Software:Dave the Diver

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Short description: 2023 adventure video game
Dave the Diver
Dave the Diver cover.jpg
Developer(s)Mintrocket
Publisher(s)Mintrocket
EngineUnity[1]
Platform(s)
ReleasemacOS, Windows
June 28, 2023
Nintendo Switch
October 26, 2023
PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
April 2024
Genre(s)Adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Dave the Diver is an adventure game developed and published by Mintrocket. It was released for macOS and Windows in June 2023 following an early access release in October 2022.[2] A Nintendo Switch version was released in October 2023[3][4] and a version for PlayStation consoles will be released in April 2024.[5]

Players control Dave, a hard-working diver, as he collects fish, completes quests, and manages a sushi restaurant, with gameplay encompassing exploration, restaurant management and boss fights. During the day, players explore the ocean, while at night, they run the sushi restaurant, with the day's catch affecting the restaurant's menu offerings. Income earned from the restaurant can be spent to enhance Dave's diving gear and weapons or to employ and train staff for the efficient management of the restaurant. Dave the Diver combines elements of management, action-adventure, and role-playing video games.

Story

The game follows Dave, a diver who is approached by his friend Cobra into starting up a sushi restaurant venture with the skilled chef Bancho. Setting up location at the Blue Hole, a spot said to contain fish from all over the world, Dave is tasked with fishing for ingredients during the day and helping Bancho with the restaurant at night. During his escapades, Dave comes across a race of sea people and learns that the frequent earthquakes occurring on the Blue Hole are happening because something is affecting the energy crystal that keeps the sea people alive.

Gameplay

Later in the game, players can unlock the ability to dive at night.

Players primarily control Dave, a deep sea diver who is talked into managing a sushi restaurant and supplying it with the fish they need. He fishes at a spot called the Blue Hole whose geography and fauna change daily. Players can collect resources to upgrade or craft new items for Dave to use, such as diving gear and weapons to use in boss fights against giant underwater creatures.[6] Dave's air supply is decreased faster as he becomes overburdened, and he becomes more susceptible to predators, such as sharks. Being defeated in combat causes Dave to drop all his cargo except one item as he is rescued.[7]

Dave is asked by others to perform various favors, quests, for them involving exploration, research, or finding rare items. As players retrieve items lost at sea, they can use Dave's contacts in his cell phone to find buyers. Dave can go diving twice a day, once each during the morning and afternoon;[6] later in the game's progression the ability to dive at night is unlocked. In the evening, he manages the sushi restaurant. Players can unlock recipes to cook, attract influential customers, renovate the restaurant by adding decorations, hire employees, and more.[6] An in-game app called "Cooksta" keeps track of the restaurant's popularity and rating and can unlock further upgrades. In addition to the main gameplay modes, there are also a number of minigames unlocked through the course of the story, including a rhythm game and Tamagotchi style app. The graphical style uses pixel art.[8]

Development

Dave the Diver was first announced as a mobile game in 2018 by Nexon Mobile subsidiaries NeoPle and Studio 42, and as a collaboration with National Geographic, "made to bring awareness to all the beauty the ocean has and how it's slowly fading away".[9] Those plans changed, and it became the first game from the Mintrocket subsidiary of Nexon. The initial concept came from a real-life pub on Jeju Island. The owner is a diver who fishes during the day and runs the pub during the night. The more fantastical elements were inspired by the manga Blue Hole. Mintrocket found it challenging to balance the game's various mechanics so no particular gameplay element becomes repetitive. They said they resolved this through trial and error during early access.[10] It entered early access in October 2022, and Mintrocket released it for macOS and Windows on June 28, 2023.[11] An update in August improved accessibility support, allowing people to bypass quick-time events, among other quality-of-life improvements.[12] A free DLC released on December 2023 included content from Dredge. The DLC adds the ability to steer Dave's boat during foggy nights, dredging for valuable items and diving into fishing spots for aberrated fish which can be served to cloaked figures at the restaurant, as well as additional weapons.[13] A second free DLC to be released on May 2024 will include content from Godzilla.;[5] Further content updates are planned.[14]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
MetacriticPC: 90/100[15]
NS: 88/100[16]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Destructoid9/10[17]
Eurogamer5/5 stars[18]
Game Informer8.75/10[19]
IGN9/10[7]
PC Gamer (US)91/100[20]
Shacknews9/10[21]

