Earlier this year, I had a good time with Dredge, and now I have the chance to delve into an all-new DLC Dredge The Pale Reach. Black Salt Games’ cosy but creepy fishing game with some RPG elements.
Its engaging narrative and addictive grind hooked me (heh, excuse the pun) incredibly quickly. Expanding the game somewhat is the game’s new DLC, The Pale Reach. For the most part, it succeeds in doing so while still leaving me somewhat torn.
The Pale Reach essentially delivers more Dredge, which isn’t a bad thing as the base game was already fantastic. Catching new fish species, dredging up equipment and materials and then upgrading your ship is still the core of the gameplay experience. All of these are done while the sun is shining and then making a mad dash back to the safety of a pontoon before being driven mad by a host of different Eldritch Horrors. It’s all very unsettling despite sporting a visual style that feels more cosy than anything else.
New Levels, New Devils
Introducing a new quest, The Pale Reach sees you meeting a photographer who needs some assistance and directs you to an icy landmass in the South. Upon arriving, you’ll be able to explore what the ice field is hiding. Sooner or later, you’ll encounter a monstrous Narwhal which calls this place home and begin to uncover the mystery of what happened to a previous expedition. It’s quite well-written, very much like the stories encountered in the base game.
In terms of gameplay, not much has really changed. NPCs will task you with catching fish or dredging up equipment and journals will detail the events of the previous expedition. While it’s mostly the same, there are some new pieces of equipment to install onto your ship. Namely, there’s an Ice Breaker that can be fitted onto the hull, allowing for safer navigation of the icy channels. Additionally, there are new rods and trawler nets to install, specifically catered to catching fish in the frigid waters.
There are also some new rewards unlocked during and at the end of your time with the Pale Reach. The first one nets you a camera, which is essentially the game’s photo mode – nothing like snapping a shot of your vessel before being rammed but some otherworldly shark. An ice shaper makes it possible to buy ice blocks from your local vendor to stave off the spoiling of your catch. Finally, there’s a special anchor which opens up a reusable two-way portal to Blackstone Isle.
The latter would’ve been a nice find when I originally played the game, but months after rolling credits, I found little use for it other than just checking to see how it works. It may not be super useful to someone who has seen all that Dredge has to offer, but it would be great as a mid-game reward.
Brief, but entertaining
Dredge The Pale Reach is a nice little add-on to the original game and its runtime, while short, feels close to the amount of time I may have spent in a biome in the base game. As mentioned before, it’s more Dredge, which isn’t a bad thing, but maybe it might not be enough to jump in right away. It isn’t badly priced and shares just a little bit more of its world, so if you’re itching for some more, The Pale Reach will be a good fit.
DREDGE The Pale Reach Trailer
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