Dave the Diver Review (Z)
I have got mixed feelings about this game, for me it's hard to recommend it, but it is not a bad game. Let's start with the negative points (imho):
Cons
This is not a roguelike
First off, the game advertises itself as a roguelike. That's not entirely true. The maps aren't random. There are about 6–8 maps that rotate between each other. You can memorize them over time and know exactly where everything is...
Boring endgame
The late game, I think it really lacks substance and replay value. Once you reach the end, all that is left is daytime fishing and staring at the screen at night while everything runs on autopilot. It's absurdly boring.
The game starts off strong with tons of mini-games and mechanics, but they gradually disappear until it becomes a simulator where you just watch your money go up without doing anything.
Come on, you can't even fight bosses again... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Lots of tutorials
There are way too many tutorials. I get that modern players sometimes need a tutorial for every little thing, but this goes overboard. You see something glowing in the distance? Cool you approach it, and suddenly-bam! A tutorial pops up saying, "Wow, something shiny! Maybe I should use it to blah blah blah..." Come on, let me figure it out by myself!
Poor weapon system
You can't carry more than two weapons.
If the game let you carry at least two weapons, it would be a big improvement. It is pretty frustrating having your runs limited just because of this. Also almost all weapons are useless besides 2 or 3 (._.)
DLCs nonsense
Worst of all? The DLCs. Some, like the Godzilla or Yakuza DLCs, are only available for a limited time. If you didn't buy or download them in time, you are out of luck, boi, you will never be able to get them again
It feels like a scummy and shady practice justified with a weak excuse. They say it's due to "IP licensing issues". Well, if your "partners" require you to pull the DLC after X days, maybe don't do business with those partners, because it only hurts and angers your players.
According to this thread on the official Steam forums (LINK)
They claim that they will stop doing this. But in reality, there are at least two DLCs you won't be able to play it in the future if you didn't grab them in time ꉂ૮(°□°'˶)ა
Pros
Fun story mode
While you are playing through the story, the game is a blast. It has a huge variety of mini-games and different mechanics that surprisingly fit together really well. Managing the bar and training your staff is super addictive throughout the entire story.
Lots of crossovers with other games
On top of that, there are lots of fun crossovers with other games like Balatro or Potion Alchemist. You can enjoy playing mini-versions of them (almost like demos) inside Dave the Diver. That's cool.
Great art
The graphics, animations, and music are all really well done. The animations in particular are fun, detailed, and full of great references. You can tell a lot of love went into them.
Conclusion
I would recommend the game if it is on sale and you are mainly looking to enjoy the story mode.
As I mentioned, the late game is a snoozefest and there is barely any extra mini-games or fun...
Don't be fooled by the "roguelike" tag. It is definitely not one, not even close.
The game is totally worth it and super fun while you are playing through the story. So, to be fair, as a one-time playthrough experience, I definitely recommend it.