Dave the Diver Assessment (PS5)

If Dave the Diver proves something, it is that one should not make judgements based mostly on appearances. Not solely does the loveable lead character exceed the expectations of his cohorts at each flip, however the sport itself goes effectively 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, nevertheless it additionally refuses to settle, always evolving the expertise in stunning and compelling methods.

All of it begins with a powerful core loop already in place. Each time you dive into the mysterious Blue Gap, its structure and the marine life inside it is going to be barely totally different. It is your job, armed with a harpoon and secondary weapon, to catch varied fish species to be able to then serve them up within the close by sushi restaurant. Solely open through the evenings, this facet of the sport is a administration sim of kinds, as you place dishes on the menu, improve them to earn extra money, and serve the shoppers Diner Sprint model. The money you earn from the restaurant could be spent on upgrades on your diving gear, letting you catch larger, extra harmful fish, keep underwater for longer, and go progressively deeper.

For many video games of this ilk, that may 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. Nonetheless, 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 practice employees for the restaurant. Weapons discovered within the water grow to be blueprints so you may craft them completely. You may get a digicam to take pictures 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 excellent sense and enhances the general expertise.

These further complexities are added at a good tempo, nevertheless 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 tip, and you will barely discover. We are going to say that some points of Dave the Diver aren’t significantly effectively defined, or not touched on in any respect, leaving us scratching our head now and again. Nonetheless, many of the sport’s techniques are easy sufficient that the quick 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 Individuals civilisation, weapon skilled 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 quite a lot of character, particularly in case you take the time to undergo all of the facet missions.

What provides to that is some good presentational aptitude. The artwork model combines pixel artwork sprites with vibrant 3D environments and it’s totally visually pleasing, however we have now to offer a shout-out to the wonderful cutscenes peppered all through. These seize the characters so effectively. 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 grow to be a favorite as he stoically hones his culinary craft in badass type. Dave the Diver throws buckets of character 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 easy enjoyable of exploring underwater areas and catching new fish isn’t misplaced, and the constant further options complement the core loop and cease it from turning into too repetitive. Some additions are higher than others, in fact, however by and huge all of it feeds again into the diving and the restaurant in some trend, that means every part has price even when some components are much less effectively executed.

It is sure components in the principle 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 preserve issues contemporary, it is not all made equal. Aggressive fish generally is a ache to fend off in case you’re caught out; some boss fights are fiddly affairs, particularly along 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 in case you fail.

Conclusion

Dave the Diver, like the ocean, is much deeper than you assume it’s. It charms with its engaging visuals and addictive loop of diving for fish and operating a restaurant, nevertheless it by no means rests on its laurels, all the time discovering new methods to reinforce the enjoyable. There’s by no means a boring second, whether or not it is an entire new function increasing the gameplay, an sudden 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 by way of the occasional rougher moments. In the event you’ve but to expertise it for your self, we would extremely encourage that you just make the leap.