That Dave the Diver has made headlines is certainly no secret. We saw this during the The Game Awardsat the center of the controversy regarding his nominations for Best Independent Game. This is because, as many will already know, it is not strictly an indie production as the developer Mintrocket it is actually a division of the publisher Nexon, thus distancing the work from the very concept of “independent”.
This does not change one unshakable and undeniable fact: Dave the Diver has managed to carve out a slice of loyal users that is incredible to say the least, managing to set the record for three million copies sold worldwidein December 2023. The motivation behind this success is as simple as the formula that composes it, as the work is – to all intents and purposes – a mix of dynamics and gameplay mechanics that are always well balanced and considered with very evident care .
In fact, in the role of the protagonist Dave, the player will be asked to perform two main tasks: dive into the sea to capture the local fauna and florathen manage a sushi restaurant selling the loot obtained. The play system is thus correctly divided between these two phases, then branching out, creating a series of nuances and activities which, although not particularly complex in their individuality, always manage to create a symphony of balance when processing the overall gaming experience.
In the blue, painted blue
In the depths of Blue Hole we will have to take into account some fundamental dynamics, such as the need to consider the maximum transportable weight, the depth we can reach and, therefore, theequipment that we carry with us. By catching some fish and collecting items (and selling them later) we will get money necessary to enhance various aspects, including the tools available. In this way, Dave will be able to discover even more hidden places, fish for rarer and more succulent creatures, and have – in a completely natural and spontaneous way – the possibility of continuing the main story and secondary missions.
If we could already state in the elements we just told you about great attention to general balance, the same can be said for the outline in the immersion phase. The secondary activities will increase more and more as the plot progresses and new equipment is unlocked, adding (and not “multiplying”) to the narrative and playful elements which is being actively worked on. This means that, perhaps, while we are looking for hidden places to complete a secondary quest, we may come across a seahorse race, or have to face a boss with quick-time-event dynamics, or even solving small mechanics puzzle.
Sushi evening?
The second macro-element packaged in Dave the Diver is the management of the sushi restaurant which, like the dive phase, gradually becomes more and more complex offering the player mechanics completely different from those seen at sea. We will not only be able to customize the interior of the restaurant, select the staff and the menu based on the ingredients available, but also actively participate in serving green tea, pouring it by hand, or bringing the dishes to customers. It will also be possible to use a special currency for get new recipeswhich could be useful should they arise VIP guests with unique requests.
Although the whole part in which we will be called upon to manage the place you don't shine with originality or for the amount of peculiar dynamics preceding at the bottom of the ocean, it must be said that we are very satisfied with the way the restaurant menus were managed. Since it is a real management software, each part of the interface is very clear and specific, an excellent result considering that this aspect could almost have been overshadowed to give more space, time and resources in the development of maritime exploration.
Especially at this juncture, however, we believe that the lack of a real dubbing in Italian is a difficult flaw to overlook. Although in most cases it doesn't cause us particular trouble to have to translate dialogues and texts written in English in our head, the amount of information and fundamental options on the screen is sometimes so high that we found ourselves spending more time than necessary understanding which ingredient we were looking at or what action we had to perform, for example.
“Just one more game!”
The fact remains that all the elements that make up the aforementioned phases of Dave the Diver's gameplayalthough they rarely manage to represent absolute perfection in their individuality, they have the innate ability to coexist perfectly in unison. The result is an experience that is really difficult to break away from, where every "little 10 minute game" can turn into a real hour-long long-play. We believe that the result is also due to an exemplary balance of game rhythms which, in reality, can really allow for very short sessions as well as long-lasting matches.
To add to this great quality there are a multitude of secondary activities and interactions, which give Dave the Diver that extra touch of variety that was enough to immortalize him as one of the most diverse works we've had to try in the last twelve months. It goes without saying that everyone will find something in the title that will encourage them to continue playing, be it the management section or the possibility of collecting fish.
In reverse, it is more difficult to become attached to the narrative sector which, although it offers moments of pure madness and fun mixed with a fair dose of mystery, fails to shine in originality as it could have. Don't get it wrong: some elements fully convinced us, as did the characterization of the characters, but we can't say that we remained glued to the screen for several hours in order to delve deeper into the plot.
Between ambitions and limits
The developers concentrated headlong on the entire gameplay system, achieving excellent results, it's true, but they ended up neglecting other elements that would have allowed them to make Dave the Diver a work bordering on perfection. In addition to the narrative sector, the unexpressed potential can also be found in soundtrackunfortunately too simple and obvious to become memorable.
Similar but different speech for the artistic and graphic direction, which rarely presents scenes or characters unique in their way of presenting themselves (both in human and fish terms). Speaking of visual performance, however, we have two slightly conflicting opinions. Primarily, we admit that we appreciated the dissonance between the pixel-art elements and the 3D onesas it creates a very particular and at times refined scenario.
However, the gap between 2D sprites and three-dimensional models is often too clear, almost risking disturbing the vision or - even worse - the player where it is not necessary. However, this is an exclusively subjective detail, so we imagine that each user will find the graphics more or less interesting based on personal preferences.
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