The game is a fun dichotomy, existing mostly as a chill fishing game where you see new places and meet new people, but with an underlying current of weirdness and melancholy throughout. Gameplay loops are fun and engaging, and new environments and gear keep you interested from your first few cod in the Marrows all the way through to infernal eels around Devil's Spine. Completionists will have a lot of fun hunting down all the different fishes, secrets, and equipment, though in my opinion there isn't a very high replay value given the scope of the game. Gameplay itself is mostly boating around different areas during the day to find places where fish are plentiful, then playing a rhythm style mini-game to reel them in. Time ticks by as you travel or fish but otherwise you're free to play at your own pace, with one major caveat: as the days grow longer and your stress builds things start to get weirder and more harrowing as the sea grows more dangerous, with eyes peeking out of the fog, rocks appearing as if from nowhere, and horrible creatures hounding your every move trying to sink you beneath the waves. As the game progresses you unlock new gear mostly to catch different fish in different ways, and the ability to Dredge (aha!) up treasure and raw materials from wrecks. The story emerges as you interact with characters interspersed throughout the islands and you find artifacts, notes and journal entries in the flotsam of the unforgiving sea. There are well executed themes of paranoia, desperation, and loss, and the very human need to keep going despite it all. This game handles psychological horror well, where lots of would-be familiar things are skewed and twisted as time passes. Ambience and expressionist-esque art help a lot with the general feeling of the game. All in all Dredge is a beautiful work of art and definitely worth the playthrough.
No Man's Sky is one of those games where whenever I pick it back up I get hooked all over again. There's a little bit of something for everyone: mostly it's a space explorer and base builder game, but there are also dogfights (in space!), FPS sequences when hunting animals or drones, a basic economy simulator, and a near obsession to find just the right starship, multi-tool, companion, etc. What's really impressive is every time I play this game there's been an update, for free, that adds some great new aspect to the game. Bases, multiplayer, companions, a visual revamp, living ships, all DLC-sized additions just added to the base game. I have a massive amount of respect for Hello Games constantly adding to No Man's Sky and it doesn't cost me a penny more than I've already spent. Long story short, you get a lot of game for your money and it just keeps getting better.
