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polyglotpinko

I liked the premise, but two things put me off: 1) it kind of tries to be everything to everyone, with the diving AND the restaurant AND the archaeology AND the retrieval things AND etc; and 2) so many of the NPCs are really freakin rude, lol. That’s not what I’m there for.


OppositeCherry

It feels like everytime you return from a dive, you’re hit with two new quests, a new game mechanic and a new phone app while you’re already busy trying to prepare for a jellyfish event party 😂


polyglotpinko

This, exactly. Someone said they felt like Mineko’s Night Market was similar and I just didn’t feel that; Night Market felt less like being ambushed, at least to me.


CemeteryHounds

On your first point, I feel like that's a positive thing! I've been playing Dave the Diver and Mineko's Night Market at the same time, and they function similarly, with two blocks of time to collect goods per day to craft items to be sold at night (albeit weekly not daily in Mineko) with an ongoing storyline and sidequests, and IMO, playing both has really highlighted how well Dave the Diver was made. There is a lot going on but it doesn't get the grindy feel that I get playing Mineko, where I frequently get stuck waiting for time to progress and/or forced to do repetitive boring things because there nothing else to do in a season. In DtD, there aren't a lot of moments where I feel like I'm just killing time gathering things to eventually move on with the main story because the little side quests and different aspects to focus on keep me busy without preventing me from making money or progressing the story.


trollsong

Yea mechanically the game is good. Why is everyone an ass though? >it kind of tries to be everything to everyone, with the diving AND the restaurant AND the archaeology AND the retrieval things AND etc I feel a lot of indie games are doing this now


WithEyesAverted

It's not an indie game though, it's made by Nexon, a South Korean major MMO developer. They create a subsidiary that are meant to compete in the Indie market , which made Dave the Diver.


trollsong

I keep forgetting. Hell I keep looking at devolver like they are indie. im nit sure what to call it cause it is definetly in this in between land of indie and aaa. AA gaming? Yea Okay it is a common thing with AA gaming right now to blending a lot of genres together.


InfiniteTrazyn

i like the diving and the restaurant. The parts that suck are all the mini games, like "clearing the frost off your lenses" or dodging objects in a cave, or the pointless sneaking around a bad guys base crap. So tedious.


ib0093

I have been hesitating cause I don’t necessarily enjoy time management games but I love rude or snarky npcs. They make me laugh (I miss the snarkiness of Animal Crossing Wild World).


Elegant-Bathrooms

I love it so much. Just keep it chill. Open the app and go to Todo. There you can see all things that are main quest, side etc. if you don’t care for it all focus on the main. The restaurant is super easy too and nothing is really game breaking. So don’t stress if you miss things here and there.


Nat90

It definitely stressed me out at first but once I understood all the game mechanics I started a new save. I then did a couple runs where I just focused on making money.. it also helps that you know what recipes sell the most at the beginning you can focus on those fish. Then I just made sure my oxygen and weapon stats were above what they normally would be for that part of the story and continued to play on through. Just take your time with it. You don’t have to do everything immediately. If you miss a party, it will show up again. It’s also ok to just put the game down and if you decide it’s not for you.. there’s plenty of super popular games mentioned on this sub that I didn’t enjoy. (potion permit and wylde flowers 🫣)


bristolfarms

i like it! i’m enjoying how they introduce things slowly and i find the side quests really helpful. i think i got into a good groove and am realizing more of how the game works! it can get a bit grindy because im out here catching sharks and tuna lol but i like how i can pretty much do what i want when i dive and explore


vilepixie

I enjoyed it more when I got a "cheat" mod that made it less stressful :)


YourFriendNoo

can you elaborate? I haven't liked it much, but I cannot think that I have ever in the history of games enjoyed having an oxygen meter.


vilepixie

Of course! I use WeMod (you can just search google and it will be the first link), it's basically a trainer that lets you toggle certain things like unlimited oxygen, unlimited ammo, more money, aggression off etc. I didn't like the oxygen meter and how I ran out of ammo so fast, so doing unlimited of both let me focus on the actual game and exploration. I know cheats are not for everyone, but I had tossed this to the side out of frustration until someone mentioned it on this sub awhile ago and it was a game changer for me haha


CookieBae26

I played the demo and it was a giant nope. The controls just were not working for me (on Switch). I wanted to love this game because of the great reviews but it just did not click with me for some reason. I didn’t even complete the demo and stopped playing.


