12
32-
You could see it on the horizon, miles away: DREDGE was always going to be amazing. Ever since it was first announced, years back, it was obvious that the developer had a singular vision in mind for what the game ought to accomplish. Its 10/10 reviews on Steam testify to the fact that the devs were successful, of course, but what is it that makes the game click so well? Why DREDGE, of all things, when there are so many other prospective indies clamoring for the attention and acclaim of modern gaming audiences?
Over the next couple of sections, we'll explain in ample detail why DREDGE is a must-play, and why you should jump onto the opportunity to play it as soon as you can. If you haven't yet taken the plunge, this article aims to convince you now's the time! So, no dawdling: the multi-eyed horrors won't angle themselves, will they now?
READ MORE: A Newcomer's Guide to Xbox Game Pass
Why DREDGE is The Best New Indie on the Market
Described by GamesRadar+ as "ever-so-gently horrifying" in a review penned by Ali Jones, DREDGE is a masterclass of game design. Though you could certainly view it through a reductive lens and say that it's little more than fish Tetris at its core, DREDGE is a laser-focused experience that's built specifically to slowly soak your bones in its terror juice. We... uh, we'll pretend that this statement makes a modicum sense for a little bit here, just to keep things poetic.
To be perfectly clear, DREDGE is certainly a horror game. Like most good cosmic horror, it invites you to experience its setting through hands-on experience. Lets you settle into the routine dredging of the fish-kind without much else taking your attention away from the job. Just a slow trudge through the coast, an upgrade to your vessel, and a neat bit of dialogue with the tradesmen. The usual.
Naturally, all that is simply to lull the protagonist into a false sense of security. A sense of deep, undeniable wrongness looms high and mighty everywhere in DREDGE. It's this odd, off sense of unease that doesn't truly come to a head until you're already too deep in to go back. It's a marvel, truly, and it's equally important that the game's core progression loop supports this sort of approach to cosmic horror.
Play DREDGE on PC with 2Game, fast and easy, with an early bird discount!
Doing Things Differently
A horror fish Tetris game, then? Well, yes. If we're being cheeky about it, we could say that DREDGE takes the core concept of, say, Sunless Skies, and simplifies it to the point where it'll be tenable for the more casual gaming audiences. That's not really what's going on here, though, unless you're looking at it at face value.
Instead of inundating the player with a huge array of loot, a massive open world, or the promise of an infinite amount of replayability, DREDGE promises just one simple thing: it's going to tell you a delightfully pulpy tale of eldritch horror. Everything else is in service of this one job, and this, we believe, is why the whole thing is such a joy to play.
Eldritch Horror Done Well
Here's the thing: eldritch horror isn't about gunning or cutting down hundreds upon hundreds of tentacled monstrosities. It's about the slow, plodding realization of one's place in the universe. The true song of the planets, if you want to wax poetical once more. Getting invaded by spooky, crawly aliens is creepy enough, for sure, but coming to terms with the simple notion of cosmicism is nothing short of mind-blowing. And, indeed, that's precisely what DREDGE delivers.
Indeed, angling up several different aberrant forms of the humble mackerel is disturbing in its own right. Learning the truth behind these aberrations, however, amps things up a few notches. Make no mistake, DREDGE will inevitably poise its protagonist to meet the eldritch, cosmic monstrosities that lurk beneath the surface. What comes of that is an ending of your make, though the gaping maw of the cosmic void lurks regardless.
Focus, Focus, and - You've Guessed It - Focus
To facilitate its masterful delivery of eldritch horror, DREDGE tasks its player with, in essence, logging the final days of their dredging adventure. For the most part, DREDGE is a simple and soothing adventure of progression. Slowly, you'll increase your vessel's inventory capacity and its engines, and maybe even hang up an amulet or two. It's a fun and satisfying gameplay loop that doesn't ever really evolve past the simple concept of "fish Tetris," if we're being honest about it.
The thing is, of course, that it stays fun and engaging throughout.
Indeed, DREDGE currently enjoys an "Overwhelmingly Positive" review rating, with almost 92% of its submitted reviews (almost 2,000 of them, mind!) being remarkably thrilled about the experience. It's a fun, delightful exercise in true cosmic horror that doesn't 0verstay its welcome. Even 16 hours in - which is roughly how much time it takes to complete the game - many players cite wanting to experience more of DREDGE's game world. And that's the part that counts.
Take Up DREDGEing today!
Taking into account all of the above, DREDGE is clearly a passion project. Indies often are, yes, but even here we often see the same trappings of game development that are present in the AA and AAA spaces. No such thing with DREDGE, though. It's a passionate, delightful exploration of a particular brand of horror that doesn't need to overextend into different niches to drive its point home. It's a fun, enthralling title with a phenomenal atmosphere that'll keep you busy for over a dozen hours on end.
We can hardly provide a better seal of quality than what's already plainly visible by glancing over Steam's user review section, however. So, if you're ready to jump onto a new gaming zeitgeist, this is the ticket.
Get in the Game ! 
