Black Salt Games’Dredgeis, on the surface, a peaceful and stylistic indie fishing game, where players must work catching fish and dredging for treasures and materials in order to earn money to upgrade their boat.
When night falls, however, a world of Lovecraftian horrors emerges from the fog. Along with a series of apparitions and hallucinations, made worse by the player’s “Panic” meter, which can be lessened with boat lighting and sleep, there are also some very real dangers for fishermen to be aware of when traversingDredge’sfive isles.
10Miasma
These iridescent pockets of dark energy appear all throughout the night fog across all five isles and the oceans in between. While the Miasma may not do any direct damage itself, sailing within the radius of one of these twisted entities will cause it to follow and impart serious panic to the Fisherman.
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Whispers and demonic noisesbegin to play, haunting the player until they are able to lose the entity, and all the while seeing increasingly terrifying and dangerous hallucinations as it happens.
9Ghost Boat/Angler Fish
This menacing opponent stalks the waters surrounding The Marrows, but the Angler Fish can appear in oceanic regions too as there is actually more than one of these. It will become quickly apparent to beginner players that what may at first appear to be a comrade at sea is in fact a dreadful, bloodthirsty monster.
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These creatures will give chase for a considerable time, and players will likely have to utilize the Haste ability in order to outrun them.
8Giant Crab
On both Stellar Basin and Twisted Strand, a number of Giant Crabs can be found at various spots,disguised as other objects in the environment. While they are easy enough to avoid, their powerful smash will do a lot of damage if players are caught in their range.
It is wiser to simply pass these creatures by and leave them in peace. While Giant Crabs do not pose such a direct threat as many other creatures, most players can admit to being shocked and surprised the first time they encountered one of these.
7Deep-Sea Tentacle
Nothing captures the quintessential Lovecraftian vibe like a giant deep-sea tentacle rising up to take a swipe at a passing, innocent seaman. Whatever these appendages are attached to is uncertain, but they can most certainly end a voyage in one or two hits for those without a boat in tip-top condition. Commonly they can be found in Oceanic regions around The Marrow at night.
6Mind Eaters
Thesepsychedelicpredatorsstalk the bog and marshes of Twisted Strand’s Mangrove swamps. Having already consumed an entire squadron of downed aircraft pilots, the Airman will request the player’s help to trap and kill these creatures using his bait.
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In addition to their alien appearance and hypnotic glow, the Mind Eaters or Mind Suckers also seemingly have some symbiotic relationship with the surrounding environment. Players can find themselves attacked by tentacle-like vine branches shooting up from the riverbeds.
5Fire Fish
These annoying little opponents will stalk almost every single areain and around Devil’s Spine. They will take bites at the player’s boat causing it to slow, as well as letting out some sort of calling signal which will attract a much larger “matriarch” type fish that can destroy the player’s boat in very few attacks.
There is a defense, however, against these creatures. Players can sail near volcanic vents (marked by bubbling water coming from miniature underground volcanoes), which will burn and scare the fish away, temporarily.
4Gale Cliffs Serpent
One of the most fearsome and unpredictable sea creatures within the five isles ofDredgeis the infamous Gale Cliffs Serpent. Supposedly responsible for the destruction of entire towns and mountainsides, the Serpent will dwell within the inner reaches of the cliff, often hiding in giant underwater crevices beneath the mountains and lurching outupon unsuspecting sailors.
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The sheer amount of wrecks and treasure in the area is a testament to the amount of destruction this creature has caused. Anyone passing through the cliffs is almost certain to have an encounter with this colossal beast.
3Stellar Basin Creature
Perhaps the most puzzling anomaly inDredgeis the Creature occupying Stellar Basin. This giant, seemingly alien monstrosity is reminiscent of Tatooine’s Sarlac Pit - a giant, sentient organism that can swallow humans whole without even noticing them. While the Creature may not be inherently evil, it gets angered by any boats passing overhead and will turn dark red before striking out with one of its titanic appendages.
All but the mostheavily upgradedHulls are likely to shatter upon impact when encountering this thing, but fortunately, there is a counter that players can deploy. Following the Researcher’s questline, players can reactivate the Generator in the old Research Station which, when activated, can temporarily pacify the creature and enable the dredging and recovery of items in the center of the basin.
2Phantom Shark
The Phantom Shark is one of themost deadly predators inDredge, mainly due to the fact that it will only appear before players in states of high Panic. By this point, players have usually already had a difficult night on the seas and more than likely will have sustained some hull damage.
The Phantom Shark can appear out of nowhere, and its menacing appearance gives little time to warn players of its impending attacks. The powerful creature can shatter boats and bring an end to long nights of productive fishing when port, and safety, are finally within sight.
1Leviathan
Arguably the most terrifying creature inDredge’s main game, disregardingthe “evil” ending,“is the Leviathan. This creature can sometimes be spotted in the oceans surrounding Devil’s Spine but will also pop up to eat anything that ventures out of bounds beyond the four corners ofDredge’s map.
Often only identifiable by its colossal back fins breaking the water’s surface, this gargantuan serpentine creature dwarfs almost every other living entity in the game and can swallow the player’s boat whole with effortless ease if it is encountered.
Dredgeis available on PC, PS5, PS4, Switch, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One.
