Dive into the world of catering with Dave the Diver

Philipp Rüegg

5.7.2023

Translation: machine translated

This new video game, full of surprises, is a clever blend of underwater fishing and restaurant management.

Dave the Diver is absolutely brilliant. How? Isn't that enough? Do you really want to know more? I'd rather go back and play! I've still got a whale bone to find, a white shark lurking around and a trip to the restaurant to check everything's OK. Well, okay... now that I'm here.

As Dave, a well-fed diver, I explore the depths of the mysterious Blue Hole Bay. Initially, the game from Korean studio Mintrocket involves catching enough fish in a beautiful dive spot to ensure that the sushi restaurant's clientele have something to eat in the evening. Dave serves up exotic fish dishes prepared by Bancho, a living legend in the culinary world who doesn't say much. This gameplay loop is already great fun to play, but it's just the start of an unforgettable adventure.

Dive into a world with a twist

In this awesome pixel adventure, I spend most of my time underwater. At first, I only hunt small fish with my old harpoon. To do this, I hold down the A/X key, aim with the left analogue stick and fire with RT/RB. Once I get the hang of it, I'm quickly able to hit the more agile fish.

On the second day, I meet Duff. A weeb geek with a passion for weapons who makes me extra equipment like a harpoon gun, a flintlock launcher and tranquilliser darts. It doesn't pay to shoot random marine animals. The fish I net or put under are of better quality and sell for a higher price in restaurants. For the biggest catches, such as tuna or sharks, I can even use underwater drones and thread-launching mines. Not forgetting that the depths of the sea are fraught with danger. Sharks and other aggressive fish attack me. As the oxygen gauge is linked to the life gauge, you have to be particularly careful.

Other than combat, dexterity is a must. When catching a fish with a harpoon, the game sometimes requires you to perform special key combinations. I have to make quick movements with the left analogue stick, or react quickly and press a key to fill the bar that appears. In most games, these real-time challenges are just a formality. In Dave the Diver, however, quietly pressing one or two buttons isn't enough. I have to turn or hammer the buttons with so much energy that I worry about my controller.

Two diving sessions a day are possible at the start of the game: one in the morning and one in the afternoon. In theory, I can dive for as long as I like, as long as I don't run out of oxygen. Thanks to the oxygen tanks I find along the way, I can stay underwater for longer than the maximum time allowed in any diving course. If I run out of air, I don't die, but I lose all my loot and can only salvage one item.

Despite this danger, the underwater world is welcoming and relaxing, thanks in part to its soundtrack. I often don't even want to go back to the surface.

When you thought you'd seen it all...

As the game progresses, I discover new species of fish. I need to upgrade my wetsuit to dive deeper. More carrying capacity and bigger oxygen tanks wouldn't go amiss to stay underwater longer. I'm putting them on my wish list. You can buy all this and more in the iDiver app. Almost all interactions as well as the organisation of special missions take place on the smartphone.

You can be given research missions led by an acerbic ecologist who prefers to stay dry, collecting maps called Marinca or finding an underwater civilisation that Dr Bacon tells you exists. Because yes, it's not just about fishing and eating in Dave the Diver. There's a certain depth to the story. Adventures like exploring sunken shipwrecks, rescuing pink dolphins or battling giant squid are not uncommon. At the same time, I'm investigating the mysteries of underwater earthquakes. And that's not all, far from it. Just when I think I've seen it all, the game gives me a new mechanic. Since discovering them is part of the fun, I won't tell you any more. Besides, the restaurant is a major component of the game.

Restaurant manager

Based on my catch of the day, Bancho prepares exotic fish dishes in the sushi restaurant. I determine the menu. As long as there are enough ingredients, I can improve the dishes that appeal to customers and fetch higher prices. But be careful, I also have to decide how much to prepare for each course. If we prepare too much rice with batfish, the rest will end up in the bin. The same applies if I'm too slow when serving. As soon as I open the restaurant, the clientele rushes in and demands to be served. And it has to be said that they have less patience than some people in Switzerland. I sprint between the kitchen and the dining room, always keeping an eye on my endurance gauge. If I overdo it, Dave stays behind the counter to recover.

We have to be careful with the wasabi supply and clear quickly. Fortunately, I can recruit extra staff by advertising. I then have to train these new members of staff to become faster and learn how to make drinks, as they don't know how to do it from the start.

Satisfied customers share their enthusiasm on Cookstagram. Forget Instagram and TikTok. Cooksta is the app of the moment. It's a funny detail, but the pictures of the imaginative dishes, drawn with love, are a real feast for the eyes.

As if the regular clientele weren't enough, VIPs visit the restaurant at regular intervals. On these occasions, Bancho concocts little wonders. For me, this means travelling the ocean in search of new and unusual ingredients. If we succeed in serving these dishes, I'm treated to a short film. The clips are a mixture of anime and samurai films in pixels. They only last a few seconds, but are so well staged that I didn't skip them, even the second and third time round. It's the same when I upgrade my equipment at Duff's or learn a new menu. This game is class, plain and simple.

Conclusion: I'm smitten

Since I bit the bullet, I've found it hard to stop playing Dave the Diver. Even after 20 hours, I get caught up in the fish-hunting game as enthusiastically as I did on my first dive. The colourful world of fish and the growing arsenal of original equipment ensure that I never get bored. There's always something to do in the sushi restaurant too. The hectic evening of management and service is perfectly offset by the more intimate solo dives. As if that wasn't enough, the game regularly adds new elements.

Dave the Diver is not a simple to-do list. Well, actually, it is. There's even a corresponding app. But the tasks are wrapped up in an entertaining narrative, peppered with colourful characters, so it never feels like work. When an elderly lady paddles her raft towards my boat, I rub my hands happily. Who goes there on this fine day?

The story of Bancho, the taciturn sushi guru, the mysterious underwater creatures and the earthquakes that shake the Blue Hole only renew my enthusiasm. The love that went into creating this game can be felt around every corner. If I had to criticise the game, the underwater world could be a little more colourful and varied. This is made up for by the short cinematics that always make me laugh.

Dave the Diver is a great adventure that shouldn't be missed, especially because it doesn't even cost 30 Swiss francs.

The game is available on PC and Mac, and was provided to me by Mintrocket.

Philipp Rüegg

Senior Editor

Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.ch

Being the game and gadget geek that I am, working at digitec and Galaxus makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop – but it does take its toll on my wallet. I enjoy tinkering with my PC in Tim Taylor fashion and talking about games on my podcast http://www.onemorelevel.ch. To satisfy my need for speed, I get on my full suspension mountain bike and set out to find some nice trails. My thirst for culture is quenched by deep conversations over a couple of cold ones at the mostly frustrating games of FC Winterthur. more

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