Game Review: Deep Diving Adventures (Xbox Series X)

The word ‘simulator’ is doing some heavy lifting in gaming these days, now isn’t it? We’re a long way away from Microsoft Flight Simulator, and while some like Goat Simulator have used the word in tongue in cheek fashion, there are far too many games claiming to be a simulator, when they’re nothing like one.

Now I’m no diving expert, but I can promise you that Deep Diving Adventures does not accurately portray the real-life experience of deep-sea diving. Which is fine, as far as a game goes, but if you’re going to call yourself a simulator (and it does), you really should be aiming for more realism than this. Unless the simulator part is how this game’s dullness reflects the real-life dullness of diving?

Developed and published by Jujubee, Deep Diving Adventures is a very simple game with very little depth. Squeeze into your wetsuit and head underwater where you will find yourself picking up trash, shells, and occasionally cleaning up some polluted fish. It’s not exactly an adventure now, is it? Until, suddenly it is, and now you’re exploring old tombs and shipwrecks, finding golden idols and opening treasure chests. There’s no in between here, it’s either picking up rubbish or making discoveries that would make Indiana Jones take off his hat out of respect.

It’s dumb, but exploring lost caves is infinitely more fun than cleaning up fish. Even if getting access to said caves involves completing pointless puzzles. An area that the game does not excel at. Least of all because the underwater controls aren’t exactly great.

Which is a bit of a problem considering the entire game is spent underwater. At least I can say that the stiff movements, floatation complications, and general feeling of disorientation are probably quite accurate for being underwater. As is running out of air, something that will cost you all the items you picked up/fish you cleaned in a level, so make sure that doesn’t happen.

Again, this and the fact that should you rise to the surface too fast, you will get warnings about decompression illness flash up, makes this seem like a simulator. Except, here I am using a medical pistol to clean fish and uncovering the secret of a lost town deep underwater. It’s such an odd game that it almost, and I mean almost, becomes quite compelling. Almost hypnotic, although that could also be because it is so boring that falling asleep while playing it is possible.

It is a game though, and one that makes the player feel like they’re progressing. Unlocking new items and abilities that make the game more enjoyable as it goes on. Stronger sonar with a wider field for you to find all the elusive items in a level. More air, so you can stay underwater for longer. Heck, it’s even possible to unlock faster movement. Ok, you won’t be zipping around, but anything is better than the crawling speed you start off with.

Alongside the positives about the sense of progression, there’s also positives regarding the game’s levels. All of which are pretty varied and there are one or two that are quite fun to explore. Even if the visuals are almost always dull and ugly to look at. It’s not a terrible looking game, but it doesn’t stand out either.

Which is the perfect summation of Deep Diving Adventures, an inoffensive game that doesn’t stand out in the slightest. Only likely to be picked up by those with a passion for diving and those taken in by the possibility of a deep-sea simulator. Something it is not.