August is a month jam-packed with indie games of every description. And in this week's reviews, there really is something for everyone.
From an emotional mystery set at the bottom of the ocean, the revival of a truly horrifying fishing game, to a brand new, uniquely British comedy game taking the internet by storm, gamers have plenty of new stories to play this weekend.
Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss
Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss is a first-person psychological drama set in 1905. It is a game that tells an emotional story about loss while exercising your detective skills underwater.
You play as Cam, a deep-sea diver sailing on the extravagant ship Thalassa alongside an ambitious crew of explorers. As you prepare to uncover long-forgotten treasure, tragedy befalls the ship. Unable to cope, Cam spirals into a deep depression and is taken away for recovery. But the show must go on.
The Thalassa continues its voyage of discovery, only to mysteriously end up wrecked on the ocean floor. As the last remaining diver on the team, Cam collects their courage and dons the suit again, returning to the ship's wreckage in search of closure and discovering what caused the ship's series of disasters.
As a first-person game, Thalassa puts you at the forefront of every dark, flooded room you walk through. You'll train your eyes to spy for any clue or artefact hidden in the wreck - anything that might explain what happened.
Photographs float through the air, and pieces of clothing dangle from the ceiling. There's a lipstick and a teddy bear left behind. The environment is beautifully designed but also tragic in its execution. The crew are gone, and you're trying to make sense of this loss by rummaging through their things.
There's also eerie paranoia throughout the ship itself. Cam is a somewhat unreliable character, and I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was following me. Such is the atmosphere and immersion you'll feel exploring the shadowy recesses of a silent shipwreck.
The big seller of this game, though, is the detective work you'll do. And it gives you a meaty range of possible storylines throughout the game. It plays like a classic Sherlock Holmes epic, where Cam must find clue after clue across the ship, eventually connecting them in a 'mind map' screen.
By linking different situations together, you will develop new ideas about the timeline of events and disprove established theories. Discoveries will tell you something new about your fallen crew. From the young Irish engineer Thomas Gleeson to Jamaican mechanic Kaymer Williams to financiers Isabel and Maria Greenwood, the heroes and the villains will change throughout.
That said, this is a slow-paced game. After all, Cam is a deep-sea diver and moves at an almost glacial pace throughout the game. Even animations like opening doors and manipulating objects feel tedious.
You'll often have to backtrack through previously explored rooms for fresh clues and direction. Retracing your steps across the labyrinth of corridors, you might be tempted to leave Cam in the Thalassa permanently and switch off. But stick with the game! Eventually, Cam finds tools like bolt cutters, knives, and all-important keys to open shortcuts around the familiar wreckage, which helps speed up movement considerably.
What really sets Thalassa apart from its detective peers is the emotional storyline weaved throughout. Understandably, Cam is still suffering from survivor guilt. And yet, they find themselves revisiting the graveyard of the crew for answers. It's a story about literally facing your fears and making peace with your loss.
Shifting through the crew's possessions, seeing the best (and worst) in their actions, and the little gestures Cam makes in their suit will no doubt tug at your heartstrings. All the while, Cam never utters a single word throughout the game.
Altogether, Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss surprised me on many counts. It's more than just a mystery game. And it's more than just a 'walking simulator', as some have claimed. It has a dynamic storyline set in a beautiful but tragic environment. With strong 'who-done-it' vibes throughout, it's a slow-paced but satisfying detective dive.
Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss is available to play on PC.
Dredge: The Iron Rig
When Dredge was released in March of 2023, it broke all my expectations. It was easily one of the best games of the entire year. A brand new DLC releases this week, The Iron Rig, which aims to bring all the fishermen out of retirement and back to the horrifying seas.
In the original Dredge, you play as the captain of a trawler who finds themselves washed on a remote archipelago. As luck would have it, the nearby village needs a fisherman, and you're more than happy to oblige.
But something doesn't feel quite right. The mysterious disappearance of your predecessor and the anxious villagers makes your voyage out to sea feel…. sinister.
As you innocently fish to your heart's content during the day, you can't help but shake something lurks underneath. And as night approaches and a thick fog descends, your fears materialise.
Regular fish are replaced with hideous creatures. You start to panic and hallucinate, trying to stay clear of any danger as you sail home. Your curiosity is replaced with panic. And yet, exploring these horrors is what made Dredge such an atmospheric masterpiece.
The Iron Rig is the second DLC to be released for Dredge. It can be played alongside the main storyline, making it a flexible pickup for newcomers to the game or seasoned anglers wanting to revisit memory lane on a fresh save file.
The story focuses on the arrival of the Ironhaven Corporation, which happens to bring a string of new quests. But it should come as no surprise that their presence and the giant iron rig are having adverse effects on the already terrifying creatures in the nearby waters.
The DLC brings up to 5 hours of additional content to sail through. There are 50 new fish species to catch and brand-new craftables, resources and upgrades for you to chase. And signature to Dredge, a cast of zany characters will keep you invested in the controversial oil rig and, in the process, deliver a timely storyline on the environmental impact we have on our oceans.
Dredge – The Iron Rig DLC is available to play on PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC
Thank Goodness You're Here!
Thank Goodness You're Here! is an adventure game that is as hilarious as it is utterly bizarre. Set in a cartoon world inspired by Yorkshire and classic Beano comics, this side-scrolling platformer has wall-to-to-wall skits and innuendo for gamers to laugh through.
You play as a small, unnamed yellow salesman visiting the fictional town of Barnsworth. While waiting for an important meeting with the mayor, you wander around town to meet the locals. This is your first mistake.
Barnsworth is a strange town filled with stranger people, each of whom will have errands you must complete. Some seem simple, like cutting the park grass or getting the locksmith to open a shop. Others, like fixing the town's chipper before the queue gets hungry, are Herculean in nature.
But no matter what you're doing, expect a steady stream of gags to hit you every few seconds. And just as soon as you finish one job, another appears. At this point, you'll realise there's no all-important encompassing storyline here. No plot twists or end goals to speak of. Just new areas to explore and townspeople to help (or terrorise).
The characters are all wonderfully voiced, and you'll no doubt linger on screen just to hear the local banter play out between everyone. The game also has star power in the form of Matt Berry, who shines as the frivolous gardener who only speaks in double entendre.
Jokes are of every kind of description and often develop over the course of the game. But the taste level can vary. And despite its playful graphics, it's at this point that I'll remind people that the game has a 16 PEGI rating. Players can expect bad language and crude humour throughout. At just 2-ish hours, the game does feel relatively short. It's not difficult either, as the only real challenge is knowing where to jump or what to hit.
That said, Thank Goodness You're Here is a unique comedy game. Every scene is laced full of ambitious zingers, and a vibrant voice cast coupled will aim to have you grinning from ear to ear, shaking your head in disbelief, and rolling your eyes at every moment.
Thank Goodness You're Here! is available to play on PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch and PC.
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