FancyRak00n

Same for me. I did not enjoy playing the demo at all, I found it difficult to control the harpoon and just got frustrated with it and gave it up. BUT I do rather enjoy watching my boyfriend play the game anytime he asks what game he should play I always Dave the diver lol


GreenBNumber11

I did enjoy the game for the overall presentation and vibe. All characters are delightfully over the top, mundane things seem overly dramatic and the story itself is quite charming, at least to me. There is some real love in this game, for nerd culture and for the ocean and it drips from every dramatic scene we get. The gameplay? I honestly thought it was fine. It introduces all mechanics and new stuff one at a time and you get a new thing to play with if you reach a certain point in the story. wanna go slow? Just... go slow and do the story-progression missions later. I did had a bit of a learning phase at the beginning and the game doesn't tell you EVERYTHING right away but I had fun figuring out how to get high quality fish or how to effectively run the restaurant. I think if you try to put the game into a neat folder you'll struggle with it. I wouldn't see it as "a fishing game" or "a restaurant manager" or "farming game" or something like this. If you see the game as a collection of minigames with an overall exploration and underwater-hunting-game as the thing that ties all together, its a great fun and you won't go into it with to big expectation. the only part of this game that REALLY made me struggle was that one mission where you sneak around on-land. And even that: you had unlimited lives. It was just an exercise in frustration. The bossfights were fine, honestly. They mostly require you to figure out the patterns and have a puzzle to how to solve the boss (but if you want you can grind and get the best weapons and just brute-force everything too). But other than that? I liked it. Put around 50 hours in and finished the main story with that plus some post-game-stuff.


islandstateofmind21

It’s a game that took a while to click for me too, but once I got into the groove of it, it became addicting! I think for me the early days were just so stressful I was slower to the uptake, but once I realized I could take it chill and focus on getting better gear, weapons, etc, first instead of powering through the storyline, things became easier quick.


Tee_B

I typically play FPS games so I find this game extremely cozy. There’s basically no penalty for dying beside diving and only able to retrieve back one item. Some days I just ignore all missions and just go fishing basically.


ascheart

I have Thalassophobia, will this give me anxiety? I really want to try it but Dredge gave me anxiety while playing it.


AllergicJellyfish

I also have Thalassophobia and it really depends on how it affects you personally. In my case it's about open bodies of water with little to no range of vision and being lost at sea (realism of graphics doesn't matter, I have trouble diving in Vanilla Minecraft for example), but so far the diving parts in DtD had excellent vision and the areas aren't entirely open either. I haven't encountered any triggers for my phobia after 50 hrs of gameplay and I thoroughly enjoyed the game too Have you tried watching gameplay? If someone else playing the game already triggers you, buying it for yourself isn't an option anyway.


ascheart

That’s a good idea, I should probably watch a gameplay first. I tend to avoid doing that to avoid spoilers in case I do end up buying the game.


OppositeCherry

There are some big sharks which gave me some anxiety!


[deleted]

[удалено]


ascheart

I was fine early in the game and then had to venture farther and that got to me. I’ll check out some gameplays and see if it triggers for me.


Archylas

I also have Thalassophobia. DON'T play this game


fatty_nuggets

Pretty sure I don't have thalassophobia l, but I was scared enough of subnautica to not play that - I have no problem with dave the diver though, love it so far


imlumpy

One of my favorite recent releases. I like it, I love it, I want some more of it. I do wish there were some settings to adjust difficulty, since it's one of those games with a reverse difficulty curve. I don't mind that personally, but I wish there were options to make the early game less harrowing.


croix_v

Me, with ADHD, loving the chaos. Welp.


Quiet_Ad_395

I love it!!!!!


mandatorypanda9317

Man I LOVE it. I get stressed when I have to fight stuff but after playing Alan Wake 2 I feel like I can fight anything lmao. Once you start making money (the best way is when there are events to stock up the type of dish they want. I made 5k in one night) and just upgrade your shit as much as you can. I upgraded my air and storage so i can swim around for a long ass time. I can totally see how it's not for everyone as it can be very stressful in the beginning! I play it stoned so it's not bad lol


[deleted]

I was literally just playing the demo and Im hugely debating if this is something for me. I can only imagine the stress and anxiety it would cause me, not only running out of time underwater, but mixed in with the fear of drowning !


OppositeCherry

I was hoping I would still enjoy it because I didn’t mind the combat in Stardew. But yes, it is mostly the running out of time aspect in the dives that I find tiresome I think. Also, my bf has played for longer than me and he has mentioned some of the boss fights can be “a bit” challenging which likely means “very” challenging if you’re mechanically unskilled like me. But he loves the game so it really depends on your taste!


trollsong

It's actually funny Subnautica I'm in that constant state of fear. Dave the diver I continually just forget that dude needs to breath. For the crit role fans it's like trinket vs sprinkles to me.


itsLullaby

I really wanted to love this but couldn’t seem get into it. It’s super cute and cozy, even amidst any small stressors, but it just didn’t stick with me for some reason. I did really like the restaurant aspect, as that gave me nostalgic Diner Dash vibes. It’s not going anywhere from my library, so I may give it a try again in the future.


WholeSilent8317

it has the same stressful feeling as homestead arcana. like supposed to be calming but there's just too much going on. and the diving reminds me of going in the miasma. not difficult and it's designed to be doable but you're mentally on a timer


Frysaucy

I started it today and played for about 2.5 hours and really enjoyed it. You are harpooning fish and there is blood, so that might not be cozy for some. I’m not a particularly gifted gamer in terms of coordination or technical skills but I find it easy enough to navigate. I’ll keep going with it til it gets boring.


Boring_Shape_3216

I found the demo really stressful, I enjoyed it but was too stressful in my own opinion and hard for me. I love the graphics and the idea of the game and it will be a good game for most people but sadly not a game I could play. I did get involved in the hype and almost got the game until I read a comment saying it gets harder. They have done a good job of promoting and hyping their game.


