I’ve never done well with horror games, which is strange because I adore horror movies. As much as I want to play Resident Evil 4 Remake, I know there’s a real possibility my heart will give out – just playing the demo took me ages, because I had to keep pausing to pace around my room out of pure stress. I once attempted to play Outlast 2 and had to stop after half an hour, because I kept jumping so hard that the controller would fly out of my hand. I’m hesitant to play the Dead Space remake or Metroid Dread, because I know it would take all my dwindling courage to finish them. For me, horror games are a spectator sport. I make my friends play them while I watch, because it’s the interactivity that makes my heart rate spike.
Despite knowing this, I took a risk with Dredge. I read our own Harry Alston’s preview and was sold, so I dove in. While much of the game revolves around the central mechanic of fishing, you’re also sent to retrieve artefacts for a mysterious collector who gives you new skills in exchange. The different islands you venture to all have their own individual beasts to handle, and different mechanics and equipment you need to use to achieve your goal.
Dredge’s sea is terrifying in a Lovecraftian way – there are horrible things in the waters, and I learned this the hard way. There are horribly big creatures you have to navigate around, and there is no defeating them, only avoiding and running from them, and it’s not clear what they are, how long they’ve been there or where they came from – all you know is that they’re there, whispered about by the people living nearby.
There are countless other mysterious things in Dredge’s world, and they all seem out to get you, especially if you don’t regularly dock your boat and sleep. Sometimes, if you’re out too late at night and your character is tired, a ghostly ship will arrive and speed towards you, smashing into you at full force. Return after an exhausting late-night fishing expedition and birds will follow your boat, stealing your catch. It’s not just the unexplainable things that scare me – the people you interact with are creepy, and some speak of the old mayor who went insane because of something he saw in the sea.
Like I said, I’m terrified of horror games. I don’t like having to flee from apparitions, I don’t like seeing weird undulating colours in the dark, and I don’t like hearing creepy whispers as I’m speeding back to the safety of the lighthouse because I lost track of time while fishing and it’s dark and foggy now. It’s not hard to avoid these situations, most of the time. I keep an eye on the in-game clock, and start heading back to a safe dock long before sundown so I don’t get accosted by unexplainable phenomena. I sleep long, and often. I start my days early, setting out an hour before sunrise so I have more time to travel out from safe zones, if I have to. I make accommodations for my own fear so I can do what I actually like – listen to the soothing soundtrack, maybe spot some whales under the surface of the water, and admire the beautiful views.
You could argue I’m deliberately missing the point of the game, and maybe that’s fair – I’m trying to play a game that’s 50 percent survival horror in a way that makes me feel safe and distinctly unhorrified. But playing the game this way works for me. I’m still following the storyline, still venturing into unfamiliar territory, I’m just doing it on my own terms. The creepiness of Dredge is baked into the game, from the people you encounter to the weird, mutated fish you regularly pick up. But that alone isn’t enough to scare me away from the game, because I know there isn’t actually any danger to my little fishing boat – it’s just strange and a little creepy. I aspire to be like the travelling merchant in the game that you find at every island: she knows there’s weird shit out there, but she simply refuses to engage with it. What a peaceful way to live.