Ah, fishing titles. Such a chilled-out genre of gaming. Well, not always, or so it seems. A new and surprising reveal from Team 17 at Gamescom is the ominous-looking Dredge. This is certainly a ‘fishing game’ that’ll speak to those with a genuine dread of the open water. In development at New Zealand-based Black Salt Games, the title is a fishing adventure with a bit of a difference. The game will launch at some point next year, but to whet the whistle of any potential sailors, Team 17 has also dropped a new trailer for the nautical mystery.
Dredge looks set to take players on a journey across a remote archipelago known as The Marrows. With their trusty fishing trawler, the oceans surrounding each island are players’ oysters. However, what lurks beneath could send the game’s sailors in an entirely unexpected direction, as can be seen in the trailer. You can check out the relaxing yet somehow mildly threatening vibes of Dredge in the new reveal clip right here.
As well as going toe-to-to, or ship-to-tentacle, with the creatures of the deep, part of the action in Dredge will focus on scouring the seas for hidden treasures. For survival and trade, it’ll also be key to catch a wide variety of rare fish. Players will be able to unlock a number of stories as they meet the inhabitants of the isles. On top of this, mastery of their fishing craft will become essential. By researching different types of special equipment, players will be able to make vital upgrades to their ships. Which is probably a wise move, given the weird and monstrous creatures that seem to be lurking in the waters below.
It looks as though players will also have the opportunity to develop their own skills through the course of their adventures. Alongside levelling up their fishing skills and siling techniques, players will unearth special abilities that will enhance their trawling voyages, especially out on the open water after darkness has fallen. It looks like you’ll probably need all the help you can get during nighttime jaunts across the oceans, to be honest.
It all looks very creepy and intriguing, particularly as far as a hobby that’s meant to be relaxing goes. If you fancy getting to grips with open-water trawling whilst fending off fearsome aquatic threats, then Dredge should be right up your alley. The game has no specific release window as yet, but we do know to expect it in 2023.
Dredge will be available on a number of platforms. It’ll be released on Xbox Series X, Series S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam. We’ll be keeping an ear to the ground for further news of a release date as this cute but creepy-looking adventure continues development.
