''Haven'' is a 2020
role-playing video game
A role-playing video game (commonly referred to as simply a role-playing game or RPG, as well as a computer role-playing game or CRPG) is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character (or several party members) immers ...
developed and published by
The Game Bakers
The Game Bakers is an independent video game developer, game studio based in Montpellier, France. The company are known for creating games for mobile devices including ''Squids (video game), Squids'' and ''Combo Crew'', but have recently shifted t ...
. It was released in December for
Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
,
PlayStation 5
The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 4 in April 2019, it was launched on November 12, 2020, in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North Ame ...
,
Xbox One
The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
, and
Xbox Series X/S
The Xbox Series X/S are home video game consoles developed by Microsoft. They were both released on November 10, 2020, as the fourth generation Xbox, succeeding the Xbox One. Along with Sony's PlayStation 5, also released in November 2020, t ...
, while versions for
PlayStation 4
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
and
Nintendo Switch
The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a Tablet computer#Gaming tablet, tablet that can either be docking station, docked for use as a home video ...
were released in February 2021. The game received generally positive reviews from critics, who were divided about the story.
Gameplay
''Haven'' is a third-person
role-playing game
A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...
with
survival game
Survival games are a sub-genre of action video games, which are usually set in hostile, intense, open-world environments. Players generally start with minimal equipment and are required to survive as long as possible by crafting tools, weapons, ...
elements. The game is about two lovers, Yu and Kay, who escape to an uninhabited lost planet called Source. The player can control either character, or play in
co-op multiplayer
A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-control ...
with another person, as they search for materials and resources for the Nest, their spaceship. The two protagonists are equipped with a pair of anti-gravity boots, which are used to navigate the world and glide on "flow threads". Occasionally, players will face hostile rusted creatures. The game features
real time
Real-time or real time describes various operations in computing or other processes that must guarantee response times within a specified time (deadline), usually a relatively short time. A real-time process is generally one that happens in defined ...
combat, which requires the players to coordinate and utilize the skills of both Yu and Kay. At the Nest, players can craft new items, rest and heal, and cook food using the resources and ingredients collected in the world.
Plot
''Haven'' focuses on Yu and Kay, two fugitives in love that have escaped from an oppressive authoritarian society called "Apiary", one which forces couples into forced marriages. Running away to a mysterious planet called Source, they navigate through the strange world in search for resources while fighting hostile inhabitants along the way.
Yu and Kay successfully flee through the flow bridge that connects the planets and begin a new life on Source together, but as their floating island crumbles, their ship is damaged. They begin to explore Source to work on repairing it, and realize that the Apiary had colonized Source at some point. There is also a mysterious spreading contagion called Rust. After the Apiary sends drones after them, the pair decide to video call Yu's mother, who reveals Source's strange floating island state is the result of Apiary's disastrous experiments to harvest Flow and study Rust only 20 years ago. After Kay's pendant opens a door on Source, they realizes their parents probably died on Source during that incident.
Eventually the pair are contacted by Lord Ozias, Yu's assigned spouse before they fled with Kay. Ozias announces his intention to come to Source and bring Yu back - and wipe their memory if they refuse him. The couple decide they have only one option: sever the connecting bridge from Source that allows the Apiary to travel there. They must repair their ship and fly into the source of both Flow and Rust.
The game has several endings. If the pair have misgivings about severing the flow bridge, they decide to make a last stand against Ozias' drones, which eventually capture them. The pair are shown being brainwashed and memory wiped, but eventually content in their separated assigned lives on Apiary. If the pair decide to close the flow bridge, one of them is blasted with Rust, but they succeed in closing off Source from the Apiary and can begin their lives on Source without fear of the Apiary's interference.
Development
''Haven'' was developed and published by The Game Bakers, which was known for developing ''
Furi
''Furi'' is a 2016 action shoot 'em up video game developed and published by indie studio The Game Bakers available for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Amazon Luna. The game takes place on a planet ...
