Haven Review – A TRUE LOVE STORY?
Haven’s narrative is built around 2 lovers, Yu and Kay, and their journey as they escape from the Apiary. That is, an organisation that forces its people to be in relationships with others that are already predetermined by a matchmaker. Yu and Kay refuse the matchmaker, as they want to be with each other. So instead they run as far from the Apiary as they can. Landing on a foreign, abandoned planet called Source, Yu and Kay must fight to survive as they repair their crashed ship and continue to try and hide, as the Apiary closes in.
What almost seems to start out as a walking sim (where you can glide on energy streams) quickly turns as Yu and Kay discover that dark energy, known as rust, is corrupting Source and its wildlife. As they begin to rid Source of this rust, they also stumble across some architecture that seems to have been left by previous explorers. This then begs the questions, are Yu and Kay truly alone? Is the Apiary really that far away? And will Yu and Kay actually manage to remain together?
This story, whilst at times simplistic, is delivered in a fantastic, well-paced, manner, focusing on the personalities of Yu and Kay as they explore this seemingly empty planet. It does not follow the standard tropes of a typical love story, but rather emphasises the relationship struggles Yu and Kay face as they find out the truth that lies within Source.
Haven gives you a sense of a relationship that is honestly, quite relatable! The dialogue between the two is engaging and oftentimes, quite hilarious, as they throw quick jabs at each other as well as share some very heartfelt moments.
Gliding Through Source
The gameplay here is also quite simple, and I mean that in the best way possible. Haven mixes some atmospheric, peaceful adventuring with some light RPG mechanics. Whilst the combat may not be the main focus of Haven, it’s real time approach combined with tactical timing based attacks, leads to some very interesting encounters. However, after a while, combat does become a bit repetitive.
Gliding in Haven feels like a relaxing drive on a Sunday afternoon, as Yu and Kay drift around using their Anti-Grav boots to propel them forward. With its tight controls and ability to quickly change direction, there doesn’t really seem to be any reason to walk instead of gliding around this world. And because of the incredible art style, travelling through the many landscapes is an absolute joy.
Part of surviving on Source, does require players to survey the land, looking for resources for cooking and crafting. This does give additional reasons for exploration of the planet. However, similar to the combat, after a while it just feels a little laborious. It is definitely worth pushing through though, to experience more of the story.
It is also important to mention how brilliant the soundtrack is here. Composed by French musician Franck Rivoire, better known by his stage name Danger, this soundtrack is a big part of the reason that it is so easy to be immersed into the world of Haven!
Gliding in Haven feels like a relaxing drive on a Sunday afternoon!
Decision
Haven is a joy to experience! With an engaging narrative and simple, but effective gameplay, it is easy for anyone to pick up and play! We definitely recommend giving Haven a go, even if you, like me, are not usually into stereotypical love stories. Haven has many surprises in store that are definitely worth experiencing.
Reviewed by Samuel Incze
Good
Haven boasts a simple, but engaging love story and a stunning world which is a joy to explore. However, combat encounters, resource management and its clear out style gameplay can become a little tedious after a while.
This game was reviewed using a download code provided by The Game Bakers. The Beta Network uses affiliate partnerships, however, this does not influence reviews or any other content published. The Beta Network may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links that are on the website.
