Dredge, Dave the Diver, and the stunning horror of the deep blue
The ocean has always been a source of fascination for people. Given its ubiquitous presence, is it truly our fault? This is seldom more evident than in the creative industries. Water inspires literature, from Homer's Odyssey to Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea, and many more works in between. This has been particularly evident in 2023's video games, as two of my top picks for the year demonstrate how enthralling the sea can be and how crucial it is to treat it with respect.
For those who are unaware, Dave the Diver and Dredge both take place on the water—as you would expect given the topic of this essay. Or, as in Dave's case, underwater. There are commonalities even if every game has a unique rendition of the water. The way both games depict the power dynamic between people and the water is the most notable resemblance. In other words, even if we believe we are in control, the water humbles us more than anything else. Our equalizer is the large body that occupies 71% of the globe, even in the era of instant communication, space travel, and all the rest.
Even while both games have supernatural elements—underwater mermaids in Dave the Diver and miasma-inducing demon fish in Dredge—they also begin with the ocean being the source of life. The sea is where we fish, we process the catch into food, and food keeps us alive in the traditional sense. Dave and Dredge's anonymous fishermen go into the ocean not for recreational or scientific reasons, unlike James Cameron and his array of submerged vehicles, but rather as a means to an end. Everyone needs labor, and the water offers it.
Dredge and Dave the Diver nearly give the impression of being comfortable fishing games throughout the first hour or so of each, the latter more so because of some vibrant pixel visuals and humorous conversation with giant Dave himself. But eventually, the ocean's real hues emerge. In Dredge, darkness brings with it an eerie sea monster that may quickly take control of your ship and convert it into a wreck. In Dave the Diver, things take a bit longer, but before you know it, you're up against enormous zombie mermen, ghostly jellyfish, and frightening huge squids. Yes, you heard correctly in the final part. Zombie, giant, mermen.
Since humans have only explored 5% of the ocean, a large portion of it remains uncharted territory. Humans have always had a dread of the unknown. This is used differently in each game, but generally speaking, Dave the Diver's unknown is much less intimidating than Dredge's. Nevertheless, the basic conflict between nature's often dramatic reaction and humanity's ambition to explore beyond its limits remains in both games. Dredge is akin to a vengeance tale, in which an enraged ocean exacts its retribution on humanity by torturing a single person psychologically and exposing its hidden horrors.
Naturally, the supernatural ups the spook factor in both games—particularly Dredge—but they also highlight the horror of realizing how overpowering and alone being by yourself in the ocean can be. Navigating the depths with Dave or escaping the miasma in Dredge is similar to the proverb that states, "In space, no one can hear you scream." Over the years, many explorers, pirates, and sailors have discovered the hard way that when anything goes wrong on the sea, it typically goes very wrong. According to an additional proverb, "Worse things happen at sea."
Whichever conclusion you choose, Dredge eventually demonstrates that the power of the water surpasses the might of any man. The fact that this specific ocean is home to a very terrible and cataclysmic force obviously doesn't help, but the message is still clear. Like death itself, the water is a force of nature that cannot be controlled, and if someone goes too far, they cannot be pulled out.
Nevertheless, Dredge and Dave the Diver both emphasize the ocean's dreadful might and all-encompassing nature, as well as its beauty. With its mostly Lovecraftian atmosphere, this beauty may seem more abstract in Dredge, but it's real. Simply float about in the early morning light of the game to see it for yourself.
The creators may not have intended this message, but you can stay away from the monsters for a very long time if you respect the ocean, understand your limitations, and have an appreciation for what can be lurking in the sea. Dredge is really a charming little fishing simulator if you don't care about finishing the game. You're virtually blind to the eldritch undertones when you dock by dusk.
While the grandeur of the water is more elusive in Dredge—particularly in light of its terrible ending—it is abundantly clear in Dave the Diver. The co-dependent interaction between the surrounding water and us little people is a ubiquitous ecological message. Nothing makes this more evident than Dave's antagonistic relationship with John Watson, a self-proclaimed environmental fighter who hunts dolphins to get their flesh but really claims to be protecting them.
Although Dave is harvesting his own seafood, you might consider him an ethical fisherman. According to this concept, Dave harvests fish at a pace that permits them to repopulate and prevents the extinction of unique species, such as whales. This statement is in line with the prevailing opinion of how we need to handle the ocean. The true issue isn't little trawlers catching enough fish for local communities; rather, it's commercial fishing.
Even now, the devastation of marine environments due to overfishing and bycatch decimates populations of undersea fish, causing little consideration for future generations. Dave the Diver gently draws attention to this while making fun of businesses who would have you believe that their actions are ecologically benign despite the fact that they continue to destroy the habitats of threatened marine life or contaminate the ocean with plastic waste.
What then do Dredge and Dave the Diver tell us about the ocean? It's all about how the sea and humans relate to each other, how it inspires us, and how we must respect it by taking care of it and realizing that it has the power to take human life. The sea is a bit of a paradox—beautiful and terrible at the same time, liberating and intrusive, hospitable and vindictive. It's one of the few places where people have such little authority outside of space.
As a species, we must come to terms with this loss of control, learn to live with it, and keep fighting for a day when our grandkids may feel the grandeur, terror, and wonder that the deep blue symbolizes. We cannot take the ocean for granted if we want it to be the inspiration it is now and has always been in another 50 to 100 years. Just as Dave goes over and beyond to save the adorable pink dolphin he comes across, we too must go above and beyond to ensure the survival of the marine life; otherwise, just as in Dredge, the horror may soon outweigh the beautiful.
Check out the SmartRead Awards for the top mobile games of the year and Switch games of the year while you're here to see what we made of gaming in 2023. Alternatively, if you like Dredge and are looking for more thrilling games, check out our list of the top horror games for Switch and mobile devices.