'' (2016). Emeric Thoa, the game's creative director, described the game as "''
Journey
Journey or journeying may refer to:
* Travel, the movement of people between distant geographical locations
** Day's journey, a measurement of distance
** Road trip, a long-distance journey on the road
Animals
* Journey (horse), a thoroughbred ra ...
'' meets ''
Persona
A persona (plural personae or personas), depending on the context, is the public image of one's personality, the social role that one adopts, or simply a fictional Character (arts), character. The word derives from Latin, where it originally ref ...
''". The team wanted to create a game which focuses on the romantic relationship between the two protagonists because they felt that most games in the modern market do not handle the subject matter with maturity, and believed that there is room for a game based entirely on that idea.
Originally, the concept of ''Haven'' featured eight couples with a diverse range of relationships but it became clear during production that the team wouldn't be able to reach their initial vision for the full cast, so they focused on only two characters. The game's name "Haven" reflected its
high-concept
High concept is a type of artistic work that can be easily pitched with a succinctly stated premise. It can be contrasted with ''low concept'', which is more concerned with character development and other subtleties that are not as easily summa ...
, referring to the place where players can "be safe and in love".
Thoa compared the combat to that of a
rhythm game
Rhythm game or rhythm action is a genre of music-themed action video game that challenges a player's sense of rhythm. Games in the genre typically focus on dance or the simulated performance of musical instruments, and require players to pres ...
, since it was designed to be accessible and relaxing without being "intellectually exhausting". The cooperative multiplayer mode was introduced at the game's late stage of development. Other inspirations for the game include ''
Prince of Persia
''Prince of Persia'' is a video game franchise created by Jordan Mechner. It is built around a series of action-adventure games focused on various incarnations of the eponymous Prince, set in ancient and medieval Persia.
The first two games i ...
'' (2008), ''
Catherine
Katherine, also spelled Catherine, and other variations are feminine names. They are popular in Christian countries because of their derivation from the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria.
In the early Christ ...
'', ''
ToeJam & Earl
''ToeJam & Earl'' is an action game developed by Johnson Voorsanger Productions and published by Sega for the Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) console. Released in 1991, it centers on ToeJam and Earl—alien rappers who have crash-landed on Earth. A ...
'', and ''
Phantasy Star
is a series of console role-playing video games and other supplementary media created by Sega. The series debuted in 1987 on the Master System with ''Phantasy Star'', and continues into the present with ''Phantasy Star Online 2'' and other ext ...
''. The works of Shakespere also inspired the team, with Thoa calling the initial pitch "
Romeo and Juliet
''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...
but instead of dying they escaped in space".
The design of the two protagonists was inspired by
Image Comics
Image Comics is an American comic book publisher and is the third largest comic book and graphic novel publisher in the industry in both unit and market share. It was founded in 1992 by several high-profile illustrators as a venue for creator-ow ...
' ''
Saga
is a series of science fantasy role-playing video games by Square Enix. The series originated on the Game Boy in 1989 as the creation of Akitoshi Kawazu at Square (video game company), Square. It has since continued across multiple platforms, ...
''.
Electronic musician
Danger
Danger is a lack of safety and may refer to:
Places
* Danger Cave, an archaeological site in Utah
* Danger Island, Great Chagos Bank, Indian Ocean
* Danger Island, alternate name of Pukapuka Atoll in the Cook Islands, Pacific Ocean
* Danger Isla ...
composed the game's music. The music from Franco-Japanese animation series including ''
Ulysses 31
(french: link=no, Ulysse 31) is an anime series (1981) that updates the Greek mythology of Odysseus (known as "Ulixes" or "Ulysses" in Latin) to the 31st century. The show comprises 26 half-hour episodes as a co-production between DIC Audiovisue ...
'' and ''
The Mysterious Cities of Gold
''The Mysterious Cities of Gold'', originally released in Japan as and released in France as ''Les Mystérieuses Cités d'Or'', is an animated series which was co-produced by DiC Audiovisuel and Studio Pierrot.
Set in 1532, the series foll ...
