An ocean as shallow as a puddle.
Dave the Diver is a game that seems to want to do literally everything that came to the developer's minds. There is a bunch of random nonsensical minigames throughout the game, as well as hundreds and hundreds of unique mechanics to interact with. This sounds like it could be a good thing, however every single mechanic suffers due to this design decision. No part of the game feels fully realized, Even the two big parts, the diving and the restaurant management, feel half baked. The gameplay loop suffers in a big way because of this.
That all being said, the game is fun, in a very simple way. The issue I have is that because of how shallow every mechanic is, this game would be much better suited as a 5-10 hour game. I rolled credits and dropped the game, and that was at the 33 hour mark. That is far too long for a game as shallow as this.
Dave the Diver also violently disrespects your time. The game may be 30 hours long, but it could have been much shorter with some very basic pacing tweaks. Pretty much after every single crumb of progress in the story, no matter how small and insignificant, the game makes you come back to the surface. This includes the part of the game where you're diving in the depths, forcing you to dive all the way down to the bottom of the ocean every time something minor happens in the story.
The game also treats the player like they're incompetent, with Dave basically narrating every little thing that happens.
While I had fun for the first 15 hours or so of the game, all of these things put together soured the experience by the end.
Many other reviewers say that this game outstays its welcome, and they're right.
Dave the Diver is a game that seems to want to do literally everything that came to the developer's minds. There is a bunch of random nonsensical minigames throughout the game, as well as hundreds and hundreds of unique mechanics to interact with. This sounds like it could be a good thing, however every single mechanic suffers due to this design decision. No part of the game feels fully realized, Even the two big parts, the diving and the restaurant management, feel half baked. The gameplay loop suffers in a big way because of this.
That all being said, the game is fun, in a very simple way. The issue I have is that because of how shallow every mechanic is, this game would be much better suited as a 5-10 hour game. I rolled credits and dropped the game, and that was at the 33 hour mark. That is far too long for a game as shallow as this.
Dave the Diver also violently disrespects your time. The game may be 30 hours long, but it could have been much shorter with some very basic pacing tweaks. Pretty much after every single crumb of progress in the story, no matter how small and insignificant, the game makes you come back to the surface. This includes the part of the game where you're diving in the depths, forcing you to dive all the way down to the bottom of the ocean every time something minor happens in the story.
The game also treats the player like they're incompetent, with Dave basically narrating every little thing that happens.
While I had fun for the first 15 hours or so of the game, all of these things put together soured the experience by the end.
Many other reviewers say that this game outstays its welcome, and they're right.