Dave the Diver Evaluation (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 effectively past what it appears to be like like. At a look, it is a charming journey about exploring the ocean, catching fish, and working a sushi restaurant. It’s all that, however it additionally refuses to settle, consistently evolving the expertise in shocking 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 format and the marine life inside it will likely be barely totally different. It is your job, armed with a harpoon and secondary weapon, to catch varied fish species so as to then serve them up within the close by sushi restaurant. Solely open in the course of 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 shoppers Diner Sprint type. The money you earn from the restaurant might be spent on upgrades on your diving gear, letting you catch larger, extra harmful fish, keep underwater for longer, and go steadily deeper.

Gameplay
Assists
Controls
Visible
Audio

Full Accessibility Report

Knowledge by Household Gaming Database

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 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 can rent and practice workers for the restaurant. Weapons discovered within the water grow to be blueprints so you’ll be able to craft them completely. You will get a digital camera to take images at sure spots, incomes you slightly 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 evening 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 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 facets of Dave the Diver aren’t notably effectively defined, or not touched on in any respect, leaving us scratching our head every now and then. Nonetheless, a lot of the recreation’s methods are easy sufficient that the quick tutorials are ample.

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 professional 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 quite a lot of persona, particularly when you take the time to undergo all of the facet missions.

What provides to that is some good presentational aptitude. The artwork type combines pixel artwork sprites with vibrant 3D environments and it’s extremely visually pleasing, however we’ve to provide 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 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 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 style, that means every little thing has value even when some elements are much less effectively executed.

It is sure elements in the principle missions which can be of slight concern. Usually there are distinctive occasions, puzzles, minigames, or encounters all through the story, and whereas all of them hold issues recent, it isn’t all made equal. Aggressive fish generally is a ache to fend off when 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 will by no means lose a lot progress when you fail.

Conclusion

Dave the Diver, like the ocean, is much deeper than you assume it’s. It charms with its enticing visuals and addictive loop of diving for fish and working a restaurant, however it by no means rests on its laurels, all the time discovering new methods to reinforce the enjoyable. There’s by no means a uninteresting second, whether or not it is an entire new characteristic 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 means of the occasional rougher moments. If you happen to’ve but to expertise it for your self, we might extremely encourage that you just make the leap.