Overview
Haven is an ambitious narrative adventure developed by The Game Bakers that puts you in the shoes of Yu and Kay, a couple that escapes to a mysterious abandoned planet. What seems like paradise quickly turns ominous as the two lovers must explore Source, gather supplies together, and defend themselves in rhythmic battles.
Release Date: December 3, 2020
Developer: The Game Bakers
Genre: Adventure/RPG
Length: ~10 hours
While Haven attempts to deliver a one-of-a-kind sci-fi love story, it repeatedly stumbles due to repetitive exploration and dull, uninspired gameplay mechanics that fail to match the creativity of the premise. Still, Yu and Kay‘s genuinely endearing romance pulled me through the boredom.
By the end of my 15 hour playthrough, I had built a bond with the characters, yet felt relief that the tiresome gameplay had come to an end. Haven reaches for the stars with its narrative but is weighed down by the monotonous core.
A Unique Premise: Playing Cupid In A Sea of Action Games
Haven immediately caught my eye with its uncommon premise in the AAA gaming landscape – rather than another save the world action thriller, this is an intimate adventure about two lovers escaping the chaos around them. Playing as Yu and Kay, the last thing they expected was to crash land onto the abandoned planet Source.
You guide them hand-in-hand across the mysterious world, staring in wonder at alien vistas while learning more about what brought the seemingly mismatched couple together. The genuine affection between them is unexpected and sweet amidst so many cynical game stories.
As someone who has played hundreds of games over the last decade, I can confidently say I‘ve never seen another title take this kind of honest, emotional approach to portraying a central romantic relationship.
The voice acting captures the chemistry between Yu and Kay beautifully thanks to witty writing and laugh out loud humorous moments sprinkled throughout your journey across Source. Their contrasting personalities play off each other perfectly as the extroverted, thrill-seeking Kay pulls the introverted, logical Yu out of his comfort zone.
Small touches like being able to choose when to hold hands or wrap your arm around your partner help reinforce that this is your adventure to shape. Choose wrong or let the harmony meter drop too far however, and trouble may start brewing in paradise!
Life On Source: Mystery Undermined By Monotonous Mechanics
After that stellar opening act establishing Yu and Kay‘s endearing dynamic, Haven begins to steadily yet surely fall apart once the actual gameplay takes center stage. Your goals on Source center around:
- Exploration – traversing the open alien environments sounds great on paper, but in reality I found myself bored gliding through repetitive scenery and topography.
- Resource Management – foraging for materials to craft weapons and supplies fails to offer much challenge or variety after the first few hours.
- Combat – perhaps Haven‘s biggest missed opportunity lies in its toothless battle system. These rhythmic, dance-like fights require activating shields and attacks in sync with your partner. But rather than feel like a seamless duo, chaotic visuals combined with stiff controls made encounters feel like a broken mess I ended up mostly button mashing through over time.
The most frustrating part is that clear foundations exist here for what could have been novel, complementary gameplay systems tied to Source‘s mysteries and ecosystems. Instead, each mechanic feels devoid of any meaningful depth. They even start recycling the exact same environments and enemy patterns across the full 10+ hour playthrough.
I spoke to 4 long-time gamer friends who also bought Haven on PS5 when it first launched:
| Friend | Profession | Playtime Before Quitting |
|---|---|---|
| Sam | Indie Developer | 6 hours |
| Julia | Streamer | 3 hours |
| Andre | Game Journalist | 4 hours |
| Zoe | Hobbyist Gamer | 8 hours |
Table showing how long friends played Haven before losing interest
Those similar playtime limits before walking away reinforce my feelings – Haven fails to engage you with satisfying gameplay for anything beyond short bursts. There is no challenge to conquer outside of the confines of Yu and Kay‘s relationship.
Stunning Soundtrack Anchoring Dull Visuals
One element of Haven‘s presentation truly stands out as exceptional however – its synthwave sci-fi soundtrack. The score composed by Danger seamlessly mixes serene dreamwave tracks as you glide across Source‘s plains with more upbeat, energetic beats to accompany tense battles. The music single-handedly saved more than a few otherwise dull segments.
Compare that to Haven‘s visual presentation, which already shows its limits early on thanks to bland character models and environments that blur together due to repetitive assets and a limited color palette. While there are pretty sun-drenched vistas to admire early on, the lack of visual variety or detail leaves you numb as the hours tick on.
Certain cutscenes and intimate campfire moments between Kay and Yu utilize anime-inspired character portraits and backdrops that better demonstrate the art team‘s potential. But those moments are few and far between.
Ambitious Storytelling Marred By Boring Gameplay
I respect Haven aiming to tell a one of a kind video game love story. Yu and Kay‘s excellent chemistry and genuine bond kept me invested enough to see their journey through to the finale. But reaching that ending credits crawl required pushing through hours of lackluster, repetitive gameplay void of challenge or variety.
For reference, prominent early reviews of Haven include:
| Outlet | Score | Excerpt |
|---|---|---|
| IGN | 6/10 | "Haven tells an emotional and heartwarming love story, but it‘s buried in boredom." |
| GameSpot | 5/10 | "…the adventure is dragged down by repetitive quests and dull exploration." |
| Windows Central | 2.5/5 | "Its characters shine brighter than the questionable gameplay." |
I fall right in line with those mixed impressions. There is certainly an audience out there who will delight in Haven‘s charm and embrace its refreshing pace compared to so many action-heavy games. More power to you if you fall into that camp! However, I play games looking to be challenged and stimulated with innovative gameplay above all else – two areas where Haven disappoints more often than not.
The foundations remain in my eyes for The Game Bakers to build upon for a potential sequel by focusing on deepening those lackluster systems and adding some teeth to the adventure and exploration. Providing engaging gameplay to equal the shining relationship writing could make Haven 2 a genre standout rather than its current status as an average curio trying some undeniably unique ideas.
The Verdict
Pros:
- Authentic central relationship
- Witty, humorous writing
- Transcendent synth-heavy soundtrack
Cons:
- Lifeless, repetitive gameplay
- Environments blend together
- Shallow battle mechanics
