There is something inherently scary about the vast ocean. These are unknowable depths that stretch not just in front of you, but below you—and who knows what’s going on below? That kind of terror pervades dredgeLovecraftian in 2023 fishing gamewhich makes its blend of management simulation, exploration, and mystery narrative so compelling. If you haven’t tried it yet dredge yourself, now is a good time to start playing the game because steam, Humble Bundle and GOG There are great discounts to take advantage of.
Although H.P. Lovecraft was not responsible for the genre, his cosmic horror works were so prolific that his name has become synonymous with the genre. For Lovecraft, the fear of unknowable evil in the universe was mostly embodied in an animalistic fear of the sea, so the foggy seaside fishing villages of New England have always been the setting for his stories. The inherent connection between fishing and cosmic horror is well described in the book. dredge.
exist dredge You control a nameless fisherman who washes up on the shore of a remote fishing village on an island. It is one of many islands in the vast ocean that is one with life. In order to earn money and contribute to your new base, the village chief asks you to fish to earn some cash. The only warning he gave was not to go out at night. During the day, you’ll roam the safe waters fishing and salvaging items that can help you make a profit, although you only have so much daylight to get the job done. Eventually, night falls and you’re faced with the choice of returning to safety or exploring what awaits you in the darkness. The game doesn’t force you to venture into that uncomfortable unknown.
Of course, you’ll eventually find yourself past curfew on the high seas. It may take a few days to happen, but you’ll either eventually let your curiosity get the better of you, or just find that you lose track of time and are suddenly plunged into darkness. Then dredge into full-blown terror. At night, all the strange things that are hinted at behind your back emerge: mutilated and deformed fish infected with some mysterious disease that overwhelm your line, large creatures chasing you without the safety of daylight, mysterious strangers Task you with finding mysterious items that grant you dangerous abilities at a price. dredge Not just a game about fishing and making money.
Like many cosmic horror stories, they clearly inspired dredgeat the end of the day (or night), there’s nothing you, the player, can really do to combat these unknowable horrors. dredge There are no guns or any way to protect yourself from the monsters of the depths beyond the light to temporarily keep them at bay. This is a lesson in managing your curiosity and arrogance. When you inevitably push your luck too far and die, it’s because you tried to get too close to the evil in the ocean, despite everything warning you to stay away. that’s why dredgeHorror movies do this very well: it lets you put yourself in scary situations and thrive on it.
However, despite being a thrilling display of cosmic horror, dredgeThe management-style gameplay loop of fishing and returning to port to earn profits and upgrade your ship still has endless appeal. Even if you’re not chasing the mysteries of the deep, it’s never not fun to sit on a nice fishing spot and reel in your latest catch.
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