Dave the Diver received "universal acclaim" based on 44 critic reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic.[15]

Praising the game's complexity, yet calling it "utterly relaxing", PC Gamer's reviewer said it already made his shortlist for game of the year as of June 2023.[6] Destructoid called the gameplay "engaging", and said the story was "silly, yet endearing".[17] IGN labeled it as an editors' choice and said it is "wholesome, wonderfully complex, and delightfully hard to put down".[7] Eurogamer said it was "wholesome, harmonious, and completely unwilling to settle", calling it one of the most generous games in years.[18] Game Informer praised it for being able to handle being both an exploration experience and management sim and said it was a "unique and memorable vacation away from expectations".[19] Polygon said its myriad minigames comes together unexpectedly well, anchored by well-made cutscenes.[22] Cutscenes were further praised by players for its style and humour.[23] VideoGamer.com said "there's always something to do" without it ever seeming like busy work, which they called "refreshingly different" from the games as a service model.[24] GamesRadar+ called it "a smash-hit success story".[25] Several major publications included it on their 'best games of 2023' rundowns, including ReadWrite, Game Rant, The Guardian and The Verge.[26]

Indie label controversy

Several commentators and publications have referred to the game as an indie game. When the game was nominated for the "Best Indie Game" category at The Game Awards 2023[27] and Golden Joystick Awards 2023,[28] criticism was raised over the game being labeled as "indie"; The Gamer arguing that "Dave the Diver couldn't be less independent".[29][30][unreliable source?] Geoff Keighley, organizer of The Game Awards, said "independent can mean different things to different people and it's sort of a broad term, right?"[31] Mintrocket stated that it is not an indie studio[32] and Taehwan Kim, Vice President of Nexon's New Development Headquarters, which oversees the Mintrocket brand,[33] has stated that Dave the Diver "may look like an indie, but it's not necessarily the case".[32]

Sales

Two days after its release, Dave the Diver was the fifth best-selling product on Steam, and within ten days, had sold over one million copies.[34] Meanwhile, the game had sold two million copies by October 2023,[35][36] and three million by January 2024.[37]

Accolades

Awards and nominations
Year Ceremony Category Result Template:Refh
2023 Golden Joystick Awards Best Indie Game Nominated [28]
PC Game of the Year Nominated
Best Game Trailer (Accolades Trailer) Nominated
The Game Awards 2023 Best Independent Game Nominated [38]
The Steam Awards Sit Back and Relax Won [39]
2024 27th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Adventure Game of the Year Pending [40]
Outstanding Achievement in Game Design Pending
Outstanding Achievement in Story Pending
24th Game Developers Choice Awards Game of the Year Pending [41]
Best Debut Pending
Best Design Honorable mention
Innovation Award Honorable mention
Audience Award Pending

Manga adaptation

A manga adaptation illustrated by Shinnosuke Tsuchida began serialization in the September 2023 issue of Shogakukan's children's manga magazine Monthly CoroCoro Comic on August 12, 2023.[42]

