DREDGE - THE PALE REACH REVIEW: FISHING FOR COSMIC HORROR IN A WINTER WONDERLAND
grab your thermal underwear and a sturdy ice pick because we're diving back into the chilly waters of Dredge with its new DLC, The Pale Reach. Black Salt Games decided to give us a frosty follow-up to their surprise hit, and let me tell you, it's colder than a witch's tit out there. But does this icy expansion make waves, or is it just a frozen fish stick? Let's cast our line and see what bites.
WELCOME TO THE FUCKIN' NORTH POLE
The Pale Reach throws us into a brand spankin' new biome that's colder than my ex's heart. We're talking ice sheets, snow-capped rocks, and enough bleakness to make a penguin consider therapy. It's like the developers looked at the original game and thought, "You know what this needs? More existential dread, but with frostbite."
The atmosphere is on point, people. It's Dredge, but make it winter. The eerie silence, broken only by the cracking of ice and the occasional eldritch horror gurgling in the distance, really gets under your skin. It's like being stuck in "The Thing," but instead of Kurt Russell, you're just some schmuck with a fishing rod.
SAME SHIT, DIFFERENT ICEBERG
Gameplay-wise, if you've played Dredge, you know the drill. Fish, upgrade, try not to shit yourself when something with too many eyes looks at you funny. The Pale Reach doesn't reinvent the wheel here, but it does give it some snow tires.
You've got new fish to catch, new gear to craft, and new ways to question your life choices as you drift through waters that would make the Titanic nervous. The fishing mechanics remain solid, like a well-preserved mammoth in permafrost.
OH GREAT, ANOTHER MURDEROUS SEA CREATURE
The DLC introduces a new big bad: a narwhal that's clearly compensating for something with that horn. This persistent prick chases you around like you owe it money. It's supposed to add tension, but if you've got the "Banish" ability from the main game, it's about as threatening as a mildly annoyed sea cucumber.
The plot of The Pale Reach is shorter than my patience for microtransactions. It's a bite-sized nugget of cosmic horror that fits neatly into the Dredge universe. While it won't blow your mind, it's a satisfying little side dish to the main course. Think of it as the after-dinner mint of eldritch horror – small, but it leaves a lingering taste of existential dread.
FINAL VERDICT: COLD BUT GOLD
Look, The Pale Reach isn't going to set the world on fire – mainly because it's too damn cold for that. But for fans of Dredge, it's a solid reason to dust off your fishing rod and dive back into those terrifying waters.
Is it perfect? Nah. It's shorter than a goldfish's attention span, and if you're looking for groundbreaking new mechanics, you're fishing in the wrong pond. But for $5.99, it's a cheap ticket to a few more hours of that sweet, sweet Dredge anxiety we've all come to know and love.
So, should you buy it? If you enjoyed Dredge, then hell yes. It's more of what you love, just with a side of hypothermia. If you're new to Dredge, maybe start with the main course before diving into this chilly appetizer.
Final Score: 8/10 – Like ice fishing for Cthulhu: Cold, creepy, and oddly satisfying.
We at NLM received a key for this game for free, this however didn’t impact our review in any way.