Unfortunately, I completely missed Dave the Diver when it originally launched. It was one of those games I had always wanted to play, and I finally got around to it over the last ten days or so. When I finished the base game, I immediately had that feeling of, “Man, I wish this adventure continued.” Thankfully, there have already been several DLC packs released, including Ichiban’s Holiday, the Dredge Content Pack, and the Godzilla Content Pack. They all added new fish to catch, a handful of extra quests, and generally expanded the enjoyment of an already fantastic game.
And I haven’t had the chance to dive into those expansions yet. Instead, I jumped straight into the DLC launching today: Into the Jungle. Unlike the previous content packs, this one serves as a true continuation of the story, expanding the lore of several characters while introducing new mechanics that not only refresh the gameplay but somehow make the game even more enjoyable, if that’s even possible. Because of that, my focus was entirely on Into the Jungle, while my colleague had already covered the base game itself for the website.
In this DLC, the story takes us far away from the blue ocean and straight into the heart of a dense jungle. Dave, Bancho, and Cobra travel to the village of Utara, hidden deep among the trees, to investigate a mysterious phenomenon occurring in a massive freshwater lake. As you might expect, what begins as just another adventure quickly evolves into a warm, humorous, and occasionally very emotional story about new people, their personal struggles, the secrets of the jungle, and what lies beneath the lake’s surface.
The new characters are wonderfully written, from the stubborn old shaman who refuses to believe anything, to the cheerful village cook, all the way to the children who can’t decide whether they’re terrified of you or fascinated by your presence. As you help them, cook meals, solve their small and large problems, and spend time with them, they slowly open up and become genuinely likeable. And I don’t just mean the kids, I mean everyone in the village. It creates that wonderful feeling of a living world that evolves as you progress through the game. Some scenes are genuinely emotional and will likely stay with you long after the credits roll. The story isn’t particularly long, but it’s very well written, featuring several memorable emotional moments that fit perfectly within the original game’s relaxed yet occasionally serious tone.
The DLC keeps everything we loved about the original gameplay while refreshing many aspects with new ideas and mechanics. Diving now takes place in freshwater environments featuring an entirely new ecosystem filled with new species of fish, aggressive piranhas, crocodiles, giant snakes, and some truly impressive boss encounters that will absolutely make you sweat. Dave gains access to a new Jungle Gun, which can transform into several different weapon types, including a shotgun, sniper rifle, net launcher, harpoon, and more. This makes combat far more dynamic and enjoyable than before, although the original gameplay was already incredibly fun. You can switch weapon modes on the fly, giving you a level of flexibility that simply didn’t exist previously. One moment you’re catching fish with a net, and the next you’re sniping a dangerous predator from a distance.
Combat feels faster, more intense, and more tactical than in the original game, especially when facing larger creatures. The fish-catching system has also been expanded, giving you more options for approaching and capturing rare species. Some fish now require genuine planning and patience, making every dive feel fresh and exciting.
Bancho receives a much larger role this time around, with the DLC expanding his backstory ahead of the recently announced prequel, Bancho The Chef. He opens a new restaurant called Bancho Grill, focused entirely on dishes made from jungle ingredients. Restaurant management now takes place from an isometric perspective. You’ll run around the restaurant, serve guests across different areas, manage the growing chaos, and do your best to keep everyone happy. This is one of the DLC’s biggest additions, and it brings a welcome sense of freshness along with plenty of hilarious situations, especially when things inevitably start going wrong and panic sets in.
The cooking system has been expanded with new recipes, while customers now have more complex demands, making restaurant management more engaging and challenging. Every day at Bancho Grill becomes its own little adventure, and satisfied customers reward you with better bonuses and unlock additional content. The biggest and most pleasant surprise is the game’s new surface-level gameplay. You now have the entire village of Utara to explore freely in real time. Time passes naturally, villagers follow their own daily routines, and you can build relationships with them through quests, gifts, and helping them with everyday problems.
There are also plenty of side activities, including bird hunting, bug battles, gathering rare plants, fishing with traditional rods, and even fun events involving the village children. All of this helps make the jungle feel like a truly living world rather than an afterthought built around the main diving mechanics. Exploring the village and getting to know its people often becomes just as enjoyable as diving itself, sometimes even more so. Every new day brings something different: a new quest, a unique event, or simply another enjoyable conversation with a villager that gradually pulls you deeper into their lives.
Another major addition introduced in this DLC is the new land-based turn-based combat system. While exploring the jungle, you’ll encounter enemies on land and engage in classic turn-based battles that feel straight out of a JRPG. I have to admit, it’s a complete change of pace compared to the fast-paced underwater action. Now you’re choosing attacks, using character-specific abilities, managing positioning, and taking advantage of the environment around you. Cobra comes with his own unique skill set, Dave can utilise various gadgets, and battles require actual planning and strategy. Some of these tactical encounters, especially the land-based boss fights, can be surprisingly challenging.
Honestly, this caught me off guard at first since I had become so accustomed to the game’s real-time action. But after a few hours, I adjusted and started genuinely enjoying it. It adds a welcome layer of variety to the experience. Underwater, you’re dealing with fast, dynamic action and hunting, while on land, you’re engaging in a slower, more tactical turn-based system. It gives the game additional depth and makes the overall experience feel much more diverse. On top of that, you’ll earn various bonuses and rewards that help you in other parts of the game as well. Simply put, it’s an absolute joy.
That said, just like in the original game, some quests can become slightly repetitive if you’re determined to complete absolutely everything the game has to offer. Occasionally, a few of the mini-games feel more like filler than fully developed systems. Still, when you really think about it, all of this additional content integrates surprisingly well into the overall gameplay structure of the original game. Navigation through the jungle can be a little frustrating until you become familiar with the map, and some boss fights are genuinely challenging, potentially forcing you to reload a few times before finally overcoming them.
But this is a DLC, or rather, a full-fledged expansion, for an already fantastic game. At around ten euros, the amount of content here is honestly incredible. The main story alone lasts roughly 10–12 hours, while completionists can easily spend over 20 hours tackling all the side activities. For that price, it almost feels like stealing, in the best possible way. Think of the expansions from The Witcher 3. That’s roughly the level of content we’re talking about here.
In the end, DAVE THE DIVER – In the Jungle is easily one of the best DLCs I’ve played in recent memory and a perfect example of how to expand an already excellent game. Mintrocket has once again managed to make this world feel fresh, exciting, and surprisingly addictive. Playing it captures that same feeling you had when you first launched the base game—only somehow even better. The team has once again demonstrated that they understand exactly what their players love. If you enjoyed the original game, this expansion is absolutely essential. Honestly, just like every previous Dave the Diver DLC. And if you still haven’t played Dave the Diver, grab the base game and this expansion immediately afterward. There’s simply no reason to regret it.
The game continues to be one of the most relaxing, entertaining, and charming indie series of recent years. We generally don’t score DLCs or expansions, but if we had to, this would be a very strong 9/10.
We would like to thank MINTROCKET for providing a review copy of the game.
