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Dave the Diver Actually Helped With My Thalassophobia Since it came out in 2023, Dave the Diver , an action-adventure scuba diving game that combines harpoon fishing with restaurant management, has received almost universal praise from critics and fans alike. Despite its unique premise and cute pixel art, I didn't purchase the game until the end of 2024. The only reason behind my reluctance to try Dave the Diver was my crippling thalassophobia and megalophobia. However, new year, new me. It’s time to overcome my fear and, to my surprise, it worked better than I imagined. Honestly, I thought most people have thalassophobia. "It’s not irrational or ridiculous or something I need to work on at all," I thought. Have you ever looked at how vast and dark the ocean is, and realized how small we humans are in comparison? The idea of being trapped underwater while God knows what lurks around you in the murky depths is terrifying. And speaking of which, don’t even get me started on the creatures that live down there. Whales are friendly, I know, but they’re so big . What if it swallows you by accident? Fish don’t need to be big to be scary either. Some look like they’re the bastard children of Lovecraftian horrors and Satan’s nightmares . Of course, that’s when I remembered that marine biologists and scuba divers exist in real life. So maybe it’s not as normal a fear as I thought. My fear of the ocean (any large body of water, really) was so bad that I freaked out while on the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ride at Tokyo DisneySea. The Fishdom ad, when it shows that giant fish about to swallow all the other fish, makes my heart beat faster. A trailer I saw of Subnautica once scared me so badly that I had to exit YouTube. Yes, I’m aware of how embarrassing this is and how weak I seem, but I can’t help it. Since even clips of Subnautica look far scarier than any other horror game I’ve ever seen, I decided that Dave the Diver is the safest place to start from. I mean, how scary can it be? Screenshot by Siliconera In Dave the Diver , you play as a dude who dives for fish, which you then give to sushi chef Bancho. At night, you also need to help out at Bancho's restaurant. The pixel art is so cute, and the gameplay loop sounds relaxing. Surely, I can see that the ocean is a lovely place full of friends, and that'll curb my fear with this. That optimism didn’t last long. The moment I had to travel to the depths and a huge shark appeared from the dark, I wanted to turn off the game. All the tunnels full of tubeworms and hostile jellyfish, as well as the sheer scale of the ocean you can see in the background, frightened me. But you know what? My idea actually worked. I was right about how the game's visuals make it approachable. I won't lie and say the depths didn't scare me at first, but after a while, I stopped hesitating to dive down there for fish and quests. Subnautica features a much wider space, and it forces you to see it from a first person perspective. Since Dave the Diver 's level design is more compact, and you view it from a third person perspective, it's not so bad once you play more of it. The designs of the fish aren't that realistic thanks to the pixel art, and you see them from such a distance that even species I'd normally scream at look fine. There's something soothing about the grind, too. Focusing on finding coral or looking for a specific fish to hunt keep my eyes and mind busy enough that I don’t notice the dark environment anymore. The game constantly forcing you down there for quests, as well as the rather static layout, makes the depths more familiar, which is another way of alleviating fear. The pixel art really softens the visuals when it comes to the scarier looking marine animals, too. Riding the high of the confidence boost, I checked out some Subnautica clips and had to back out before even seeing the Leviathan Reaper. So I have a real appreciation for the overall design in Dave the Diver . Actually, this thing still scares me. Screenshot by SIliconera Gaming therapy is a real thing, and it’s something that’s gaining some real traction from its first use in 1980. Different cases require different games or genres. Relaxing games like Flower can relieve stress, while some therapists use more open-world games like Minecraft to help children with autism . For better or for worse, games are a more mainstream hobby now. Sure, there are some people now who still believe games (like anime or cartoons) are specifically for children. But, that seems like a minority opinion nowadays. So it makes sense that as games become more common in our everyday lives, different fields and industries will employ them for their own purposes. Saying that Dave the Diver helps me with my real-world phobia is like saying a Band-Aid helped me with a broken arm. Toss me into the ocean, away from land, and I’ll definitely have a panic attack. But at least while I occupy Dave’s body and paddle around the pixel waters of Dave the Diver , I feel better about my fear of thalassophobia. I can at least watch that silly Fishdom ad with a normal resting heart rate now. Maybe one day in the far future, I’ll work myself up to playing Subnautica . Dave the Diver is available on the PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch , Windows PC, and macOS. The post Dave the Diver Actually Helped With My Thalassophobia appeared first on Siliconera .

