I first saw Dave the Diver during the (not) E3 PR extravaganza earlier this Summer. It was one of the hundreds of trailers that were dropping during that time frame, and although I was being flooded with marketing from too many games to remember, when the dust settled, it still managed to stick in my mind. That’s because the trailer sold a promise of a game that looked like it had five or six different games within it. It would supposedly feature dozens of pixel art cutscenes, all portraying wildly different things from anime ladies to sea people. It was what seemed like a modern-day Wario Ware meets Yakuza meets Cult of the Lamb in a way, and although I figured this trailer might be doing some heavy lifting, I had to see what this game was all about for myself.
I was not prepared for what was next.
What I expected to be a fun little 8-10-hour indie game detour became an almost 30-hour indie game excursion. This game, which seemingly came out of nowhere, is now my current front-runner for best indie game of 2023. So, regardless of whether you continue to read the rest of this review or not, know this: I think for sim/management enjoyers, this game is a must-play. It’s exciting, mysterious, addictive, wacky, funny, and so much more. Even with MintRocket being bigger than your average indie team, it is an absolute achievement that this game got made and comes together the way it did. Please. Play this game.
To really dissect Dave the Diver properly, we need to start at the core. This is a game that starts with a solid foundation, which it then rapidly builds off of. At the root of Dave the Diver, we have simple 2D sim management and combat gameplay. At night, you operate a sushi bar. This means you set the menu, hire and train the staff, buy the decor, serve the food and drinks, clean up, and more. It is a rather comprehensive operation that you are given control of pretty early into the game, and this is only half of it. During the day, you go out on your boat and dive for fish to serve in that sushi bar. You use a Mission Impossible-esque suite of gadgets to kill or catch fish while managing your oxygen and weight, upgrading your weapons, fending off predators, and accomplishing side objectives.
Now that the previous paragraph was dense, but this is just a tiny fraction of what Dave the Diver comprises. I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say that from start to finish, there was a new game mechanic or unexpected story twist every hour. Now, to some, this might sound like an instant turnoff, but I promise if you give it a chance, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Actually, my biggest gripe with Dave the Diver is that it felt like it didn’t let me go as I could in the mini-games. There are a lot of icons and mechanics that show up and are simply not explained, which I believe are crucial to feeling like you’re playing optimally. It feels like the game is slowing me down or assuming I wouldn’t get invested as I did. But even without detailed instructions, you can feel that the game works tirelessly to ensure that every new surprise feels fresh and fun. Nothing felt phoned in. Sure, some drink-pouring mini-games were similar, but everything had its own challenge or visual flair. I was excited to do almost every activity they threw at me. It’s a feeling I had only ever experienced when I played Yakuza: Like a Dragon a few years back, but it’s a welcome one that I look forward to experiencing in more games in the future.
On top of that complex web of mini-games and mechanics is a charming suite of visual and tonal choices. Throughout your journey, you meet a huge cast of eccentric characters that all bring their own charm and humor to the story. Each character has such a detailed and memorable visual design coupled with a very defined personality that I was actively looking forward to interacting with them. The humor is just right, and I personally feel like it is written in a manner that strays away from cashing in on the latest memes and instead opts for a more timeless approach to the writing. The only thing I would have wanted more of was a more consistently banging soundtrack. A game’s soundtrack is usually doing a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of tone setting, but surprisingly, I think it was the writing taking up that role this time. There were definitely flashes of greatness during certain key moments in the game, but I thought the general OST was pretty forgettable.
In the end, Dave the Diver swung for the fences and hit it out of the park. The individual components of the game are great, but it’s how everything is presented to the player that makes it sing. It is a nonstop run of great jokes, surprising side missions, unexpected boss fights, and unique mini-games. I would happily bet anyone $100 to name 90% of the things you can do in this game, and I would sleep easily knowing my $100 was safe. It’s for that reason that I’m giving Dave the Diver a 9 out of 10, and recommending it to anyone who loves management sims or a medley of gameplay like something a Yakuza provides. Well done, MintRocket, you made a hit.
