Meet Dave…Dave the Diver. Dave is a super basic dude who was just trying to enjoy his vacation until his rude friend, Cobra, interrupted his relaxation and insisted he come work a new job in the middle of seemingly nowhere. Cobra found a spot called the Giant Blue Hole, where there are tons of unique fish and other sea creatures to be found which would make for a great sushi restaurant.
Every sushi restaurant needs an awesome sushi chef, and that’s where we meet Bancho, the owner and operator of Bancho Sushi. Bancho Sushi is a sushi bar by the Giant Blue Hole serving unique sushi dishes that subvert expectations by using less than traditional ingredients.
An Incredible Adventure
Dave The Diver is one of 2023’s highest rated RPGs. Metacritic says it has “universal acclaim” with a Metascore of 90. It’s not hard to understand why. Dave The Diver is charming, humorous, difficult when appropriate but totally accessible to players of every skill level. There is a rich story about an underwater civilization. Dave The Diver is an immersive experience and a ton of fun.
Aside from being so fun, Dave The Diver is a game that made me laugh and also think. I laughed at all the characters who took time to criticize or even openly insult Dave…right before asking for a favor. I was sad that Dave didn’t have enough self respect to say no to anyone. There were some environmental activists who protested what Dave and friends were doing in the Giant Blue Hole. The irony wasn’t lost on me that they fought him with guns and bombs in the same waters they were supposedly there to defend. The commentary on how many activists work against their own interests was thick and palpable.
Though it’s not a knock against the game in any way, I would have made a change in how the Giant Blue Hole works. It's mentioned early on that there seems to be a mysterious power in the Giant Blue Hole which turns out to be more story driven than anything else. Because so much of the game is played underwater, eventually the giant blue hole becomes predictable. Yes, eventually, more and more content becomes discoverable as equipment gets upgraded. A better suit means diving deeper than before. However, I often wondered how much richer Dave The Diver could have been if there was a rogue-like element to how the Giant Blue Hole operated. If every time Dave plunged into the water, the layout was different than the time before it could have added to the mystery and intrigue.
What Kind Of Game Is It?
If I had one criticism of Dave The Diver, it would be that I don’t always know what kind of game it's trying to be. There is an element of diving and fishing for sushi ingredients and other odds and ends. There are limits to how much Dave can carry at once so there's a bit of strategy involved with prioritizing what gets picked up in any given run. That’s especially true in the early parts of Dave The Diver before upgrading any equipment. After a full day of gathering sushi supplies, Dave must return to the restaurant and serve sushi. At first, it’s just a few customers but as the game goes on, the popularity of the restaurant increases to the point that Dave becomes more of a manager. He hires staff to serve and others to help Bancho in the kitchen.
Aside from diving and running a bustling sushi bar, Dave is also responsible for the restaurant’s social media account on Cooksta, an app that’s basically Instagram but it’s all food and drink related. Some of the progress in Dave The Diver is tied directly to how many Cooksta followers the restaurant has. In addition, there are events that put a specific kind of fish in demand or VIPs that want something very specific. Accommodating VIPs and making events go smoothly also help grow the business.
The story elements in Dave The Diver typically take place during the diving portion and oftentimes take away from time needed to gather supplies during these valuable trips into the Giant Blue Hole. Because of all this, at times I didn’t know if I should be focusing more on story elements, fishing, sushi, social media, or any of the many demanding characters giving me side quests.
Don’t read into this more than what I’m saying. This didn’t take away from the enjoyment in Dave The Diver. While it was often confusing, I eventually fell into a rhythm that worked well for me. I found that Dave The Diver is a revelation when played as a relaxation game. It was so relaxing to just decide that the story didn’t matter. I can fish, serve sushi, rinse and repeat. There were times when Dave The Diver forced a specific quest or boss fight to trigger upon entering the Giant Blue Hole. There were also times when special events at the restaurant required me to be more intentional about what I was gathering but in spite of this, by and large, the game allowed me to play exactly how I wanted to play. That’s important because to play the way that I want to play has no downside. It’s incredibly flexible and playing it on the Switch makes it even more flexible.
Play It On Nintendo!
In fact, the Nintendo Switch is the perfect place to play Dave The Diver. Whether I was watching tv, waiting for my son at the school, or finding a way to relax after a workout, The Nintendo Switch offered me a lot of flexibility to play Dave The Diver regardless of where I was or what I was doing.
Dave The Diver is the kind of game that just makes sense for the portability of the Switch. It’s the same way games like Have A Nice Death or Stardew Valley really shine on the Switch despite being available elsewhere. The Switch offers the ability to quickly jump into the game and play for 5 minutes… or 5 hours. I’m a huge fan of making games more accessible and the Nintendo Switch does that for Dave The Diver in a spectacular way.
Especially considering how affordable it is, Dave The Diver is phenomenal. There is a ton to do and how you play is totally up to you. I can’t stress enough how good this game is. If you’re on the fence, let me encourage you to try it out. There is a good time to be had waiting for you at the Giant Blue Hole.
