There are enough fishing games on Switch to fill your net three times over. You throw every title with a fishing minigame in there and you would be left with one crammed aquarium. In such a calm, soothing genre, it can be difficult to stand out as the top dogfish, so what has indie development studio Black Salt Games done? Made a fishing game that very much not calming and particularly un-soothing.
Dredge is a game that will see you play as a down-on-their-luck fisherman who is trawling the seas to make ends meet. As you get more desperate, you will have to venture into shadier parts of the ocean, each with their own equally shady sea beasties.
There's not a lot more that we know about the game at the moment apart from that it is setting sail for Switch on 30th March. What is clear from the above trailer, however, is that there is definitely something fishy going on in this story — this ain't no Ace Angler!
For a little more information on what to expect from Dredge, check out the following details and screenshots from publishers Team17:
KEY FEATURES
- Unravel a Mystery: Captain your fishing trawler across a collection of remote islands, each with its own inhabitants to meet, wildlife to discover, and stories to unearth
- Dredge the Depths: Scour the sea for hidden treasures and complete quests to gain access to strange new abilities
- Study Your Craft: Research special equipment and upgrade your boat’s capabilities to gain access to rare fish and valuable deep-sea curios
- Fish to Survive: Sell your discoveries to the locals to learn more about each area, and upgrade your boat to reach even more secluded locations
- Fight the Unfathomable: Strengthen your mind and use special abilities to survive trips out on the water after dark
Yep, there's definitely something sinister going on here, though we can't quite put our fins on what it is. Dredge makes its way onto the Switch eShop next month for the price of £21.99/$US 24.99/€24.99, and pre-orders come with an exclusive in-game rod. Meanwhile, a Digital Deluxe Edition — which includes a Blackstone Key DLC item enabling access to a "mysterious workshop" — will set you back a couple of your local currency units more, at £23.99 / $US 26.99 / €26.99.
And lovers of the physical article will also be pleased to hear that there's a Physical Deluxe Edition in the works, with more details on that to come "soon".
Has Dredge got you up to the gills in intrigue? Let us know in the comments!
Comments 16
ohhh yeah. I had forgotten about this.
Looks like something I'd really enjoy. I hope it delivers.
I’m definitely intrigued!
I may bite.
I love horror on the sea, so I’ll be hoping for good reviews. I haven’t been satisfied with too many Team 17-published games, so I’ll remain cautious for the time being.
My interest is piqued!
Strong Sunless Sea vibes with this one. Definitely looks worth checking out.
Physical? Already announced? Well yes sir, please take my money
I played the demo on PC and really enjoyed it. Can't wait for this!
Looks fun it is not too expensive.
Does this have a tactical RPG mini-game?
Ok... I'm intrigued. Although I would like to see the actual gameplay.
Something like this might have been awesome on WiiU with the Gamepad screen being an underwater view... or radar... something like Affordable Space Adventures.
That was interesting. Can’t wait to see how this plays, but the trailer at least is captivating enough.
This looks like a good bit of Lovecraftian eldritch fun, particularly for us near old fishing towns in New England.
I'll have to re-read The Shadow over Innsmouth while I wait for the physical release.
So far 2023 is being just as unkind to my purse as 2022 was...
Here's some actual gameplay for anyone interested.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FM_EAShZmqs
I like how the trailer sharply turned eldritch just like that.
I've long been looking for a good Switch fishing game. This may scratch that itch, probably using an unspeakable claw of unknown origins.
Played this at PAX AUS last year and it was great. Glad to see it coming out soon, definitely going to pick this up.
Spent a couple of hours playing the demo on Switch and it's pretty cool so far. There's a surprising amount of depth here.
There's more to the fishing than you expect. The actual fishing is similar to what you'd expect from a fishing game but there's some nice complexity to it from storage management to upgrades. A little further in when you catch larger fish it becomes more important to arrange your hold.
Selling the fish, the price not only depends on the actual fish but the freshness.
There's also an added aspect of repairs and upgrades to the ship and equipment. At night the rocks really pop up in front of you so unless you're quick there's damage. As you go, you have to upgrade to fish certain spots and fish. And you have the ability to research which is also a fun thing.
There's also the occassional something the slithers into the hold but I won't spoil what that's all about.
Along the way you find missions called pursuits. Anything from finding certain fish for the fishmonger, finding bits from shipwrecks for the builder, or dredging for trinkets and stuff.
Night fishing is done really well. The game does a good job of creating tension. Not sleeping contributes to your paranoia. At night, it definitely reminds me of Innsmouth.
The one thing I'm still trying to wrap my head around is how time works. Obviously the day/night cycle is short, as you'd expect for this kind of game. But if you're docked or not moving in the water, time moves normally. But as soon as you start moving the time moves faster. I'm sure there's a reason for it but I haven't figured out why yet.
In the couple of hours I played it I really enjoyed the game. It feels like it'll be worth the $25 pricetag and the extra 2 bucks gets you the deluxe.
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