Haven is a game on Steam developed and published by The Game Bakers. It is an adventure, indie, RPG about a couple who escaped to a forgotten planet, where they left everything in their past behind. With the ability to play as both lovers at the same time, you get to experience their adventures as they settle into this unknown planet they landed on. This RPG adventure game has a unique storyline placed in an eerie unstable planet with lovable main characters.
The main characters are Yu and Kay, where they have left everything they knew behind to a planet called Source. They learn their new way of life while trying to repair their damaged ship. You get to experience their daily life and control how you want to go about your days on this planet. These moments can include normal everyday things such as cooking, crafting, and scavenging the planet for new discoveries. Alongside this, there are more mysteries to be uncovered about this planet that are separated into chunks. With fixing up your ship, you also discover new animals, food, and materials to examine.
The controls of Haven are simple, yet also complex. It might seem easy at first, but it’s difficult when you first start out. Instead of running while you explore, you are able to glide and speed through mountains and turns with your special boots. With mechanics such as drifting and U-turning, it makes gliding more smooth and less clunky. Initially, it gets time to get used to because you’re not able to move your camera while you’re gliding, only when you’re standing still and walking. Because of this, the views of the camera might be disorienting, alongside learning how to drift correctly and manage your turns. After some practice though, you are easily able to parooze through Source in a breeze.
With gliding, there are ‘flow threads’ that you can follow that allow you to get up peaks and recharge the batteries in your boots at the same time. It helps for an easier time getting to inaccessible areas while also recharging the power boosts in your boots.
Every islet you explore on Source with Yu and Kay are filled with a dark red material called rust, which needs to be cleaned up on each one. Doing so helps keep the planet’s critters safe from the agitating rust and cleans up the islets to help scavenge for ship and food materials. When an animal is agitated by rust, you have the ability to pacify them when you encounter them in battle.
The battle system is a turned-based ATB system, which stands for Active Timed Battle. This means that while you are able to choose what your units should do, you also have to be aware of when the enemies strike. Sometimes, they’ll strike while you’re choosing a move, so you must successfully time your shielding and weave in your attacks afterwards. The battle system is pretty lackluster, and there isn’t really much action that occurs. It feels repetitive after a while since it’s slow, but the sole purpose of this game isn’t just pacifying the animals.
The story and the relationship of Yu and Kay is amazing. The Game Bakers put a lot of thought into the characters’ dynamic and the plot of the story. With why Yu and Kay ended up here, to their everyday conversations with cooking, you are easily sucked into their lives and their views, where this relationship is a central element. Most RPG couplings might seem very cookie cutter, but with Yu and Kay, you are able to feel the emotions they feel, and you’re also able to relate to them if you’ve experienced some banter with your significant other or if you’ve experienced nostalgia from leaving your home to go somewhere far. A lot of the conversations you experience are a majority of the plot exposition as you continue throughout Haven, which are mentioned while chatting or even after eating. You’re even given options to choose what Yu and Kay are going to say when they’re conversing, which could potentially make them more confident as well.
With amazing characters and interesting plot, the graphics and art style of Haven are spectacular. The animations of the gameplay itself are slightly lackluster. Sometimes the camera doesn’t pan where Yu and Kay are when exploring a building, or the interactions with the outside world seem a little awkward.
While the in-game animations might seem a little lackluster, the art of Haven makes up for it. The items and foods are drawn uniquely and appetizingly, and Yu and Kay are also detailed as well. When Yu and Kay are conversing, their expressions change with each line such as Yu being happy or Kay being irritated. Alongside this, The Game Bakers put a lot of effort into making Yu and Kay have small details about themselves such as Kay’s scar on his face to Yu’s ribbon and band on her hair.
My favorite part about the art is the saving in progress photocards you’re given when you’re at a save point or there is an automatic save in the game. It consists of different photo cards of Yu and Kay, from them being goofy, to getting ready together, or even some sad moments of them crying. The art in this game weaved in with the characters’ dynamic easily had me attached to these two and it made me want to keep playing.
I wasn’t able to experience co-op mode for this game and played it solely on single player mode. However, you are given the option to co-op with a friend or lover. Haven can be played entirely solo though, and co-op mode is optional.
My personal experience with this game was positive. I was hooked into the elements of the visual novel, where I easily became attached to the dynamic of Yu and Kay’s relationship and their purpose for being here. I found myself wanting to know more about them and their backstory. I fell in love with their story: a relatable couple who left all they knew behind to be together, figuring out how to live and get by. The visual novel elements attracted me the most, allowing me to feel invested into Yu and Kay’s relationship. The art style and drawings of them throughout Haven also added onto my positive experience because it made me appreciate them more. The gameplay was simple enough for me to handle and I was able to get through exploring and battling.
While I enjoyed playing this game greatly, the only downside I experienced is that the exploring and battling were kind of lackluster. Exploring islets became repetitive as there wasn’t really anything new to be cleaned other than rust, finding ship parts, and discovering new types of plants. Each islet was unique, but there wasn’t really that surge of excitement you feel when you uncover something new. It almost felt like a chore going to each islet and clearing it out without anything entirely new. Battling also started to feel like a chore after a while because it was also the same dynamics: shielding, hitting, then pacifying.
The Game Bakers did a fantastic job hooking in the audience with an amazing couple, Yu and Kay, who are put in this unique situation while also having a backstory that everyone can find relatable. Whether it be the dynamic of Yu and Kay or their reasons for ending up where they are now and why it became so. The visual novel elements are implemented well into this game, and if you’re only here for the story, then I would recommend Haven. However, if you were looking for an action-packed role-playing game, this might not be for you because the role-playing itself is a little too bland, with the visual novel elements making up for the lackluster gameplay.
8.5/10
Check Out the Haven Steam Trailer:
Haven is available on PC via Steam, PlayStation5, Xbox Series and Xbox One (Game Pass).
For more information, please visit: http://www.thegamebakers.com/haven/
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Steam Review
I really love playing video games! Growing up, my dad introduced me to video games, the first being Street Fighter. I have always been surrounded by them growing up and even now. They really impacted my life allowing me to share this commonality with my friends and new ones. I play a wide array of games, mostly PC, but sometimes PS4 and Nintendo Switch. Some of my favorite games are Final Fantasy VII, League of Legends, Persona 5, and Stardew Valley. As of recent, I've been playing Fall Guys and Among Us as well!
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