'' were his major inspirations when he was working on the game's original soundtrack.
The Game Bakers officially unveiled the game in February 2019. The game was released for
Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
,
PlayStation 5
The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 4 in April 2019, it was launched on November 12, 2020, in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North Ame ...
,
Xbox One
The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
and
Xbox Series X and Series S
The Xbox Series X/S are home video game consoles developed by Microsoft. They were both released on November 10, 2020, as the fourth generation Xbox, succeeding the Xbox One. Along with Sony's PlayStation 5, also released in November 2020, t ...
on December 3, 2020.
PlayStation 4
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
and
Nintendo Switch
The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a Tablet computer#Gaming tablet, tablet that can either be docking station, docked for use as a home video ...
versions were released on February 4, 2021.
On March 3, 2022, The Game Bakers announced that same-sex couple options would come to the game in a free update.
Reception
The game received an aggregate score of 73/100 on
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
.
Kyle Campbell of ''
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' rated the game 8/10, calling it a "charming and unusual sci-fi RPG". He praised the game's exploration, citing the game's
anti-gravity
Anti-gravity (also known as non-gravitational field) is a hypothetical phenomenon of creating a place or object that is free from the force of gravity. It does not refer to the lack of weight under gravity experienced in free fall or orbit, or to ...
boots as "thrilling". He also called the combat "respectable", but criticized the game's "small, desolately sparse zones", and "chores" that involve cleaning the world of
rust
Rust is an iron oxide, a usually reddish-brown oxide formed by the reaction of iron and oxygen in the catalytic presence of water or air moisture. Rust consists of hydrous iron(III) oxides (Fe2O3·nH2O) and iron(III) oxide-hydroxide (FeO(OH ...
covering the landscape, comparing it to mining in ''
Mass Effect 2
''Mass Effect 2'' is an action role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in 2010 and PlayStation 3 in 2011. It is the second installment in the ''Mass Effect'' series and a ...
''.
Emma Davies of ''
PC Gamer
''PC Gamer'' is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games ma ...
'' rated the game 72/100, comparing the game's movement to ''
Journey
Journey or journeying may refer to:
* Travel, the movement of people between distant geographical locations
** Day's journey, a measurement of distance
** Road trip, a long-distance journey on the road
Animals
* Journey (horse), a thoroughbred ra ...
''. She called the game's central relationship "skillfully handled", and praised its lack of "awkward flirting and anguished emotions", saying "I could happily watch a
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
series about Yu and Kay". However, she criticized the game world as lacking variety, calling exploration "more like a chore than something compelling", and also disliked that they were not shown exploring buildings, with the camera remaining outside.
Kazuma Hashimoto of ''
Siliconera
The GAMURS Group, simply known as Gamurs, is an esports media and entertainment publisher. Established in December 2014, the group operates multiple brands focusing on the esports and entertainment news markets, including the websites: ''Dot Espo ...
'' rated the game 5/10, saying that "while the narrative may resonate with some, others may bounce off of it hard", and also stating that it "plucks bits and pieces from stories that have already been told in better, more effective ways". Saying that ''Haven'' would have been better if it only focused on exploration and the main characters' relationship, he criticized the game's deeper plot elements, such as why they fled their former space colony, the Apiary, as not making sense. He stated that "the combat functions well enough and can be fun for the first few hours".
Kenneth Shepard of ''Fanbyte'' praised The Game Bakers for ''Haven's'' Couples Update, saying the addition of same-sex options "underlines that if a studio is willing and eager to do right by its queer fans, it can get the job done."
References
External links
* {{Official website, http://www.thegamebakers.com/haven/
2020 video games
Windows games
Nintendo Switch games
PlayStation 4 games
PlayStation 5 games
Xbox Cloud Gaming games
Xbox One games
Xbox Series X and Series S games
Science fiction games
Survival video games
Role-playing video games
Romance video games
Indie video games
Video games developed in France
Video games set on fictional planets
Multiplayer and single-player video games
LGBT-related video games