horrors that await at sea.Īs noted in Polygon’s hands-on preview of Dredge from last year’s Gamescom:Īlongside fish, there are also monsters lurking beneath the waves. Players will encounter quest-giving island residents, and learn about their past, as they upgrade their vessel, learn new skills, and encounter increasingly unusual sea life. Switch owners can expect a free demo for Dredge in the coming weeks.īlack Salt Games’ horror-fishing RPG casts players as a fisherman exploring a remote archipelago for a variety of fish and hidden treasures. Dredge is headed to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. Dredge, a “sinister fishing adventure” in which players seek fish and fortune, but encounter something, well, rather fishy on their journey, will be released March 30, developer Black Salt Games and publisher Team 17 announced Friday.
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