Relationships are a crucial part of life, as the vast majority of us have felt love and let it influence us to do things we normally wouldn’t do. Whether it brings us to do things we don’t desire or it gets us out of our comfort zone, it’s all for the benefit of the one we want to be with. That’s the basis of Haven, an action-adventure title from acclaimed studio The Game Bakers, the developers responsible for Furi. Seeing as Haven is wildly different than a boss-rush shmup, how do these devs handle a completely new project?

Haven tells the tale of couple Kay and Yu, who have crash-landed on a planet and only have each other to contend with. Upon booting up the game, I have to give all the credit in the world to the intro cinematic, glistening with vibrant colors and dreamlike animation. Even if you don’t get around to playing the game, I highly recommend watching this, as the only other game to captivate me with its visuals as much as this is Sayonara Wild Hearts.

Initially, you’ll be met with several minutes of consistent dialogue. In fact, my first hour was predominantly just that, with intermittent gameplay occurring to move the story along. I would take issue with this if it weren’t for how engaging and immersive the conversations between Kay and Yu are. It’s a screenshot of young love at its peak, an example of two people exceptionally enamored with each other but not to the extent of a relationship that feels forced.

When Haven opens up and you are free to leave your shipwrecked rock, you’ll find the movement to be a breeze. Kay and Yu, who move as one, traverse the landscapes as if they’re ice-skating at breakneck speeds. The drifting and u-turns take some getting used to but make for excellent fluidity once mastered. You’ll gather resources to rebuild your ship, moving from area to area at your will, discovering new ingredients to make meals within the interim.

Where Haven struggles though, is its combat. If you’re flying solo, you’re tasked with coordinating each member’s attacks, making for some very real frustration even with low-level enemies. This was clearly geared towards co-op players who take control of each member. Doing this simultaneously requires dexterity that I just don’t have on my own, which had me avoiding enemy confrontation as much as possible. I’ve read that if I were to lose in combat, I’d just be taken back to the ship with no consequences, so that removes the sense of urgency altogether.

Nevertheless, it’s easy to persist through this pitfall as I was engaged enough to want to see the story through. Even in the loading screens, Kay and Yu are purely adorable, as their musings and banter craft a natural narrative more easily than one could ever think possible in this medium. If you don’t mind adjusting to an unconventional combat style if you’re playing solo, Haven provides a stellar story to experience.

A PC review copy of Haven was provided by The Game Bakers for this review.

Phenixx Gaming is everywhere you are. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

Also, if you’d like to join the Phenixx Gaming team, check out our recruitment article for details on working with us.

Phenixx Gaming is proud to be a Humble Partner! Purchases made through our affiliate links support our writers and charity!

Haven

$24.99

6.5

Score

6.5/10

Pros

• Intriguing Art Style
• Fantastic Dialogue
• Likable Couple

Cons

• Flimsy Combat
• Line Delivery is Hit-or-Miss

Pick up Haven for PC via our Humble affiliate link, and support charity at the same time!