Nintendo Switch Archives - SiliconeraJan 11

5 Must Watch Moments from Mel Gibson on The Joe Rogan Experience Mel Gibson is a name that sparks both admiration and debate. The renowned actor and filmmaker, is no stranger to the spotlight, whether it’s for his stellar performances or his controversial takes. Known for speaking his mind, Gibson had graced The Joe Rogan Experience podcast with an unforgettable appearance. This episode was a rollercoaster of […] This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire

FandomWireJan 11

Marvel Rivals was briefly the most played game on Steam Marvel Rivals is rapidly becoming one of the most popular multiplayer video games running right now, and it's just reached a massive milestone on Steam. For a few hours, Marvel Rivals was the most-played game on Steam, outperforming some top-tier competitors and proving its staying power within the multiplayer scene. Marvel Rivals' Season 1 launch turned it into the most-played game on Steam Image via NetEase Games When Marvel Rivals launched in December last year, it instantly became one of the most popular games on Steam. The game amassed over 2,000,000 players on Steam within hours of its release , shattering expectations. However, some people remained unconvinced the game's time in the spotlight would last long. Some onlookers, including former Blizzard head Mike Ybarra , downplayed the game's success, predicting its post-launch hype would fizzle out fast. Luckily for fans, Marvel Rivals ' harshest critics got a huge reality check when Season 1 dropped on January 10, 2025. According to SteamDB , Marvel Rivals racked up 644,269 concurrent players in the hours after Season 1 went live, breaking its previous all-time peak player count and sending it flying to the top of Steam's most-played game chart. While Marvel Rivals would lose its spot at the top of the pyramid within a few hours, it's impossible to deny how impressive that accomplishment is. In the short time it was the most-played game on Steam, Marvel Rivals outperformed some stiff competition. This included Path of Exile 2 , Palworld , and Counter-Strike 2 , all of which have become mainstays on Steam's most-played lists. With Season 1 in full swing, the odds of Marvel Rivals ' player count getting swelled by word-of-mouth are pretty high. If that happens, the little hero shooter that could might end up topping Steam's most-played list soon. The post Marvel Rivals was briefly the most played game on Steam appeared first on Destructoid .

