640: Dredge

[JaySevenZero]

Here's where you can contribute your thoughts and opinions for Dredge for potential inclusion in the forthcoming podcast.

A friendly reminder that where the feedback for the podcast is concerned, we love it - but keeping it brief is appreciated. We do want to include a breadth of opinions where appropriate, but no-one wants a discussion podcast that’s mostly reading out essays. Better to save yourself time and cut to the chase if you can.

[KarlDaFrog]

I’m a sucker for a good fishing game, and the combination of good reviews and the Cthuluian Cosmic Horror premise drew me to Dredge. My first hours were filled with wonder and discovery, exactly the kind of feelings I was hoping for in the game. Dredge was spooky with it’s grotesque fish and mysterious residents, but it was also cozy with its seaside ambience and calming loop of returning to shore with your “loot”. Hearing the Kookaburra’s call in Stellar Basin was particularly charming, as I live in Sydney where they can be heard regularly.

Unfortunately, I met a hungry cult member early on which set off a timed event, and I didn’t return with his blue mackerel until well after he expired. This discouraged me because I had no idea that I had triggered a timed pursuit. Eventually, I got a bit bored of the “arrive at island, upgrade boat, discover new fish, and grab the 3 or 4 macguffins to complete the island” loop. So I rushed the story towards the end of the game just to see the final sequence. Whatever the story and animation team could have crafted has a hard time competing with the infinite existential dread of the vast ocean.

Despite a few rocks along the shoreline, Dredge is a quiet coastal village, with just enough boiling underneath the surface to keep you intrigued until the (bitter) end.

[designermatt]

As soon as I saw the trailer I knew Dredge would be for me. I love cosy games like Stardew Valley, but also like a bit of Lovecraft in my games, a la Bloodborne. Somehow, someone had made a game that would deliver both! I was in.
I think I completed it in about a week, and had a wonderful time doing so. I loved exploring the islands, discovering the strange, mutated marine life, and the ominous atmosphere hanging over everything that hinted at the dark horrors to come.
The atmosphere and stakes built really nicely, but I found myself a bit disappointed by the ending. It felt like the eldritch horrors I'd been imagining were hinted at, but never really showed up in the end. The ending cutscene was brief and a bit of an anticlimax, even though I went back to see both the good and bad endings. Great game, but I personally wanted a bit more - perhaps some DLC or a sequel will deliver that. I'd definitely be interested in whatever the developer makes next.

[Nicktendo]

After hearing good things, I decided to just go in on Dredge on my Switch and was immediately absorbed by it's engaging and simple gameplay loop. Catch some fish, get some cash, upgrade, repeat.
I purchased this while on a weekend away in the woods. At a campfire as dusk, the Lovecraftian atmosphere was further enhanced and remarkably executed.
I really enjoyed 3 out of the 4 islands on the quest. The forth (lava islands) I found to be a tad monotonous but ploughed through to the ending which was, ultimately, a bit flat. I love the twist of who the Collector truly is, but both endings seemed to happen far too quickly and similarly.
Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this indie darling and will keep an erratic glowing red eye on the developers next endeavors.
TWR: Here Fishy Fishy