If Dave the Diver proves something, it is that one should not make judgements primarily based on appearances. Not solely does the loveable lead character exceed the expectations of his cohorts at each flip, however the sport itself goes nicely past what it seems like. At a look, it is a charming journey about exploring the ocean, catching fish, and operating a sushi restaurant. It is all that, however it additionally refuses to settle, always evolving the expertise in shocking and compelling methods.
All of it begins with a robust core loop already in place. Each time you dive into the mysterious Blue Gap, its format and the marine life inside it is going to be barely completely different. It is your job, armed with a harpoon and secondary weapon, to catch varied fish species as a way to then serve them up within the close by sushi restaurant. Solely open throughout the evenings, this aspect of the sport is a administration sim of types, as you place dishes on the menu, improve them to earn more cash, and serve the purchasers Diner Sprint fashion. The money you earn from the restaurant could be spent on upgrades on your diving gear, letting you catch greater, extra harmful fish, keep underwater for longer, and go steadily deeper.
For many video games of this ilk, that might be sufficient; the 2 halves of Dave the Diver work splendidly, completely feeding into one another as you uncover new creatures beneath the waves, analysis new dishes, and discover the Blue Gap extra deeply. Nevertheless, it would not take lengthy earlier than this easy, addictive cycle is supplemented with extra layers, and it is this dedication to broadening the sport that makes it stand out.
Quickly, you’ll rent and prepare workers for the restaurant. Weapons discovered within the water develop into blueprints so you possibly can craft them completely. You may get a digicam to take images at sure spots, incomes you just a little extra cash. Particular occasions and VIPs will demand particular meals on sure days. Nighttime dives are launched, letting you catch nocturnal species at the price of a shorter night time on the restaurant. Collectable playing cards, boss battles, new diving gear, minigames galore — the sport isn’t sitting nonetheless. The excellent news is that each addition — and there are way over we have talked about — makes good sense and enhances the general expertise.
These additional complexities are added at a good tempo, however it would not really feel overwhelming at any level. It is a powerful achievement, as a result of the sport turns into so dense with options by the top, and you will barely discover. We are going to say that some elements of Dave the Diver aren’t significantly nicely defined, or not touched on in any respect, leaving us scratching our head once in a while. Nevertheless, a lot of the sport’s methods are easy sufficient that the brief tutorials are enough.
Operating hand-in-hand with this gameplay evolution is the story. Equally, it begins off small as Dave, enterprise guru Cobra, and famend chef Bancho work collectively to start out a sushi restaurant beside the ever-changing Blue Gap, however issues escalate shortly. New characters are folded in quick, whether or not it is Dr. Bacon and his analysis into the legendary Sea Folks civilisation, weapon knowledgeable Duff, or the surprisingly antagonistic environmentalist John Watson. Whether or not they play an enormous or small half within the sport, every new face is given plenty of persona, particularly when you take the time to undergo all of the aspect missions.
What provides to that is some sensible presentational aptitude. The artwork fashion combines pixel artwork sprites with vibrant 3D environments and it is very visually pleasing, however we’ve got to present a shout-out to the wonderful cutscenes peppered all through. These seize the characters so nicely. Duff’s love of anime is ever-present as he builds new weaponry; VIPs fed the dishes they request have their minds blown by flavour; and Bancho will shortly develop into a favorite as he stoically hones his culinary craft in badass type. Dave the Diver throws buckets of persona onto its rising pile of concepts.
It is a bit of a miracle that all of it hangs collectively in addition to it does. The straightforward enjoyable of exploring underwater areas and catching new fish isn’t misplaced, and the constant additional options complement the core loop and cease it from turning into too repetitive. Some additions are higher than others, after all, however by and huge all of it feeds again into the diving and the restaurant in some style, that means all the things has price even when some elements are much less nicely executed.
It is sure elements in the primary missions which can be of slight concern. Typically there are distinctive occasions, puzzles, minigames, or encounters all through the story, and whereas all of them maintain issues recent, it isn’t all made equal. Aggressive fish could be a ache to fend off when you’re caught out; some boss fights are fiddly affairs, particularly together with your restricted aiming angles; and one significantly fussy puzzle had us questioning our sanity for a second. Any frustration is short-lived, although, and frequent autosaves imply you may by no means lose a lot progress when you fail.
Conclusion
Dave the Diver, like the ocean, is way deeper than you assume it’s. It charms with its enticing visuals and addictive loop of diving for fish and operating a restaurant, however it by no means rests on its laurels, all the time discovering new methods to boost the enjoyable. There’s by no means a uninteresting second, whether or not it is an entire new characteristic increasing the gameplay, an surprising new story beat, or one other hilarious cutscene to get pleasure from. It is this fixed reinvention and shock that makes the sport so compelling, even via the occasional rougher moments. When you’ve but to expertise it for your self, we might extremely encourage that you just make the leap.
