Geek Review: Dave The Diver

Adventure games tend to transport players to all sorts of fantastical worlds, allowing them to partake in all sorts of interesting activities and take in the sights. Now, imagine stepping into the boots of an obese deep-sea diver trying to run his own sushi shop. Yeah, it’s a premise that shouldn’t work, but this dive-and-dine experience turns out to be quite an amazing roleplaying adventure for Mintrocket’s Dave the Diver.

From its bright and vibrant art style to its many engaging gameplay mechanics, Dave the Diver is an exciting ride from start to finish. It even manages to weave a narrative that is full of depth and interesting characters. This is no mean feat for an indie title, and that initial, predictable underestimation of its qualities will inevitably lead to astonishment and satisfaction unlike anything else in recent memory. 

Players will join Dave and his group of endearing co-workers, who have opened up a sushi bar near the Blue Hole – a mysterious body of water that constantly switches terrain and ecosystem. As the scuba diving hero, the aim is to get into the depths of the Blue Hole to hunt for fish and find supplies, combat threats, and help run the sushi restaurant by crafting recipes, cooking meals, hiring staff, and making sure diners walk away satisfied. 

For the first part, diving delivers an almost meditative time that continues to impress even after dozens of hours. Dave is a capable fellow with all sorts of tools to make magic happen in the deep blue sea. Guns can be used for swift deliverance, but minimal resources are gained, while harpoons and nets will require more patience but yield increased rewards. Marking off each and every new entry always elicits a buzz of excitement, and hours can just pass by if you get into the zone in Dave the Diver.

Being able to only equip one weapon per dive means gameplay experiences will vary. Add in the changing makeup of the environment and creatures, there’s always a fresh adventure to be had in the sea, even if, ultimately, it boils down to dodging and shooting while leveraging the world.

Along the way, Dave will encounter other sights like aggressive sharks, puzzle-filled ruins, and even oversized bosses of the underwater variety that are as hilarious to see as they are dangerous to challenge. These encounters can break up the standard routine of diving and hunting, but they do tend to be a little too easy to offer up another challenge. That said, these diversions are welcomed nonetheless. 

Once a dive is complete, the action shifts to managing the sushi bar, an entirely distinct experience in Dave the Diver that is equally as compelling as diving in mysterious waters. Dave has much on his plate, with players expected to gather the proper ingredients, learn recipes, hire and train employees, and explore menu upgrades along with self-sustaining farms, among other things. It is plenty to sink your teeth into, but the payoff of watching business boom is an irreplaceable feeling.

As the game progresses and things become much more complicated, that loop of diving and management becomes more significant and rewarding. Gear needs to be upgraded by using materials that can be harder to source, but overextending yourself can lead to failure and loss of time and effort. Get to shore safely, and the business side of things can take a similar tack, with more and more considerations to have as the business grows. 

It all adds up to an intoxicating loop that will likely hook players for a very long time, and as if that wasn’t enough, Dave the Diver isn’t shy about throwing in other pastimes that are both substantial and impactful, activities you could ignore, but shouldn’t simply for the fact that they are just so entertaining. Think along the lines of seahorse racing and digital pets, and Dave the Diver still manages to spring plenty of surprises like a gift that keeps on giving.

Even better is the fact that this is all held together by an amazing story filled with characters that are just full of life and depth. The lovable cast is given plenty of time to shine in their own ways, especially in inane cutscenes that emphasise their personalities, not to mention the gorgeous way they are presented visually. With many twists and turns as the secrets of the Blue Hole are revealed, one can hardly be bored by the narrative of this game.

Of course, Dave the Diver is not without its issues, but they are few and far between. Occasional bugs might cause UI issues or prevent progress, but losing a dive once in a while pales in comparison to the dozens of hours of enjoyment the game delivers. The same can be said about some of the minigame designs, which are thankfully short enough to forget they even existed and turn the focus back onto the fun stuff.

In essence, Dave the Diver is not like anything that players would imagine based on their first glance at this RPG. Its story is simply intriguing and engrossing, both parts of its gameplay formula complement each other greatly with fun and depth, and the many different surprises always manage to astound, usually in a good way. Despite the rare bugs and the lack of challenge in some of its bosses and puzzles, this is one deep-sea dive and sushi restaurant that should have droves of players lining up to taste its goodness.

Dave the Diver is available on Steam for S$21.99.