Recent Playing: Dredge
Aug. 20th, 2023 10:21 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rocky41_7Okay, I actually finished this game before WtWTLW but I needed to vent my feelings on that one quicker XD This game I whole-heartedly enjoyed, so I can fully endorse it. Dredge is the first game I 100%-ed on Steam! The description from the Steam store page is:
Each of the four main hubs you can visit in your boat is distinctive, with its own pool of native fish, and different rods and trawl nets you'll need to catch them. Early in the game, travel is truly a terror, as your slow little boat and fishing tools mean you are constantly in a race against the sun to get some fishing and exploration done and get back into port by nightfall. Later, this becomes less of an issue, but the specters and monsters haunting the waters after dark are never off your mind.
Some Steam reviews have complained that the game becomes dull and repetitive after the first few hours, which I feel is a result of an audience-game mismatch. The game is first and foremost, a fishing game. As I understand, the core of fishing games is collecting various fish in scenic locales. It's pretty simple. This game certainly provides a twist, but it is still a fishing game, before it is a horror game. The game won me over despite my not generally having an interest in fishing games, but that may not be the case for everyone.
I particularly enjoyed having on a playlist of sea shanties while playing this one.
Dredge is not particularly complex or difficult, but it is relaxing in its own way and it was some nice, simple fun after a long day. Good work from this studio!
DREDGE is a single-player fishing adventure with a sinister undercurrent. Sell your catch, upgrade your boat, and dredge the depths for long-buried secrets. Explore a mysterious archipelago and discover why some things are best left forgotten.
I don't usually play fishing games of any kind (at least, not since the Wii's activity pack), they just aren't something that captivates me (not a huge fan of fishing IRL either). But this game was such a delight! The bright colors and simple but pleasing designs were nice to look at, the fish were varied and well-designed, and the underlying horror themes added just enough spice to the game. I do love collecting things, so I made it my goal to catch every fish in the game pretty early on, and only at the very end did it get a little tiresome (catching all the fish is not necessary to finish the game). Each of the four main hubs you can visit in your boat is distinctive, with its own pool of native fish, and different rods and trawl nets you'll need to catch them. Early in the game, travel is truly a terror, as your slow little boat and fishing tools mean you are constantly in a race against the sun to get some fishing and exploration done and get back into port by nightfall. Later, this becomes less of an issue, but the specters and monsters haunting the waters after dark are never off your mind.
Some Steam reviews have complained that the game becomes dull and repetitive after the first few hours, which I feel is a result of an audience-game mismatch. The game is first and foremost, a fishing game. As I understand, the core of fishing games is collecting various fish in scenic locales. It's pretty simple. This game certainly provides a twist, but it is still a fishing game, before it is a horror game. The game won me over despite my not generally having an interest in fishing games, but that may not be the case for everyone.
I particularly enjoyed having on a playlist of sea shanties while playing this one.
Dredge is not particularly complex or difficult, but it is relaxing in its own way and it was some nice, simple fun after a long day. Good work from this studio!