The first week of June on Steam was quite the spectacle, what with the Summer Game Fest and a deluge of demos hitting the storefront. We saw crowds flocking to anticipated titles like 'Onimusha: Path of the Sword' and 'Mortal Shell 2', while RPGs such as 'Gothic 1 Remake' and 'Fatekeeper' also vied for our attention. Amidst this flood of new arrivals, one particular title stood out: 'Scale The Depths'.

Scale The Depths feels like a playful nod to 'Dave the Diver'. You step into the metallic shoes of a robot—complete with a rather quirky monitor for a face—tasked with catching fish, preparing them, and serving them to customers for a tidy profit. It sounds deceptively simple, doesn't it?

Dig a little deeper, and you'll find a surprising amount of depth. Since you're a robot, you aren't exactly diving in yourself; instead, you cast your line and pilot the float around the ocean. You'll start with a rather short leash, and some of the trickier fish require you to strike the float multiple times before they're finally hooked.

If you're looking to explore the abyss or make your job a bit easier, you'll need to upgrade your rod and bait. Better bait allows you to reel in those massive leviathans in one go, while rod upgrades let you venture into the deeper, more lucrative waters where the truly rare and valuable specimens hide.

Once the catch is secured, it's time for the prep work. You place your fish on a cutting board, remove the scales, and chop off the fins and head. Scaling requires a steady hand with your paring knife—move too fast and you'll ruin the meat. Once the scales are gone, a few clicks to remove the head and fins finish the job.

The preparation phase also features an upgrade path. Larger fish come with tougher, more stubborn scales, and some are encrusted with parasites, barnacles, or mud that need scrubbing away. Upgrading your blade makes the work easier, and frankly, the visual progression is hilarious. You start with a simple paring knife, but soon you're wielding monstrosities that look less like kitchen tools and more like bizarre daggers, katanas, zweihänders, or even something akin to Guts' Dragon Slayer from Berserk.

Beyond the fishing, the game is sprinkled with charming details. The clientele is, shall we say, eclectic. You'll start by serving the likes of otters, eagles, and axolotls, but soon you'll be catering to mythical beings like mermaids, selkies, and even Nessie herself.

The game takes you across varied locales, from serene lakes reminiscent of Loch Ness to the Outer Banks and Point Nemo. Each area boasts its own unique customers and fish. You might serve a Chupacabra in a blue lake or a Kraken in the dark depths of the sea. They all have their own specific tastes, and catering to their cravings earns you a higher score.

There's more to do than just fishing and serving, too. The seabed is filled with collectibles and environmental puzzles. You can use your float to trigger levers and buttons to unlock secret areas or manipulate tiles to enter ancient shrines. Keep an eye out for interesting trinkets like Nessie dolls or bottles with messages inside.

As of the 8th, Scale The Depths holds a 'Very Positive' rating on Steam (84% positive). Players are saying things like, "Both the underwater exploration and fish preparation feel unique," "A light, smooth game perfect for killing time," "You can customise your boat or put weird hats on your robot," "It really reminds me of Dave the Diver," and "It would be perfect with more content and Korean localisation support."