Game: Dave the Diver
Genre: Action, Adventure, Simulation
System: Nintendo Switch (also on Steam (Windows))
Developer | Publisher: Mintrocket | Nexon
Age Rating: EU 7+ | US Everyone 10+
Price: US $19.99 | UK £16.99 | EU € 19,99
Release Date: October 25th, 2023
Review code provided with many thanks to Terminals.
Dave the Diver is a Dude
Some of the coolest people I know in life are called Dave, so I guess I had a pretty good feeling going into Dave the Diver. An adventure game that impressively blends together deep sea exploration with a restaurant management sim. Dave the Diver is something very special. Not only is it one of the most original single player games I have played for some time, it’s easily swam its way to my game of the year so far (A new list is coming for 2023, but see what was on my Best of 2022 here!). So that’s basically it: Go get Dave the Diver.
OK, I guess you need a little more explanation than that, so you’d better read on then.
Answering the Call to Action
The game follows the adventures of Dave. A larger than life character, whose heart is just as big as his stature. Dave receives a call from his friend Cobra, who has set up a Sushi restaurant next to an area of ocean known as the Blue Hole. A mysterious place where the watery terrain consistently changes, bringing to it a variety of marine life and mystery. The perfect place to set up a Sushi Bar and also a clever way to implement random generation into gameplay. As a skilled diver Dave is tasked to explore the abyss, fishing for all sorts of sea life, to then serve it up at the restaurant.
But it doesn’t take long before the locals want to make use of Dave’s skills. Angry activists, archaeologists, and creatures from the ocean itself, all call on Dave’s help to seek out various items and complete missions during his swims. You would think after all that, Dave could take a break, but nope. Day times are for diving but night time is for helping run the restaurant.
You quickly learn that Dave the Diver‘s narrative is witty but exploding with heart. Each character is instantly memorable with their own personality and sound effect to bring the text dialogue to life. One of my favorites was the firm restaurant owner Bancho with a tough attitude but passion for sushi. Ultimately it’s Dave that won my heart over everyone. Humble and always trying to do the right thing even when he doesn’t want to. Approaching each challenge with a pleasant smile and determination.
Reminds me a lot of another Dave I know. It was like I was playing a video game about one of my most treasured friends. I was absolutely hooked to the story which felt uplifting and funny whilst not becoming overbearing.
Deep Dive
Let’s start by talking about diving. During the day you are given the opportunity to dive into the depths twice.
To catch fish you make use of your harpoon gun. To use this, you hold down a button and aim within a small arc and shoot it out, hopefully nabbing a fish. It takes some getting used to but becomes quite rewarding as you gradually master it over time. If it’s a small fish you catch it instantly but something larger than life will require more work, including multiple shots or mashing a button or wiggling of the analogue stick. But watch out there are dangers in the depths; some of the fish are hostile and will attack you if you get too close. Some creatures are just enormous but when you finally defeat them, it’s very satisfying.
The harpoon gun is one way to fish, but you can also make use of other underwater and melee weapons. These can be found in crates littered in the depths. For each new weapon you find you’ll unlock a blueprint, which can then be crafted later to be equipped before you head out on a dive. In each dive the choice is yours: you can focus on fishing, carry out side missions or progress the story. There is no pressure to push things forward, and you can take things at your own pace, which is just lovely.
Oxygen plays a key role in the run. As you swim, it will gradually reduce, but it will shrink quicker if you swim faster, carry too much weight or take damage from the environment or enemies. If it reaches zero, the run is over. Oxygen can be replenished by various methods; finding tanks, clams or helpful items in crates. The key to a run’s success is making sure you have a good escape point. You can either swim to the surface or find a designated point to call in an escape.
As you accumulate more money you can use this to upgrade your scuba gear, including carrying more items, more oxygen and even being able to dive deeper into the depths. Each upgrade feels noticeable in gameplay adding further to the draw of going for one more dive.
Running a Restaurant
In fairness, I was happy with the diving gameplay. But after two dips in the ocean it’s time to run a business.
In the sushi bar all the fish you have collected can be converted into various delicious sushi recipes. Once you have your menu prepped, you open for business and it becomes a mad dash to fulfil everyone’s orders within a small time limit. Sometimes you’ll also engage in a mini-game, where you attempt to pour a drink without it overflowing.
That’s the basics, but like the diving, more in-depth mechanics get regularly drip fed over time. You can create more recipes, hire staff to help you run the bar and, of course, customize your sushi bar to look pretty. Success in these sections will net more money, which will allow you to invest back into the business. But once again, failure is not the end of the world, you can always rethink and re-tool if things are not quite going to plan.
Dave the Diver Keeps on Giving
Would you believe it’s not just about diving and running the restaurant? Dave the Diver offers so much content it’s hard to fit it all in a review.
Your phone plays heavily into upgrading and keeping track of missions. You can use this to upgrade your equipment, monitor the restaurant from afar, engage in mini-games and even look at the weather. A bit like my phone in real life, I found myself regularly glued to this thing to keep track of new notifications. What I loved most about Dave the Diver is how it constantly surprised me with new mechanics, whether it’s a surprise mission on a dive or just additional options to expand the gameplay in diving or running the restaurant. Arguably not everything hits the mark but it’s so short-lived you’ll soon move on to something else. It’s a game full of surprises.
In terms of difficulty, I would say this is suited to most audiences. If you do perish in the ocean, you pass out and can only take one item from your inventory back with you. You can easily recover from these setbacks; it just might take you longer to achieve your goals. I found the best way to enjoy this title was simply to go at your own pace. There’s no rush to complete the goal, in fact, taking the game as it comes made me appreciate all the various new content that little bit more.
Pixel Depth
The graphics are frankly beautiful. From screenshots this does appear to be the familiar 2D pixel art style you see adopted by so many indie games. Though Dave the Diver plays on a 2D plane, it includes clever uses of 3D graphics. Some of the boat NPCs ride on clearly use 3D models, but how it brings the underwater sections to life is quite captivating. Underwater sections feel deep and expansive, with water appearing to stretch out endlessly in the background with the odd giant sea monster swimming by to take you by surprise. The ocean feels alive with life, with fish swimming all over the place of various types and breeds.
During loading screens, Dave the Diver cleverly delivers a few facts about some of the fish you can find. The soundtrack is relaxing and memorable and if you fancy, you can even play it back on your phone. The game ran great in TV and handheld mode.
Conclusion: Dave the Divine
Dave the Diver is a wonderful dip into the ocean. For me, this was the game that kept on giving. With so many options during gameplay, I could not honestly cite a point where I felt bored. Dives were wonderous with plenty to explore and seek, whether it was finding new fish or discovering something sinister in the depths. Running the restaurant was also much more fun than I expected, far from a throw-away mini-game but an in-depth management sim. Either of these two elements of gameplay would make a great game but on top of all that, you have all the little surprises that make this something I could not recommend enough.
Like my best friend Dave, Dave the Diver is fantastic.
Final Verdict: Two Thumbs Up
