Dave The Diver Review – Hooks You In!

Dave The Diver Review

Are you tired of playing as an alien building underwater stations, or of diving simulations with stunning graphics but limited fun? Well, I have great news for you, there is a new adventure unlike anything we’ve seen before. Dave the Diver brings us a retired professional diver, who is more of a sushi connoisseur than an athletic swimmer, being dragged to a Big Blue lagoon to open up a restaurant.

Unlike Mintrocket studio’s prior projects, Dave The Diver diverges from the apocalyptic zombie genre. While you’ll have some intense battles with giant underwater creatures, most of the time, you’ll be happily exploring peaceful turquoise reefs, getting hooked on the experience. That is until you are diving 250 meters below the surface, exploring dark taunting caves.

Dave Dives Back.

The story begins with Dave, the main character who gets a call to dive back into the nautical world. He sets off on an adventure, becoming one of the new managers at a sushi restaurant. Set in a tropical seaside town the restaurant’s success rests entirely on Dave’s shoulders. He will have to juggle diving, fishing, serving, bussing, farming, and exploring the unknown mysteries below the sea, among other things. All of these quests and tasks keep the story entertaining and exciting.

You’ve likely noticed that the game contains numerous tasks and side missions, many of which don’t revolve around sushi. Various characters seek assistance from Dave, who just happens to be the only diver in the area, despite his cluelessness. Some of the characters are a marine biology student, an archaeologist, a weapon specialist, a Pokemon fan, and creatures that live underwater. Humans or not, they will all seek Dave’s help.

Diving and shooting underwater. Bartending and serving at night.

Throughout this adventure your two main companions will be the ambitious man who lured you into the sushi master plan, Cobra. This old acquaintance of Dave happens to be the main investor of the restaurant, and firmly believes in the ultimate badass sushi chef, Bancho, betting everything on his skills. You will need to assist this intimidating blade master, spreading his passion for traditional seafood worldwide. At day you’ll fulfill the diving necessities of your profession, but at night get ready to serve some tea and beer to a hungry crowd.

As the game states, slowly and carefully developing your tools and abilities will get you a long way. Despite its many challenges and tasks to achieve, the slow but steady development of both your character and its surroundings creates a thoroughly entertaining ambience while also following a relaxing and wholesome story.

When it comes to the technical aspects of diving and fishing,  which can go from harpooning a small clown fish to shooting up tiger sharks. You will have to adapt to a restricted aim range when using guns and harpoons. This limitation seems odd for open ocean swimming, but understandable considering the enormous advantage that it would mean. The deep-sea exploration thrill also relies on the fact that sometimes, you might not make it back up in time.

Speaking of uncertain deaths, fighting some bosses can become a tedious matter after repetitive attempts and patterns. I’ve never been fond of unintentional damage from simply touching opponents. However, with practice in gun and harpoon accuracy, along with sufficient resources for upgrades and building your own arsenal, navigating the story becomes more manageable.

Dave The Diver Charms His Way Up.

The adventure starts off in a friendly and fun manner. It gradually evolves into a more complex narrative that delves into underwater ancient civilizations. Fortunately, the interactions remain humorous, preserving the game’s relaxing essence. This humor also enhances the cutscenes and highlights the inspirations that fueled its creation. It truly is a project dedicated to paying homage to classic pop culture icons and moments that have left a lasting impact on an entire generation of gamers and designers.

Wondering if daily diving and shooting get tiring? No need to worry. As the story unfolds, you’ll find hunting fresh seafood less demanding. This is because you’ll eventually acquire a fish farm and a real produce farm. There is a world within the world of Dave the Diver, the minigames will continuously vary and the tasks and challenges will do so too. 

There is a little bit of everything for everyone in this innovative and entertaining game. It’s been acclaimed as one of the best games of the year, and it certainly lived up to my expectations.      

***A Nintendo code was provided for review by the publisher.***