References

  1. ↑ Saver, Michael (2022-12-27). "Made with Unity: 2022 in review". Unity Technologies. https://blog.unity.com/games/made-with-unity-2022-in-review. Retrieved 2023-06-30. 
  2. ↑ "DAVE THE DIVER - ‘DAVE THE DIVER’ Official Early Access Announcement - Steam News" (in en). 2022-08-24. https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1868140/view/3236420105735930438. 
  3. ↑ Peters, Jay (2023-10-25). "Dave the Diver is one of the year's best games, and it's still great on Switch" (in en). https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/25/23930889/dave-the-diver-nintendo-switch. 
  4. ↑ Faulkner, Jason (2023-06-30). "Dave the Diver PS5, PS4, Switch, Xbox Release Date: Is It Coming to Consoles?" (in en-US). https://www.gamerevolution.com/guides/942084-dave-the-diver-release-date-ps5-ps4-switch-xbox-is-it-coming-to-consoles. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Dave the Diver splashes onto PS5 and PS4 this April, Godzilla DLC revealed". January 31, 2024. https://blog.playstation.com/2024/01/31/dave-the-diver-splashes-onto-ps5-and-ps4-this-april-godzilla-dlc-revealed//. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Livingston, Christopher (2023-06-29). "After only 3 hours this fishing and restaurant management RPG has rocketed to the top of my GOTY shortlist". PC Gamer. https://www.pcgamer.com/after-only-3-hours-this-fishing-and-restaurant-management-rpg-has-rocketed-to-the-top-of-my-goty-shortlist/. Retrieved 2023-06-30. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Northrup, Travis (2023-06-26). "Dave The Diver Review". IGN. https://www.ign.com/articles/dave-the-diver-review. Retrieved 2023-06-30. 
  8. ↑ Gerblick, Jordan (2022-12-02). "Have you tried… building a sushi empire in pixel art heaven with Dave the Diver?". GamesRadar. https://www.gamesradar.com/have-you-tried-building-a-sushi-empire-in-pixel-art-heaven-with-dave-the-diver/. Retrieved 2023-06-30. 
  9. ↑ "Dave The Diver Trailer 19 November 2018". Nexplay. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=199331180987554. 
  10. ↑ "How Unity and Early Access helped make Dave the Diver one of 2023's biggest indie hits". GamesIndustry.biz. 2023-08-15. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/how-unity-and-early-access-helped-make-dave-the-diver-one-of-2023s-biggest-indie-hits. Retrieved 2023-08-18. 
  11. ↑ "Dave the Diver". Gematsu. November 8, 2022. https://www.gematsu.com/games/dave-the-diver. Retrieved 2023-06-30. 
  12. ↑ Chalk, Andy (2023-08-18). "Dave the Diver gets a major quality of life update and the players love it: 'Tears in my eyes,' one dedicated fan says". PC Gamer. https://www.pcgamer.com/dave-the-diver-gets-a-major-quality-of-life-update-and-the-players-love-it-tears-in-my-eyes-one-dedicated-fan-says/. Retrieved 2023-08-18. 
  13. ↑ "Dave the Diver Is Getting a Free Update Crossover with Dredge Game Awards 2023". December 7, 2023. https://www.ign.com/articles/dave-the-diver-is-getting-a-free-update-crossover-with-dredge-game-awards-2023/. 
  14. ↑ "Dave the Diver's director on the breakout indie hit of 2023". September 18, 2023. https://venturebeat.com/games/dave-the-divers-director-on-the-breakout-indie-hit-of-2023/. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Dave the Diver for PC Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/dave-the-diver/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. 
  16. ↑ "Dave the Diver for Switch Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/dave-the-diver/critic-reviews/?platform=nintendo-switch. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Christine, Choi (26 September 2023). "Review: Dave the Diver". https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-dave-the-diver/. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Donlan, Christian (August 14, 2023). "Dave the Diver - a dizzying game of many parts, and a journey into deep wonder". https://www.eurogamer.net/dave-the-diver-a-dizzying-game-of-many-parts-and-a-journey-into-deep-wonder. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Miller, Matt (July 12, 2023). "Dave the Diver Review A Refreshing Departure". Game Informer. https://www.gameinformer.com/review/dave-the-diver/a-refreshing-departure. Retrieved 30 September 2023. 
  20. ↑ "Dave the Diver Review". July 12, 2023. https://www.pcgamer.com/dave-the-diver-review/. 
