Dave the Diver “A 2-D Nautical Adventure” Review

There are several types of Video Games players out there in the world who enjoy games that only meet their cup of tea. Some players like true adventure games, some like to play challenging games, and some of them like relaxing games and there is nothing wrong with it. The players pay for what they like or choose to play what they like. This very idea has been initiated in one of the latest top-trending games on Steam, Dave the Diver. The game already has sold over 1 Million copies within 10 days of its launch which makes it clear that there is something extraordinary about this game.

Dave the Diver is developed by MINTROCKET, a 2-D game that is currently in an Early Access Stage but provides the experience of a fully optimized game. The game not only runs smoother on PC but on Steam Deck as well which gives more access to the players. At the initial release of the game, everybody thought it is another fishing simulator game where players have to catch fish to make money but they were wrong about it. The game is considerably deeper than only a fishing game and it does a fantastic job of engaging the players once it starts showing how many elements are there in the game for players to enjoy.

Dave the Diver – Review

Dave the Diver is an Indie Adventure game that allows players to dive into a mysterious area of the sea known as Blue Hole and catch various kinds of fish through different means. The main character, Dave is a professional Diver who also co-owns a Sushi Restaurant. The main gameplay loop of the game is to catch fish in the daylight by diving into the Blue Hole area and then put on the fish on the Menu of the Sushi Restaurant to sell to customers in the nighttime to make money. It is an easy gameplay loop to understand but there are way much more things that the game offers as players play the game.

Making Money will allow players to expand and decorate the Sushi Restaurant which will attract more customers to the Restaurant, eventually allowing players to earn more money. However, the more customers, the more food you need. So, players will have to expand the duration of their dive to catch more fish but to the limit of the Cargo Box. Players will also have to upgrade their Gear which includes the Diving Suit, Air Tanks, Cargo Box, and Harpoon Gun. Upgrading the gear to higher levels will allow players to dive deeper into the Blue Hole and find exotic and bigger fish which sell for more money at the Restaurant.

Players will also have to make a good reputation for their Sushi Restaurant on Social Media. The game will introduce an app named COOKSTA where customers will leave their opinions on the food. It will unlock the feature of Researching new Recipes for the Menu that the Master Chef, Bancho can make. However, in order to research the recipes, players will require various condiments that can be found in Blue Hole. So, players will have to expand their dive even further to find the fish along with condiments to launch new recipes at the restaurant.

It does not even end there because the main story of the game will allow players to make discoveries in the depths of the Blue Hole. The players who want to enjoy a good adventure can upgrade their Gear and dive deep down into the Blue Hole to make discoveries about the Sea People. Along the way, players will get to engage with the Sea Monsters of the depths so be prepared for the fight. The sea monster fights can be challenging depending on which guns are you keeping in your inventory. That is where the crafting mechanic of the game comes in because players can also craft guns with higher damage to take down bigger fish and sea monsters with ease.

Crafting requires various resources and blueprints that can be found in the Blue Hole. Players will have to search for the resources along with the blueprints that can be found in the Weapon Caches spread throughout the depths of Blue Hole. Gathering the required resources and blueprints of the weapons will allow players to craft new weapons.

While making progress in the game, players will meet different NPCs who offer different services that can be very useful in the journey as well as in running the restaurant. Players will also be able to unlock the breeding of fish at the restaurant which lowers down the grind of catching the fish. Additionally, players can unlock the farming of different kinds of seaweeds in the depths of Blue Hole to collect Sea Weeds as a condiment for exotic recipes.

Dave the Diver Review – (Final Score 9.5/10)

There is so much to do in Dave the Diver and every player can find their cup of tea in the adventure. This simple-looking 2-D Indie Game offers more than a lot of AAA Games out there. The execution of creating the world with such bright colors and introducing more than 200 species of fish is promising. The sound design of the game does not even feel irritating as it balances out the experience of exploring the bright or dark side of Blue Hole.

The grind for money, the challenges of taking down sea monsters, helping with the restaurant, meeting new characters, and completing side quests for more rewarding items and services, all of those things play out perfectly in the game. We can proudly say that it is one of the best Indie Games that we played in 2023 and it has set the bar very high for other Indie Game creators. We give this game a score of 9.5 out of 10 and we encourage players to must try out this game as they will not be disappointed with it.