Dave the Diver: A Fishing and Sushi Restaurant Management Game with Unexpected Stealth Elements
A Dave the Diver gameplay demo that we saw at GDC last year revealed a few oddball elements, including unexpected stealth sequences. Now, Dave the Diver game director Jaeho Hwang explains where those elements came from, with some inspiration coming from unexpected places, like Metal Gear Solid.
“The initial idea for Dave the Diver came to me while I was visiting a seafood restaurant on Jeju Island,” Hwang says. “I was struck by the experience of interacting with the chefs and other guests. I wanted to bring that to gamers and was inspired to create a game combining management, simulation, and adventure elements.”
Hwang says that the team also drew inspiration from their own undersea experiences. One member even contributed a Manta Ray mission based on personal footage from the Maldives.
The gameplay of Dave the Diver, however, came from a variety of sources. Hwang mentions the Japanese roguelike dungeon game ‘Taloon’s Great Adventure: Mystery Dungeon’ influenced the gameplay. The game also features unexpected stealth elements, which Hwang says came from games like Metal Gear Solid.
“Metal Gear Solid is one such example,” Hwang says. “Dave is not as skilled as Solid Snake, though, so we had to carefully decide when to implement these moments.” He also says that spearfishing expeditions into the mysterious Blue Hole were inspired by undersea games such as ABZU and Subnautica.
Hwang says that he finds inspiration in games that combine mini-games and management elements with solid gameplay. He cites games like Metal Gear Solid and Like A Dragon as examples. Hwang also enjoys playing other fishing games, mentioning Dredge, which combines fishing with a Lovecraftian horror story.
“We’re also interested in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom,” Hwang says. “But given the game’s launch, we haven’t had the opportunity to dive into the open world yet.”
With the workload decreasing, however, we can look forward to diving deeper into Dave the Diver, and maybe even some other undersea adventures. Check out more on the game in our Dave the Diver guides section.
