Dave the Diver | Switch Review

There’s one thing I truly avoid in almost every video game I come across: fishing. I’ve even hated the real sport since I was a kid who was forced to sit in a boat on a lake for hours at a time. There’s something that just completely bores me about sitting near a lake, no matter what rewards I get in the main game. So why in the world would I be eager to play Dave the Diver from developer Mintrocket Games? The buzz around this title made it simply too tempting to avoid, and I’m so glad that I dove in. I’m chalking this game up as the biggest surprise of the year for me. Not only did I actually enjoy a game centered on fishing, but it’s turned out to be one of my personal favorites of the year.

The World’s Nicest Pushover

The amount of narrative in Dave the Diver is surprisingly high. I’m used to this style of game skimping on the story in favor of gameplay, but I found myself way more invested in Dave’s adventure than I expected. That could be because I relate to him so much, but also because it goes in directions I never saw coming.

Dave is a deep sea diver, and he’s recruited by a greedy business owner who wants his sushi shop to thrive. He convinces our hero to brave the depths during the day to collect fish to serve to customers at night. Somehow Dave has time to spend all day fishing and serving them at night, mostly because he doesn’t know how to say “no”. Random characters ask him to do countless other tasks while diving, and even though he tries his best to decline, he somehow always winds up agreeing anyway.

Like I said, I can relate.

What follows is a crazy turn of events involving deep sea earthquakes, zombified sea creatures, and underwater communities of beings. To give any more information would give too much away. You’re going to have to trust me when I say that it’s very much worth your time.

A Relaxing Roguelike

Describing what kind of game Dave the Diver is might be very difficult. At its core, it’s half roguelike and half restaurant simulator. That description reminds me a great deal of Moonlighter, a personal favorite from 2018. But it’s genuinely so much more than that. There are so many genres of gaming crammed into one title here. Although most of them act as mini-games, the fact that you’ll be playing a platformer for a moment, then a stealth game, and even dabble in the rhythm game genre is refreshing. What’s amazing is that you’ll never play any of these styles for more than a few minutes. So much love went into the animation and gameplay, and for the most part, they’re all one-and-done. I have a lot of respect for developers who go to that much length for smaller portions of memorable gameplay.

The meat and potatoes of the game, however, centers on diving. Twice per day, you’re granted two sessions to plunge into the water collecting fish, weapons and items dropped from sunken ships, and a few other surprises. In typical roguelike fashion, your equipment limits how far and deep into the water you can go. The more you upgrade at sea level, the further you’ll be able to go next time. The loop works shockingly well and makes it very difficult to ever put the controller down. The “one more run” aspect is quite strong with this title.

Then there’s the restaurant management. Thankfully, a chef named Bancho handles most of the cooking for you. Your job is to set the menu based on the day’s catch and serve Bancho’s creations to the customers. The gameplay here remains simple enough while offering as much depth as you’re willing to commit to. As you get further in the game, you’ll have the ability to unlock better recipes, hire staff, and even spend money on making the sushi bar look better with cosmetic upgrades. Naturally, the money you earn from the restaurant can be used for upgrading your equipment as well.

Dave the Diver Final Verdict

The best part of this game for me is just how perfectly paced the game’s progression rolls out. It introduces new mechanics frequently all the way to its final confrontation. I didn’t even get into the character animation “cut scenes” that take place at various moments in the game’s story. All that coupled with the high amount of gameplay styles packed into one title make this more than worth its price tag. Plus, the characters are quite endearing, even if they tend to take advantage of Dave’s generosity.

Dave the Diver is a game I never anticipated recommending as highly as I am, but it’s so easy to do so. Although it was a tad longer than I would have preferred, I admit that is a “me” issue and not one related to the game’s quality. I spent over 20 hours with the game personally, but I have a friend who has over 100. There’s just that much to do if you enjoy the gameplay loop even more than I do. Plus, there’s even new DLC for the game adding a cross between Dave the Diver and Dredge. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m actually looking forward to my next fishing game.

To hear me talk more about Dave the Diver, be sure to listen to our December 6th, 2023 episode of The Gaming Outsider Podcast around the 1:17:45 time stamp.

This review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy of Dave the Diver provided by Evolve PR for coverage purposes. It is also available on PC via Steam.