By sgathaich0

Copyright theorkneynews

I got this game, Dave the Diver, in two waves. First I saw the Godzilla DLC was available again (it is only available for a set amount of time to acquire, after that it’s yours to keep but you can’t get it from the shops) shortly after getting my Switch 2. I got that in case I ever decided to get the game. Then after completing one of my big Switch 2 games I was a bit bored, saw a sale was on and went, may as well, and got Dave the Diver having heard good things about it… well first I got the demo which was free to see if I liked it, and I did.

Released in 2023 by Mintrocket, Dave the Diver… well you play as Dave, who is a diver. His friend Cobra is starting a Sushi restaurant with the Chef Bancho at a location known as the Blue Hole. Dave’s main job in this venture is to use his diving skills to explore the waters and acquire fish and other resources. Then at night you help Bancho serve sushi and tend the restaurant which gives you money that you can use to improve your gear so you can get deep, catch more fish, build new gear to get more and bigger fish, so you can then sell them in the restaurant making more money so you can… you see the game play loop here.It’s quite a relaxing and fun loop. Actions during the day diving allow you to get better food or improve ones you already have which you sell at night and that then helps you do more in the day with diving. And then the giant squid appears. And then a mysterious race of sea people appear. And then a violent group plans to kill you and then if you have the DLC Godzilla appears. and so on… it does get a little mad with new mini games and game elements added as you play on.Often while playing I got so into the normal gameplay loop to get more money for upgrading gear, I hadn’t pushed the main story forward, and there is a main story, plus a few side stories as well such as the backstory with Chef Bancho which is told as you increase the rating of the sushi restaurant. Yeah I got very engrossed in this game for a good amount of time. Cut scenes while short are done in the same pixilated style as the main gameplay and are rather fun to watch, such as the quick ones done whenever you upgrade the level of one of the meals you are preparing at the restaurant. The friends you make during the story are rather expressive and leave a lasting impact.Thanks to the demo it is easy to see if the main gameplay loop is for you which helps decide if you want to buy the game or not. There’s much more after that and it doesn’t touch on the mini games and only really the first experiences of the loop, but it’s a good example for if you want to go more than just that.

Rating: 🎮🎮🎮🎮🎮