Gifted Games Reviews #6: Dredge
Have you found whatever it is you’re looking for?
The ocean is calling, and we’re here to answer the call! Under our guidance, a
brave sailor will visit many islands,
help people catch and deliver their food, and fulfill their wishes if there’s some time left. Many treasures are lost to the sea and waiting to be found… But beware, adventurer, for
the night is dark and full of terrors! Nah, I’m just kidding —
Dredge is
one of the coziest games I’ve ever played. Or is it? I encourage you to find the answer on your own. My modest part is, as always, to present you with the pros and cons I found.
Pros.
1.
Music. It’s simply brilliant. From the starting screen to the credits, it fills you with… I don’t really know what adjective to use here. It gives everything that it should. It’s always there, but after a while, you won’t notice it apart from the game itself — they intertwine on every level. And – very important – it doesn’t begin to pall.
2.
Plot. I’m not pointing to the events happening, but to how gently you’re guided through. Honestly, this game should serve as an example to all adventure games. In-game characters may point in the right direction, but you’re free to sail wherever, and it won’t stop you at all. Choose your own pace, your own favourite parts of the ocean, your favourite activities – and enjoy them.
3.
Fishing minigame. Again, great implementation. At first, they’re new, pretty easy, you have time to look into the shapes of the fish and other things you reel in. And when it could get boring, you sail to a different region and it changes a bit, bringing a breath of fresh air. Then, after a while, you get a faster fishing rod, and catching time decreases accordingly. And you know what? Catching the fish doesn’t really force you to play that minigame — you can just sit and wait for it to be autocompleted.
4.
Art style. I understand that some people may not like it being a bit pale, a bit simple, but I loved it. The large variety of fish species, colours don’t tire your eyes, fluorescent inhabitants look marvelous at night…
Cons.
0. I can start mumbling about how the plot or ending could’ve been better, but I just don’t want to because my time in it was so great. So
there’s no real cons from the perspective of a casual gamer. But if I have to…
1.
Achievements. After singing all those praises, I really wanted to 100% the game — it deserves it. Unfortunately, the developers decided to include DLCs achievements. That’s a flop. Don’t do it. Again, if you didn’t want to “get platinum,” you wouldn’t even think of that, so this con is pointed out with a stretch.
I bet if you read all this, you’d understand that I absolutely enjoyed the game. I was able to get to the ending in about
7–8 hours and spent the same amount exploring the world, finishing side quests, and catching all fish species.
95% on Steam? Yes, that’s about right. I encourage you to give this game a shot if you have it, or think of buying it if you don’t. A soothing experience is almost guaranteed. But don't tell me i didn't warn you about the darkness...
Thank you,
silent_passenger, for this amazing giveaway!
, not entirely sure though
. But, it does expire tomorrow.
but I believe they intend to try to make people pay for it in more ways than scraping all their data 
i'd still be wary to do that.