Looking for a cozy underwater escape? Look no further than Splash Divers. Built around relaxed diving and underwater photography, it’s a real chill game.
The Backstory of Splash Divers
I played at Tata, and I arrived at the lovely ocean area of Whale Come, which was on Boni Island. I had volunteered to help clean up the water there. The various NPCs gave me instructions on diving and tasks to do. It was a beautiful, calm and serene experience!!
The Look and Feel of Splash Divers
Whale Come was a truly stunning place! It was an open-world 3D environment filled with colorful fish and plants that swayed gently in the waters. There was a soft, slightly jazzy soundtrack in the background that added a lot to the feel of the place. There was a very large environment for me to explore in the demo of Splash Divers, and I could see lots more areas that would be opening up in the full game.
The Gameplay in Splash Divers
When I began the game, I was given a waterproof bag to carry items. I was instructed to pick up trash so I could earn the local currency, Ancos. That was a fun task!! The items I was seeking were clearly marked with a sparkle, and then when I got closer, a question mark. They were fun to discover as I swam around in the water. Later in the demo, I could spend some of my Ancos on upgrades.
As the game progressed, I was given more tools, specifically a hammer, a knife and a shovel. It seems that I don’t have to choose which tool to use; the game automatically chooses the right one for me. I like that! Sometimes when I dug with the shovel, I’d find things. And sometimes I didn’t! I could also lift up large rocks to look under them.
In Splash Divers, I was given a pair of hooks which allowed me to scale rock walls. I could only use them once per wall, but often times that was enough to get me to the top. If not, there were usually lower rocks that I could use as stairs to reach the higher ones. I was able to swim fast (but only for brief periods), and jump high (also for brief periods). I was shown a circle which counted down how long I could continue to do the activity. It started as blue but quickly became all black.
Interesting Quests in Splash Divers
I met an NPC named Ray who had lost his underwater camera and asked me to help him find it. I did and he gave it to me!! I learned how to take pictures of the flora and fauna, which was a blast. I have previously played the nature game Alba and enjoyed it so much that I was sad when it ended. Splash Divers picks up on some of the same mechanics that I loved in Alba, which filled me with joy. When I pointed my camera towards a fish, it would either say the fish is unidentified or it would tell me the name. I started the game with none of the fish identified. One of my quests was to identify 6 fish. It was a lot of fun trying to be patient enough to get a good picture of an unidentified fish and turn it into an identified one!
Splash Divers had a nice journal to help me keep track of my quests as well as the pictures I took and more. I can see there are 2 additional journal categories which were locked in the demo. I wonder what they will contain in the full game. A feature that I really like in the journal is that my tasks disappear from the page when they have been completed. That makes it so easy for me to decide what to do next.
One of my quests was to help catch some of the many lobsters and crabs that had invaded the area. They were an invasive species on Boni Island and needed to be relocated. They were often found under the large rocks I would lift up. Once I found one, I had to chase it to catch it!! Those guys were fast! It was a fun challenge.
Final Thoughts
Splash Divers is a chill, relaxing game with lots of exploring. There’s no day/night cycle, no need to eat or sleep, and no air supply limits. I was encouraged to just swim around, take it all in and make discoveries. There’s not a traditional map, but there is a diagram of the general area with the NPCs’ locations on it. That was a big help as I swam around the waters.
It’s really hard to explain in words the feeling the game evokes, through its beautiful imagery and peaceful music. There are a few more game features that I did not touch on, too. I hope you will try the demo of Splash Divers and experience the peaceful environment for yourself. The demo is available now on Steam; the full game release date has not been announced yet.
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