Details of Dave the Diver
Developer: MintRocket
Price: £16.99
Publisher: MintRocket
Platform: PC
Release Date: 27th October 2022 (Early Access)
Age Rating: 3
Intro
With so many AAA games being released it’s so easy for Indie games to slip under the radar. With Dredge coming and showing how much a game can play on my love for the open water I decided to see what else was available. That’s when I stumbled across Dave the Diver…
Story of Dave the Diver
The story follows Dave the Diver as he opens up Bancho Sushi. However, Dave doesn’t just order in the produce, he in fact dives for it! Many companions with eccentric personalities and over the top animated sequences populate the world surrounding the Blue Hole. Along the way you will also learn how to communicate with the Sea People and whales. Whilst avoiding death in multiple boss encounters! It is important to note that as an early access title the developers are still working on the story.
Analysis of Dave the Diver
The gameplay loop of Dave the Diver is simple yet addictive. It has quickly become my new Vampire Survivors for being guilty for that ever looming “one more game”. The days in the game are split into three segments: morning, afternoon, and evening. You undertake your diving expeditions in the morning and afternoon to acquire fish for your restaurant. Evening’s are when you will retreat back to Bancho Sushi and carry out service. Don’t be disheartened by the work as you are not alone! You are able to hire staff and assign them different tasks in order to help you. You can level them up, so they gain special benefits/bonuses.
The game isn’t without danger however! Littered around the ocean are dangerous fish that will attack you. Ranging from Lionfish, Barracuda, Angler Fish and more. Also inhabiting the numerous deep-sea locations are various boss fights in which you must overcome. Ranging from different species of sharks to a giant octopus, these battles keep you on your toes on the sea floor. To help overcome these dangerous sea monsters you will need to use your money and various materials to purchase upgrades. Upgrades range from creating new weapons once you have discovered them enough times when diving to learn the blueprint. Upgrading the weapons with various elemental effects or just base damage gives the player a wide variety of options.
Summary of Dave the Diver
In summary Dave the Diver has kept me entertained in the Deep Blue for countless hours. Having collected all the achievements and fully upgraded myself as much as possible in the early access. I still find myself diving back into the beautiful ocean environments on a regular basis. The small storage size has made it easier for me to allow it a permeant spot on the steam decks limited storage space. Blending the best features of a fishing sim with café management gives this game a unique but familiar feel. The simple but fun gameplay loop of fishing to acquire ingredients and then selling them in your Sushi shop is so rewarding to the player.
If you don’t usually try out indie games, I would recommend breaking that trend and picking up Dave the Diver! You will quickly find yourself immersed into the world of Bancho Sushi and the entertaining personalities.
Overall Rating: 9.5 – Classic!
Platform Played On: Steam Deck
Game Time At Review: 65 Hours
Recommendation: Yes
Click here for more articles by me!
Look at my other writing here!
Pre-order my upcoming book here!