  21. ↑ Erskine, Donovan (2023-07-14). "Dave the Diver review: Fishy business". https://www.shacknews.com/article/136261/dave-the-diver-review-score. 
  22. ↑ Parkin, Jeffrey (2023-06-29). "Management sim Dave the Diver shouldn't work as well as it does". Polygon. https://www.polygon.com/reviews/23777236/dave-the-diver-review-management-sim-steam-pc. Retrieved 2023-06-30. 
  23. ↑ Ngan, Liv (2023-07-04). "Dave the Diver players can't get over how extra its cutscenes are" (in en). https://www.gamesradar.com/dave-the-diver-players-cant-get-over-how-extra-its-cutscenes-are/. 
  24. ↑ Borthwick, Ben (2023-07-05). "Dave the Diver is the most charming game of 2023, and a must play". https://www.videogamer.com/features/dave-the-diver-most-charming-game-of-2023/. Retrieved 2023-07-06. 
  25. ↑ Cryer, Hirun (2023-06-30). "Dave the Diver, a chill RPG about fishing and sushi, is one of 2023's biggest Steam success stories". https://www.gamesradar.com/dave-the-diver-a-chill-rpg-about-fishing-and-sushi-is-one-of-2023s-biggest-steam-success-stories/. 
  26. ↑ Parkin, Simon (2023-12-25). "Games: Simon Parkin's five best of 2023" (in en-GB). The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. https://www.theguardian.com/games/2023/dec/25/simon-parkin-five-best-games-of-2023. 
  27. ↑ Fanelli, Jason (November 13, 2023). "The Game Awards 2023 Nominees Announced, See Them All Now" (in en-US). https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-game-awards-2023-nominees-announced-see-them-all-now/1100-6519120/. 
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Loveridge, Sam (2023-11-11). "Here are all the Golden Joystick Awards 2023 winners". https://www.gamesradar.com/golden-joystick-awards-2023-winners/. 
  29. ↑ Wilde, Tyler (2023-11-17). "Should facts or vibes determine whether an 'indie game' is really indie?" (in en). PC Gamer. https://www.pcgamer.com/indie-game-debate-dave-the-diver/. 
  30. ↑ Sledge, Ben (2023-10-09). "Does It Matter If Dave The Diver Is An Indie Game Or Not?" (in en). https://www.thegamer.com/dave-the-diver-indie-game-mintrocket-nexon/. 
  31. ↑ Winslow, Levi (2023-11-27). "TGA's Geoff Keighley Weighs In On Dave The Diver Nomination Controversy" (in en). https://kotaku.com/tgas-dave-the-diver-indie-game-geoff-keighley-debate-1851049334. 
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 "[인터뷰 데이브 더 다이버에 담긴 '넥슨의 초심'"] (in ko). 2022-11-20. https://www.gametoc.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=69776. 
  33. ↑ "프라시아·데이브 지휘 '김대훤' 부사장, 넥슨 떠난다" (in ko). 2022-11-06. https://www.etnews.com/20231106000358. 
  34. ↑ Ngan, Liv (2023-07-11). "Indie RPG and sushi restaurant sim Dave the Diver reaches 1m sales" (in en). https://www.eurogamer.net/indie-rpg-and-sushi-restaurant-sim-dave-the-diver-reaches-1m-sales. "Dave the Diver has been making waves since its full release on Steam last month, and the indie game has sold over 1m copies in its first 10 days." 
  35. ↑ Kim, Sujin; Seung-Jin, Kang (2023-10-13). "[콘솔 스팀 성공 '데이브 더 다이버', 그 비밀은?"] (in ko). https://n.news.naver.com/sports/esports/article/442/0000166291. 
  36. ↑ Jin-won, Song (2023-10-13). "데이브 더 다이버가 스팀에서 생존한 방법은 "소통과 완성도"" (in ko). http://www.gameinsight.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=30795. 
  37. ↑ LeBlanc, Wesley (2024-01-03). "Dave The Diver Surpasses 3 Million Sales" (in en). Game Informer. https://www.gameinformer.com/news/2024/01/03/dave-the-diver-surpasses-3-million-sales. Retrieved 2024-01-03. 
  38. ↑ Makuch, Eddie (December 7, 2023). "All The Game Awards 2023 Winners Revealed" (in en-US). https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/all-the-game-awards-2023-winners-revealed/2900-4977/. 
  39. ↑ DiCarlo, John (January 2, 2024). "Steam Announces Winners of 2023 Steam Awards" (in en-US). https://gamerant.com/steam-awards-2023-winners/. 
  40. ↑ "27th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Finalists". https://www.interactive.org/awards/27th_dice_awards_finalists.asp. 
  41. ↑ Sinclair, Brendan (2024-01-16). "Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Baldur's Gate 3 top GDC Award nominations". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-baldurs-gate-3-top-gdc-award-nominations. 
  42. ↑ "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}". August 8, 2023. https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/news/230808l. 

External links



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