Dave The Diver Review (Steam)

by Jim Smale · January 12, 2024

For this Dave The Diver Review, a casual, single-player adventure RPG featuring deep-sea exploration and fishing during the day and sushi restaurant management at night. Join Dave and his quirky friends as they seek to uncover the secrets of the mysterious Blue Hole.

Dave The Diver Review Pros:

Beautiful pixel art graphics.
Download size.
Steam achievements.
Full controller support.
You can set which button prompts come up. (Nintendo/ps4/ps5 etc)
Graphics settings – resolution and screen type.
Save when you want.
Controls – automate button tapping option.
Four save slots.
It all plays out in a 2D perspective.
Fast loading times.
The gameplay is a mix of free-form fishing for ingredients and restaurant management.
Big bright color palette.
Cutesy pixel art animations.
Equipment load out – harpoon gun, harpoon tip, melee weapon, two items, gun, and two charms.
Your mobile phone is used for calling, texting, and using various apps for weather and mini-games along with where you deal with mission management and what mission shows on screen.
A lot of fun to play.
Tutorial pop-ups as you play.
You have a limited amount of air (which you can resupply with at points in a dive spot) before you get a game over.
A game over lets you keep one item of the scavenged items.
It’s not just fish you get underwater, there are fauna, plants, and items.
End of dive/game over breakdown sheet showing dive number, date, weather, time, and what you caught and obtained.
Different weather and day/night cycle.
You can skip time forward when on the boat.
A lot of humor throughout.
You will have a lot of missions running at one time.
Add contacts and ring them when you like above water.
Find items to get new items and equipment crafted.
Return to the surface either by getting up to the level or finding an escape pod.
Mission items/fish will have a marker over their head to make it easier.
Cool animated cutscenes.
Duff’s weapon shop app is where you craft new weapons, and find blueprints to unlock new options.
The restaurant part of the game is where you play mini-games to serve customers tea, the chef cooks the orders and you have to serve them in time to earn cash but also bonus cash.
You can run in the restaurant but you do have a stamina bar and it can increase the chances of you dropping plates.
End of the restaurant day breakdown showing what you served, ratings of serving tunes, etc.
Before opening the restaurant you select what items to put on the menu, you unlock new meals and each has rarity levels that increase their worth.
Full 3D backdrop making the diving feel like you are in a really cool-looking fish tank.
Memorable characters.
Each dive feels satisfying.
You do get predators underwater that require a gun to shoot them away.
The Idiver app lets you upgrade parts of your diving suit to increase air and depth.
Speed boost underwater uses up the air quickly.
The game has a good fluid flow to it all and you always feel like you know what to do.
The music player in the game comes up like Spotify or Apple Music and lets you pick what to play.
Find underwater caches for upgrades/blueprints.
Encumberunce is in the game so going a bit over your limit slows you down then each time you add more items you get slower and slower then eventually you cannot pick up anything.
You have set missions but you can freely do what you want underwater and explore how you want.
The game has a high-risk and reward system.
Marinca is an app that gives you a card of the fish you catch giving it a Pokemon style Collectibles.
Gets very addictive.
The ocean layout randomizes every dive.
Absolute time killer.
The interior tab in the restaurant lets you change the appearance of your restaurant.
The Cooksta app is what brings in new customers and eventually unlocks new foods and meals.
You can sell fish from the restaurant’s storage box.
Interior options – table, chairs, ceiling, speaker, lighting, and four deco slots.
You can pet the cat in the restaurant.
Research is where you learn what a customer wants and will reward you.
Artisans’ flames are earned in the restaurant and are used to research new menu items.
Cooksta will have comment pop-ups of the service and you earn likes for new items.
The Cooksta app is fully functional where you can view and like posts along with notifications.
Find items like air capsules to replenish air.
The game is doing a lot of fun collaborations that help enrich the game world.

Dave The Diver Review Cons:

Minimal graphics settings.
Cannot rebind controls.
The aiming of the gun takes a bit of getting used to as it all works on a semi-circle arc aim.
Takes a bit of getting used to the flow of the game especially diving as you have limitations from depth to air management.
The game’s color palette can hinder you in terms of seeing what is on your screen and what is in the fore/background and being able to see hazards/fish.
A slow starter as you wait for apps to unlock and upgrades to start rolling in.

Related Post: Rallyallyally Review (Steam)

Dave The Diver:

Official website.

Developer: MINTROCKET

Publisher: MINTROCKET

Store Links –

Steam

9/10
Graphics - 9/10
9/10
Sound - 9/10
8/10
Accessibility - 8/10
9/10
Length - 9/10
10/10
Fun Factor - 10/10

9/10

Summary

Dave the Diver combines the charm of pixel art with engaging gameplay to create an immersive experience. The game features beautiful pixel art graphics and cutesy animations that play out in a 2D perspective, complemented by a big, bright color palette. It offers full controller support with customizable button prompts for various controllers like Nintendo, PS4, and PS5, and includes graphics settings for resolution and screen type. Players can save their progress whenever they want across four save slots and enjoy fast loading times.

The gameplay is a delightful mix of free-form fishing for ingredients and restaurant management, where players manage their equipment loadout, including a harpoon gun, melee weapon, and various items and charms. The game cleverly uses your mobile phone for in-game calls, texts, and apps for weather updates, mini-games, and mission management. With automated button tapping and the ability to save at any point, the game respects the player’s time and effort.

Underwater, players have a limited air supply that can be replenished at dive spots, adding a layer of strategy to each dive. The game cleverly marks mission items and fish with an overhead marker, making it easier to identify targets. The Idiver app allows for upgrades to the diving suit, enhancing air capacity and diving depth, while a speed boost option is available at the cost of air consumption.

The restaurant segment is particularly engaging, with mini-games that involve serving customers and managing the chef’s orders. Players must balance speed and stamina to avoid dropping plates, and the end-of-day breakdown provides valuable feedback on performance. The Cooksta app plays a significant role in attracting new customers and unlocking new meals, each with its own rarity level that affects its value.

Memorable characters and animated cutscenes add depth to the story, while the randomized ocean layout ensures each dive feels fresh and satisfying. The game also features a high-risk and reward system, with predators requiring a gun for defense, and an encumbrance system that slows the player down as they collect more items.

The restaurant’s interior can be customized with various options, and players can even pet the cat for a touch of warmth. Artisans’ flames, earned through restaurant performance, are used to research new menu items, adding another layer of progression.

Overall, Dave the Diver is an addictive and absolute time killer that offers a fluid and intuitive gameplay experience. With its 3D backdrop that makes diving feel like being in a cool-looking fish tank and a music player reminiscent of Spotify or Apple Music, the game creates a unique and enjoyable atmosphere that keeps players coming back for more.