Dave the Diver Assessment (PS5)

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 recreation itself goes nicely past what it seems to be like. At a look, this can be a charming journey about exploring the ocean, catching fish, and operating a sushi restaurant. It’s all that, however it additionally refuses to settle, continuously 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 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 numerous fish species as a way 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 types, as you place dishes on the menu, improve them to earn extra money, and serve the purchasers Diner Sprint fashion. The money you earn from the restaurant could be spent on upgrades in 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 will 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 does 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 can rent and prepare workers for the restaurant. Weapons discovered within the water turn into blueprints so you may craft them completely. You may get a digital camera to take pictures at sure spots, incomes you a bit of 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 is rarely sitting nonetheless. The excellent news is that each addition — and there are excess of we have talked about — makes good sense and enhances the general expertise.

These further complexities are added at a good tempo, however it does not really feel overwhelming at any level. It is a formidable 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 elements of Dave the Diver aren’t notably nicely defined, or not touched on in any respect, leaving us scratching our head every so often. Nonetheless, many of the recreation’s methods are easy sufficient that the brief tutorials are adequate.

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 begin a sushi restaurant beside the ever-changing Blue Gap, however issues escalate rapidly. New characters are folded in quick, whether or not it is Dr. Bacon and his analysis into the legendary Sea Folks civilisation, weapon skilled Duff, or the unusually antagonistic environmentalist John Watson. Whether or not they play an enormous or small half within the recreation, every new face is given plenty of persona, particularly should you take the time to undergo all of the facet missions.

What provides to that is some good presentational aptitude. The artwork fashion combines pixel artwork sprites with vibrant 3D environments and it’s totally visually pleasing, however we now have to present a shout-out to the superb 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 rapidly turn into a favorite as he stoically hones his culinary craft in badass kind. Dave the Diver throws buckets of persona onto its rising pile of concepts.

It’s kind of 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 is rarely misplaced, and the constant further options complement the core loop and cease it from changing into too repetitive. Some additions are higher than others, in fact, however by and enormous all of it feeds again into the diving and the restaurant in some vogue, that means all the pieces has price even when some components are much less nicely executed.

It is sure components in the principle missions which might be of slight concern. Usually there are distinctive occasions, puzzles, minigames, or encounters all through the story, and whereas all of them hold issues contemporary, it is not all made equal. Aggressive fish generally is a ache to fend off should you’re caught out; some boss fights are fiddly affairs, particularly together with your restricted aiming angles; and one notably 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 should 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, however it by no means rests on its laurels, at all times discovering new methods to boost 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. If you happen to’ve but to expertise it for your self, we might extremely encourage that you simply make the leap.