It should be no surprise to anyone who has read this site that I absolutely adore Dredge. It is my indie GOTY in 2023, and one I continue playing on my Steam Deck. So, when developer Black Salt Games revealed its first expansion, The Pale Reach, I was overjoyed. To say that feeling remained after playing the game would be an understatement.
Note: I was provided a copy of The Pale Reach for review by the developer/publisher. However, this fact does not alter or influence my experience in this review.
More of the Same, But That’s Not Bad
Like in the main campaign of Dredge, The Pale Reach will see us exploring a mysterious land, albeit one covered in ice, fishing for common and monstrous fish varieties, purchasing upgrades, and solving quests to obtain unparalleled rewards.
It’s more of the same gameplay formula, and I’m absolutely here for it. I love the gameplay loop in Dredge, so a bit more to explore after combing every inch of the vanilla map is a massive positive in my book.
Everything here, including the new mechanics and quest objectives, was on display and easily navigable. I wasn’t lost nor frustrated while chipping away at the ice—literally and figuratively!
The only portion I did find myself somewhat scratching my head was at the end. The expansion ended abruptly, without much fanfare, as I was rewarded with a brand-new trawl net capable of catching fish in the Ice, Coastal, Oceanic, and Shallow biomes. It’s handy. But I’d be lying if I didn’t say I wanted more of a genuine conclusion to the tale. The “big bad” of the area, an entity covered in ice, vanishes.
As for the narwhal with its glowing tusk, that was exciting. It was immersive and thrilling to sail out at night to catch a few fish and see the narwhal’s shining tooth slowly break the surface in the distance.
I Recommend Dredge: The Pale Reach
Overall, I absolutely do recommend Dredge: The Pale Reach if you’re a fan of the game and want more: more fish, a new biome to explore, a few new gadgets to play with, and a bit more lore.
For $5.99, you can’t go wrong. I’ve paid more for shorter titles, like the Modern Warfare 3 campaign that took me just a hair over the same playtime to beat for 10 times the cost.