Steam Archives – DestructoidJan 11

The 10 best and most out-there Marvel Rivals mods, ranked Updated: January 10, 2025 As the debut of Season 1 saw Marvel Rivals adopt asset hash checking, all of the mods below no longer work. The Marvel Rivals modding scene has quickly become known for its novel and out-there crossovers, letting players bring beloved characters like GTA 's CJ and real-life celebrities like Ariana Grande into the game. But as you can expect, not all mods will have the same quality. Here are the 10 best Marvel Rivals mods. But before you continue, remember that using mods might open you up to a possible ban in the game, so do so at your own risk. You can check out more about this in our Can you get banned for using mods in Marvel Rivals piece. 10. Magik to Sora by Reflzx Original image via Reflzx on Nexus Mods Perfect for all who — like me — will consume anything Kingdom Hearts -related in a heartbeat, Reflzx's Magik to Sora mod replaces the sorceress with the KH3 version of our valiant protagonist, who, of course, comes with his signature Kingdom Key. As a bonus, the mod sees Sora enter his Rage Form whenever Darkchild is triggered, switching his Keyblade for the fan-favorite Oblivion. 9. WarGreymon and BlackWarGreymon by Hallow Image via Hallow on Nexus Mods To the delight of all Digimon fans, Hallow's WarGreymon and BlackWarGreymon (Wolverine and Black Panther) mod brings what I consider to be the best Digivolution ever released, alongside its Virus-species counterpart, into Marvel Rivals in all their glory. While WarGreymon's model can only replace Wolverine, BlackWarGreymon's can replace either the former or Black Panther. 8. Pochita Jeff by yakuzadeso and Reflzx17 Image via yakuzadeso and Reflzx17 on Nexus Mods If Jeff was not cute (and menacing) enough, yakuzadeso and Reflzx17's Pochita Jeff mod turns the game's most lethal support into Chainsaw Man 's Pochita by both changing his color palette and adding its trademark chainsaw to Jeff's head. Although the above is an absolute highlight, Hololive fans might also want to check out yakuzadeso's Gawr Gura Jeff mod , which dresses the Land Shark in the VTuber's signature themed-hoodie. 7. The Employee by Hallow Image via Hallow on Nexus Mods Hallow's The Employee mod brings to life the worst nightmare of all monsters and flawlessly shows everyone what an Iron Fist working part-time for the Company would look like. I might not be one for headcanons, but this is definitely one I can get behind, especially after a Bracken stopped me from meeting my quota last night. 6. CJ as Winter Soldier by Leonaura Image via Leonaura on Nexus Mods Briefly mentioned earlier, Leonaura's CJ as Winter Soldier mod brings the GTA: San Andreas protagonist to Marvel Rivals by replacing Bucky Barnes with what I can only assume to be a tweaked version of his Definitive Edition model. No, you are not required to add the "Here we go" to his Ultimate when using this mod, but c'mon, why wouldn't you? For those looking to add even more GTA into the game, Leonaura has released another high-quality mod regarding the franchise, this time replacing The Punisher with CJ's rival, Big Smoke . 5. Insomniac Spider-Man by LN310 Image via LN310 on GameBanana The first Spider-Man mod in our list, LN310's Insomniac Spider-Man shines by bringing the hero's fan-favorite Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Advanced Suit 2.0 model to Marvel Rivals . Looking at his mod, I can't help but think of how much of a missed opportunity not having this suit as an official skin still is. 4. Star Platinum Over Iron Fist by Lynks and Rayz Image via Lynks on Nexus Mods A mod that brings to life the first thought many Jojo's fans had when using Iron Fist for the first time, Lynks and Rayz's Star Platinum Over Iron Fist replaces the living weapon of K'un-Lun's with Jotaro Kujo's stand and, in turn, morphs his deadly Yat Jee Chung Kuen sequence into Ora Ora. At the time of writing, a few users have highlighted an issue where the mod's files seem to stay in the game even after a clean reinstallation, so keep that in mind if you want to give it a spin. 3. Spider-Man Back in Black by Cykal Image via Cykal on Nexus Mods One of the only mods to ever make me do a double-take and check out if a character had received any new skins, Spider-Man Ba ck in Black by Cykal dresses Spidey in the non-symbiote version of his classic black suit, received as a gift from Black Cat. Yes, I know we already have a Spider-Man mod here, but what can I say? The attention to detail and the way the mod seems to jump right out of the comic book just sold it for me. 2. Asuka Langley Over Peni by Lazuli Original image via Lazuli on Nexus Mods Lazuli's Asuka Langley over Peni takes the character's clear Neon Genesis Evangelion inspirations to the limit by actually replacing both her model and Spider's with Asuka and her signature Unit-02. To complete the package and give you the full EVA experience, the mod also changes Peni's character icon and in-game name to Asuka's, which, although a small touch at first glance, makes it shine even brighter. 1. FPS Boost by noizros Image via noizros on Nexus Mods One of the biggest complaints regarding Marvel Rivals since its debut has been its optimization, as many continue to report difficulties playing the game, even on newer machines. That's where noizros's FPS Boost mod comes in, as it will automatically tweak the game's settings in favor of a massive boost in performance. Make sure to keep in mind, however, that although it is the best mod for the game, given its utility, the mod won't work miracles. The post The 10 best and most out-there Marvel Rivals mods, ranked appeared first on Destructoid .

DestructoidJan 11

NCIS Showrunner Don Bellisario “Wasn’t Completely Sure” Mark Harmon Was the Right Choice for Gibbs NCIS has long raged as one of the most praiseworthy crime dramas of all time, and one of the major reasons behind its success besides its outstanding plotlines is the star-studded cast the show sported. Throughout the time it has been on air, the series cast the most perfect actors in the most accurate roles, […] This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire

FandomWireJan 11

— Ark Crossword ClueThat should be all the information you need to solve for the — Ark crossword clue! Be sure to check more clues on our Crossword Answers. The post — Ark Crossword Clue appeared first on Try Hard Guides .

Try Hard GuidesJan 11

Anime Fate Echoes Codes [Alpha] (January 2025)In Roblox Anime Fate Echoes, players can draw magical anime cards by clicking the Roll button. You can use coins to unlock amazing talents and features. As you build your deck party, you will face exciting battles against enemies and other players, making every moment thrilling and unique. Are you eager to start your adventure […] The post Anime Fate Echoes Codes [Alpha] (January 2025) appeared first on Try Hard Guides .

Try Hard GuidesJan 11

“This wasn’t in the original story!”: Tite Kubo Has Some Big Claims About Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War that Could Finally Do Justice to His Story The Bleach franchise is full of dark twists and turns, dealing with the forces of darkness and the weight of responsibility. The final arc, Thousand-Year Blood War, was notoriously the worst-written arc in the entire series by Tite Kubo, known for its plot holes and loose narrative threads that left fans thinking “What just happened.” […] This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire

FandomWireJan 11

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