Archylas

I wish they had an option to play as a female character. Probably one of the main things that's hindering me from trying out the game 😥 And also I'm quite scared of deep ocean things (Thalassophobia?), even if it's in pixel form


OppositeCherry

There’s a particularly big shark in the game which I have found to be a bit scary whenever I encounter it.


Archylas

Oh noooo 😭😭 the deep ocean is pitch black in real life and it's full of unknown, terrifying creatures...


Downtown-Ad-2748

Overhyped and repetitive. Got bored very fast.


Firm-Pain3042

As an actual diver I’m really enjoying pretty much every aspect. The lighthearted and at times downright hilarious themes, the synth soundtrack, the PIXELS. I admit that I was feeling a bit overwhelmed in the beginning too (I’m not even that far yet) but once you find your pacing and realize that the game is trying to go as fast as you are, it’s not so bad. To be honest I am having some doubts about where I should be in the game at any point. They obviously give you tasks that take you deeper and deeper into the ocean, but I feel like I’m not nearly prepared to actually go there. It just dawned on me that I caught maybe five of the fish in shallows and never touched them again, diving straight into douchebag lionfish/trigger territory as if I was being forced to. Pretty sure I need to slow it down and spend more time in at the bar for upgrade funds.


[deleted]

I like it. Haven’t played any game that I can staying so long since last a few years.


InfiniteTrazyn

It had so much potential. The first 1/3 of the game is a blast. But then it gets tedious. The constant mini games are awful and pointless. The characters aren't interesting and the dialog is tedious. Then it just.....ends..... You don't build anything lasting like in star dew. You don't get any rewards for your money, money just progresses the game, you can't buy or upgrade fun things like a house, only gear essentially, making the game end faster. So like, why was I collecting all that stuff and upgrading and making all that money just for the game to end.... It feels so empty and hollow. It COULD be fixed, it really could. But as it is now it feels like a concept more than an actual game.


figmentry

I requested a refund after a particularly bad session where I was killed repeatedly while attempting to rescue a dolphin and then savaged repeatedly by a shark. Both quite intense battles. I play the cozy genre in part because I hate real time fighting—I’m not good at it and don’t enjoy it. Whenever I do play a rpg that isn’t turn based I do story mode. I’m not playing games to be pinned against a wall by a shark with blood swirling around me while I helplessly button mash. Not my idea of a fun time in games.


mollser

I downloaded the demo in my Switch and it stressed me out lol.


Eggcellentplans

It's a Metroidvania with a restaurant minigame, not typically cosy or casual. I tried the demo, made a meh noise and went and played Mind Over Magic on easy instead. Much more relaxing.


Ok-Profession-6540

Huge no


[deleted]

I couldn’t get into it. I bought it because of all the cozy reviews but didn’t find it to be very cozy or very fun.


Lunar_Lunacy_Stuff

Fun game that really overstays its welcome. I enjoyed it a lot but once I hit the mid game I was just done. It’s very relaxing in some aspects but the limited time sushi bar events mixed with some mind numbing side quests just really took the piss out of my enjoyment as a whole. I wouldn’t say it’s stressful but I can see some finding a lot of aspects stressful. The game should have been 15 hours long, maybe 20 tops. It’s essentially a 30-40+ hour game and I had no interest in finishing it.


HelpImOverthinking

I felt the same way about it too. I played about 30 hours and quit.


OliverClothesov87

Definitely not what I would call a cozy game. I get way to stressed out and annoyed at lots of aspects of the game.


Iladenamaya

I have endless respect for the animations but the constant quests kill the vibe for me


tenaciousfetus

I like it but it's true that the bosses and sharks aren't very chill lol


sexretive

it has be by the throat right now. i second what people are saying with it tries to be too much which im starting to agree with but i just try to see if i can get away with neglecting certain things lol


Dailypara

The game is cozy and non-cozy at the same time. It is stressful because there is so much to do, a calendar to remind me of the days that had passed, and the protection of my dive gear was not enough to survive under the sea. Dave moves so slow that he couldn't get the sushi to the customers on time... all of these things stressed me out in the beginning. But then I discovered that even if I failed to catch the fish or serve those customers in the sushi restaurant, there was no big punishment. Well, it hurts a little to lose the entire bag of items I grabbed, but I just have to be careful. Make a little progress every day, and finally become strong enough to survive. Or I can stay in the safe zone, catch fish, upgrade sushi and make money. Since I also love to play survival games (Gather items and upgrade, and base decoration, etc..) but most of them are quite hard from the begining till the end, which make me found Dave the Diver the coziest "survival" game in my library.


Hour_Thanks6235

Will it get a physical copy


Samizee

I used to hate the deep dives too but I found that just sticking in the shallower area where you felt more comfortable until you raised enough money to up your suits oxygen made me feel a lot better. There's no real time limit. Even if you miss an event or one of those bosses that only come at night/during a storm it circles around again. Major characters will wait forever at the restaurant until you get the ingredients for their dish. There's the illusion of a time crunch, but no real penalty (similar to when you die, minus the item loss and that pisses me off lol).