DREDGE – The Pale Reach DLC Review

DREDGE is an absolute masterpiece in the indie scene and scored exceptionally across the board amongst many outlets. Our very own Odhran Johnson gave it a whopping 90% score back when it launched last year and deservedly so, you can read that review HERE and also listen to an interview with the developers at Black Salt Games HERE. So it is safe to say the team here at Complete Xbox including myself adore this unique indie experience like no other. After ploughing tens of hours into the game, I just had to invest in The Pale Reach DLC when it moored onto Xbox. It is a meaty piece of content for a reasonable price point and if you loved the base game then it is worth the pennies.

What’s Included?

Of course, the brand-new area of Pale Reach extends the game’s vastness along with 17 new types of fish, crabs and aberrations with the Ice type. There are 8 new achievements, new pursuits, new equipment and the introduction of ice blocks to extend the life span of your catch. I don’t want to ruin the twists and turns in this new DLC so I will refrain from spoiling any of the story but it genuinely feels like a lot of love and work has gone into this and it doesn’t feel just tacked on to the main story. There is still that immense feeling of dread and despair as you’re still out in the ocean as the sun sets, trying to utilise every waking moment out on the water.

The Cherry On The Cake

As I said, I don’t want to go too much into details of the storyline or the paths the game leads you on. With it being a short yet adventurous DLC, I found the most joy in going out into this all-new beautifully detailed region and discovering things first-hand myself. If it has been a little while since you played DREDGE then it may take you a while to refresh on the mechanics of the game but once you get going it is the same satisfactory gameplay. Yes, I wish things had been a little longer and larger but I wasn’t left disappointed in the slightest. Visually everything looks stunning with the new icy region presenting as super detailed and atmospheric.

Final Thoughts

The Pale Reach is an absolute must-buy if you want to extend the core experience with a good chunk of hours. Yes, it is short and sweet at maybe 4-5 hours of gameplay but it is a good return on a reasonable price of £5.99. I feel the development team should be supported for such a fantastic game. With it being one of the greatest adventures of 2023, then it makes total sense to squeeze a little more greatness out of the game with more quality. According to what I’ve read out there, there is another expansion scheduled for 2024 which promises to be quite large, DREDGE is nowhere near done and dusted just yet!