Dave the Diver is a beachside delight held back by Switch performance issues

thesixthaxis.com:

When sushi-restaurant sim sensation Dave the Diver first hit the scene, I could tell it was a game full of charm. It was also an unfinished game, though, as it received its first wave of acclaim with its initial launch into Early Access. I told myself I’d wait for the full release before I gave the game a shot – making sure my first experience with it was as content rich as possible. In the end Iwaited a bit longer than that, and now the game has even been ported to consoles with a newly minted Nintendo Switch release.

I figured the addictive management loop of the game would feel right at home in my hands on the Switch, inspiring me to check the game out on the plucky handheld instead of PC. The vibrant world and endlessly rewarding systems of Dave the Diver are definitely a fit for comfy handheld play, but thanks to choppy inputs and long load times, it’s far from the perfect experience on Nintendo Switch.

Dave the Diver sees our titular diving enthusiast Dave enlisted to help gather fresh ingredients for a newly opened oceanside sushi spot. Dave is equally enthusiastic about sushi, and head chef Bancho is even more enthusiastic about cooking it, so the two help slimy investor Cobra bring delicious sushi to the mouths of the masses.

There are two main tasks for Dave to contend with, and they both feed into each other through a satisfying, seamless loop. In the mornings and afternoons, you can dive into the ocean and catch fish. The layout below the blue sea changes every time you dive, but you’ve got a limited amount of oxygen and an equally limited amount of tools to use when you first start out – you can harpoon some smaller fish close to the surface, but the bigger targets lurking deeper in the sea will have to wait.

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