Well, the catching fish requires aiming in a small area and then pressing a button repeatedly to catch it. I was able to avoid the button mashing with a Steam Input configuration, but it was still annoying. The developers eventually added an accessibility option where you don’t need to mash, but it’s still bad design, in my opinion. I did not find the aiming or oxygen limits relaxing at all, as I am sick with long COVID-19/ME/CFS and it was just too much effort. I’ve seen from reviews that the oxygen limits are trivial later, but that there are so many other random systems tacked on that it doesn’t matter. The restaurant part just did not grab me at all either, just seemed too basic.
What I’ve gathered from the reviews and the streaming is that the game just constantly tacks on new sub-systems and mini-games. The game also has basic puzzles randomly, that are easy but too frequent. Like, rotate giant rocks with a hole inside so you can pass on to next area. Bosses are also a difficulty spike for some people.
In my comment, kinda mixed my opinion of the early game (under 2 hours), affected by my condition, with criticisms of the later game, that I hadn’t played. I had decided to refund it because it did not match the hype for me. But since it was still being hyped to hell and back, I looked it up further and I validated my decision with reviews by other people and videos of other people playing.
Dave the Diver. I tried it but got it refunded. I’m certain if I had kept it, I would’ve regretted it. It’s not relaxing or cozy, even early on. As someone sick who believed the “relaxing” hype, I was incredibly disappointed.
Afterwards, I even randomly saw a streamer just ragequit the game live because he couldn’t stand more easy, slow puzzles. That just confirmed it for me.
I played the game last year but it was incredibly easy as an adult. I didn’t even finish it because it was too boring. I might download a mod that increases the difficulty.
Blizzard North was separate from the Irvine studio, I believe. Their Diablo 3 was in development for a while too.
But yeah, I guess that’s what people mean, the old design philosophy. But I can’t help it now. Old Blizzard seems tainted to me. At least starting from the WC3+WoW era.
So many studios sold to massive companies to “ensure their future” in the last few years, but now that the zero interest era* is over, they’re being cut.