Difficulty: Easy
Overall Playtime: 25+ hours
100% Main Storyline
Dave the Diver is a simple yet charming game which is most enjoyable when playing to relax. The gameplay starts off simplistic, which helps you dive straight into the game (pun intended) without any confusion over unnecessary long tutorials. The game soon introduces new equipment, new areas, farming, characters & upgrades which slowly build the world Dave resides in and ultimately enhances the gameplay. The sushi restaurant and other mini games in between makes the game feel like a two-in-one deal and keeps the gameplay quite refreshing. However, once you discover new fish in each area, the spark is quickly lost as most of the fish stay in that specific area & makes the diving aspect somewhat repetitive and uninspiring.
The story is linear but gets interesting once the sea people & the mystery behind the history between them and the humans are introduced. Furthermore, the story is escalated when we encounter the existence of gadons. It would have added to the lore if these creatures were expanded upon, especially as they felt disregarded once the giant Gadon was eliminated. Nevertheless, the bosses were a delight to battle against and each monster had its unique characteristics.
Each character also has their charm and it was amazing watching each and every character’s reaction to consuming the sushi made by Bancho or upgrading equipment for you. It reminded me of reaction scenes from anime such as Yakitate Japan and Food Wars.
Overall, I enjoyed most of the 25 hours of playtime I engaged in with Dave the Diver. However, I don’t know if it is enough for me to come back to or replay the game.
Gameplay: 4/5
Narrative: 3/5
Art Direction/Graphics: 4.5/5
Music: 3.5/5
Creativity: 3/5
Overall: 3.5/5
Overall Playtime: 25+ hours
100% Main Storyline
Dave the Diver is a simple yet charming game which is most enjoyable when playing to relax. The gameplay starts off simplistic, which helps you dive straight into the game (pun intended) without any confusion over unnecessary long tutorials. The game soon introduces new equipment, new areas, farming, characters & upgrades which slowly build the world Dave resides in and ultimately enhances the gameplay. The sushi restaurant and other mini games in between makes the game feel like a two-in-one deal and keeps the gameplay quite refreshing. However, once you discover new fish in each area, the spark is quickly lost as most of the fish stay in that specific area & makes the diving aspect somewhat repetitive and uninspiring.
The story is linear but gets interesting once the sea people & the mystery behind the history between them and the humans are introduced. Furthermore, the story is escalated when we encounter the existence of gadons. It would have added to the lore if these creatures were expanded upon, especially as they felt disregarded once the giant Gadon was eliminated. Nevertheless, the bosses were a delight to battle against and each monster had its unique characteristics.
Each character also has their charm and it was amazing watching each and every character’s reaction to consuming the sushi made by Bancho or upgrading equipment for you. It reminded me of reaction scenes from anime such as Yakitate Japan and Food Wars.
Overall, I enjoyed most of the 25 hours of playtime I engaged in with Dave the Diver. However, I don’t know if it is enough for me to come back to or replay the game.
Gameplay: 4/5
Narrative: 3/5
Art Direction/Graphics: 4.5/5
Music: 3.5/5
Creativity: 3/5
Overall: 3.5/5