Dave the Diver

 

I'm a sucker for games with 16-bit graphics, so I was intrigued by this game the first time I saw a screenshot. Then I started seeing favorable reviews and my interest grew. I first played a demo on the Switch, which I enjoyed. However, I was a little afraid the game was going to only focus on catching fish for the restaurant. I knew the game was 30+ hours long, and didn't know if I would last that long simply catching fish. Once the game became available on Playstation Plus, however, I was able to progress beyond the prologue available on the Switch demo and experience the entire game. This game took me 30 hours to complete (longer than Final Fantasy VII Remake), and I was actually a bit sad to see it end. There were surprises around every corner, and the game became much more than just catching fish. Dave is my favorite independent game that I've played, and one of my favorite games overall that I've played in the PS5 era. It is entertaining and quite fun and well worth the $20.

Let's start with a little background about the story. Dave is a retired diver who is recruited by businessman Cobra to catch fish for a sushi restaurant with chef Bancho. During the day you dive into the ocean to catch fish, and during the night you help at Bancho's restaurant by serving guests. Hence this is why I though the entire game was going to be about catching fish. It quickly becomes apparent that unusual activity is occurring in the Blue Hole where Dave is diving, however. While catching fish is always a part of the agenda, the majority of the plot shifts to discovering what is occurring in the Blue Hole. Along the way you meet a ton of side characters, from Dr. Bacon who is researching the Blue Hole, to a photographer who asks Dave for pictures of unique fish. You even discover a secret village of sea people that is being destroyed by the activities in the Blue Hole. As I said above, there are surprises around every corner and you never really know who you're going to meet.

The format of diving during the day and serving at the restaurant at night remains throughout the game, and Dave contains a robust restaurant simulator. In the beginning you serve food and drinks, as well as clean up after guests. As the game progresses, you are able to hire staff to help out Dave. Additionally, you gain the ability to create a fish farm to breed fish so you don't have to spend all your time capturing them, as well as a farm to grow vegetables to make more unique dishes. The restaurant portion of the game alone is in-depth enough to be its own game. 

As the game progresses, your restaurant business grows and you discover the secrets of the Blue Hole, eventually rescuing the sea people from the monster that is causing the earthquakes that is disrupting their civilization. In addition to the intriguing story and memorable characters, the soundtrack is fantastic. I'm listening to it as I type this post! Also, I don't remember a game where I enjoyed the cutscenes as much as this game. With the exception of a few tedious gameplay moments, this game overall is just amazing. I'm a little sad to have finished it and be moving on. However, my kids are still playing it so I can enjoy the game vicariously through them.