Your journey begins at daybreak. The sun rises as you sail out, its sparkling reflection dancing on the gentle waves of the bay. Numerous schools of fish can be seen through the glassy surface if you look into the water below. It’s a nice day for fishing. And the townsfolk are hungry.
Dredge begins with the above sequence and will have you behind the wheel of your boat within the first minute of play. The scenery is picturesque. Our lustrous, stylized waters ripple against islands whose trees sway in the wind. Soon, sparse piano keys join the cries of seagulls overhead.
You are forgiven if you think you are in a happy place.
The sun sets sharply at six o’clock, and soon the fog descends. Any anglers still out on the water better have good lights or they’ll never make it back to safe harbor.
Cosmic Horror Fishing
Dredge presents itself as a fishing game at first, and the premise is deliberately simple: catch fish, sell fish, upgrade gear. You should invest in your boat, as it allows you to equip faster engines, better rods, and store more fish – all in a grid-based inventory that grows with your ship. Money may seem important, but arguably your most important resource is time. As you sail around, a day-night cycle is in motion and there is something to see.
While it’s more likely to catch valuable, corrupted specimens in the dark, spooky encounters are also more common – especially in deeper water. You’ll also encounter larger, hostile creatures that can be outwitted (by abilities) or outmaneuvered (by a sufficiently upgraded ship) rather than being outrun. Ruined cities you come across are home to strange residents with even stranger desires.
We try to turn every feature that feels familiar into something unexpected, so you can sense from the start that something sinister is lurking beneath the surface. It’s no coincidence that the name “Dredge” is next to “Terror” – we’ve infused every aspect of the game with an unsettling atmosphere. In this article, I’ll go over how we achieved this and how each element contributes to the overall experience.
A tough aesthetic
The game’s graphics will feel instantly familiar to fans of typically upbeat adventure and exploration games – and that’s where our list begins. What might appear like very low-poly models are deceptively detailed, with jagged edges and shapes carved to emphasize false shadows. A dark and drab hue underpins the world, balancing any warmth of the sun’s bright colors. It’s crucial to visually remind players that the unexpected can happen at any time, even when all seems calm at the moment.
We added angular edges to the characters’ portraits – reminiscent of paint applied with a palette knife – and left rough patterns on their faces and sleeves to match their already spiky dialogue. The same geometry is reflected in the clouds; usually light and fluffy things, here we made them sharp, and they alternate between broken shapes.
This world doesn’t want you here. It wasn’t made for you. But you will explore it anyway.
The weather can be as unpredictable as the people you meet. Cloudy days can turn into thunderstorms and cause high waves that will slow your return to port. In this sense, civilization itself is scarce and often decayed. It only makes sense that the others in this world are suffering as you are, and have been for many years. This desolate and unforgiving landscape only adds to the sense of isolation and despair that permeates the game.
As you cast out your line to catch a fish, we sweep the camera over your boat and show you the dark depths below. In doing so, we conveniently eliminate your peripheral vision. Finally, you focus on fishing. At night we bring down the oppressive fog around you, leaving you with nothing but a small circle of vision to navigate rocks and other hazards. The shapes you see through this fog could be imaginary or real – I’m not sure which is worse.
This world doesn’t want you here. It wasn’t made for you. But you will explore it anyway.
No wasted words
In the world of Dredge, people are efficient and practical. So we made sure their spoken dialogue reflects this utilitarian mindset. Each line seeks to achieve at least two of the following goals:
- give you an order
- Add to the history of the world.
- Wear a sinister, suspicious, or odd tone.
Despite the importance of dialogue in Dredge, we understand the value of brevity and don’t want to keep you away from the action for too long. In order not to overwhelm you, most of the conversations are optional and can be skipped if you wish. The world itself should do most of the talking, and the people in it aren’t that keen on gossip anyway. These characters also don’t have names – they have roles, like “The Fishmonger” and “The Mayor”. You don’t want to get too familiar with them. they are not your friends
The atmosphere is also reflected in the item descriptions, especially with the fish. Strange, corrupted specimens you bring aboard might give you some insight into where they came from and why.
Of course, our storytelling doesn’t stop at the limits of the game itself. The performance descriptions and titles of the OST music tracks add a different perspective or give names to things that were unknown or unpronounceable in the game itself.
mix genres
Juxtaposition is one of my favorite words when describing it Dredge. The juxtaposition of the cosmic horror and fishing genres is one of the things that players love about it. We’ve combined many features, mechanics, and concepts that wouldn’t normally exist together in the same game. We set out to create something fresh, unexpected and unpredictable – and what better way to evoke the feeling of cosmic horror than to plunge into the unknown.
EXCAVATOR
Team17
$24.99
Pre-purchase DREDGE to get the Custom Rod! Get an edge with this improved starting rod. You start the game with this stylish device, adorned with its creator’s corporate colors. But it’s not all just looks. Unlike other tackle you may find at DREDGE this rod is in reasonable condition and should allow you to give other anglers an edge – at least for a while. This grants access to the following item: Custom Staff This staff replaces the normal starting staff when starting a new save. It can catch fish more effectively than some other rods of its size. Pilot your fishing trawler to explore a cluster of remote islands and the depths surrounding them to see what lies beneath. Sell your catch to the locals and complete quests to learn about each area’s turbulent past. Equip your boat with better gear to scour deep-sea trenches and navigate to distant lands, but keep an eye on the time. Maybe you don’t like what finds you in the dark… Game Features ● Unravel a mystery: Navigate your fishing trawler across a collection of remote islands, each with their own inhabitants to meet, wildlife to discover and Stories to Unearth ● Dig the Depths: Scour the sea for hidden treasure and complete quests to gain access to strange new abilities. ● Study Your Craft: Research special gear and upgrade your boat’s abilities to gain access to rare fish and valuable curiosities of the deep sea. ● Survival Fish: Sell your discoveries to the locals to learn more about each area and upgrade your boat to reach even more remote locations. ● Fight the Unfathomable: Strengthen your wits and use your abilities to survive after-dark trips on the water
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