DREDGE Review (PC)

A new multi-biome fishing rod allows me to pick up a wide variety of species and adds a significant boost to the speed with which I reeel them in. I set out in the early morning, trying to get as much money as possible for the day, aiming for the high-value species and some abominations the fishmonger is ready to pay extra for.

The money is then used in conjunction with some materials I dredged up from the depths to get some boat upgrades and to invest in a new and bigger hull. I also use the occasion to tweak my motor placement just enough that I can fit in another one, boosting my top speed when on the water.

I need it because my main quest is taking me to an island chain that’s a long way from my home port. Moving quickly means I can visit more fishing spots and can deal with more quests. And speed is also a good way of avoiding the weirder things that lurk in the deep ocean, the things that move through the edge of my vision when it’s night, and the effect of spending so much time alone on the water start to show.

DREDGE is developed by Black Salt Games and published by Team17. I played on the PC using Steam. The game can also be picked up on the Nintendo Switch, the PlayStation 5, the Xbox Series X and S, and older platforms from Microsoft and Sony. The title mixes fishing and dredging with plenty of narrative threads to explore.

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There’s plenty of narrative to explore but it all starts in classic video game fashion, with a protagonist with no recollection of his past getting taken advantage of. The mayor of a small fishing town offers a small boat and the chance to pay for it by fishing along the coast of the islands. Some of the fish don’t look quite right but a job is a job.

DREDGE makes it clear that there’s more to the entire fishing situation than meets the eye. A mystery figure wants to find unique artifacts. Eldritch horrors seem to be peeking from the fog and a cast of slightly unsettling characters populates the world. They don’t have a ton of lines of dialogue but the game excels at sustaining an atmosphere that mixes dread and hope.

Gameplay also starts off simple, with immediate hints that there’s more beneath the surface. Watch for the shapes of fish under the water, throw out a line, play a short mini-game that’s oddly addicting, and get back to town with fish to sell and re-invest in the boat. Once you’re debt free, it’s time to dredge up some materials and valuables for extra funds. Get a better engine and make a shady deal to get the speed to reach islands that are farther away.

There are four big locations in DREDGE, other than the starting islands of the Marrows, and each features its own narrative and challenges. Once players master rod fishing and dredging, they can also use trawl nets and crab pots to catch more species. A dry dock can be used to unlock boat upgrades as well as bigger and more damage-resistant hulls. There are things out there that aren’t afraid to ram vessels or drag them toward the depths.

They tend to mostly manifest at night and can also drain the player’s sanity, making eyes appear in the dark and rocks appear where none were present during the day. As relics are found, players will get some very useful magic powers but their use comes with a cost.

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The mini-games for fishing and dredging are varied enough to keep the player’s attention but not very difficult. It is harder to find the perfect spot to get a particular species, especially when targeting an abomination or a fish needed to complete a quest. Exploration is fun, with secrets to uncover and side-quests to find that further add to the atmosphere.

I don’t love trawling, which requires separate equipment and is very random and passive. It is the only way to get some species and does not work as well as rod fishing or using crab pots. I also wanted more variety when it comes to dredging, maybe with bigger shipwrecks and more info on what led to their sinking.

The best parts of DREDGE combine the freedom to simply move around and fish with opportunities to contribute to a bigger goal. Once you get explosives, try to open up all shortcuts and look for secret areas. Also, make sure to always check the inventory of the shipyard when repairing your vessel.

DREDGE’s graphics are at once simple and very suggestive. You only need to get through a day of fishing before the look of the world suggests that more is going on. Speeding through the night toward a safe harbor can be genuinely scary, as is a quick sight of a monster moving around the boat. I love the variety of mutated fish on offer.

The sound design is more subtle but fits well with the universe. Reeling in fish or materials feels just right and creates tension. The world’s sound landscape can veer from beautiful, on a bright day, after enough sleep, when you’re just trying to catch some rare fish, to ominous, at night and under stress. The soundtrack also works hard to add to the impressive atmosphere.

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The Good

The Bad

Conclusion