Haven

 PC
Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 22
  3. Negative: 1 out of 22
  1. PC Gamer
    Dec 10, 2020
    72
    A relaxing adventure that's at its best when focusing on the romance.
  2. CD-Action
    Jul 23, 2021
    70
    The main goal of Haven is to relax you, and all gameplay mechanics work in harmony to help convey the beauty of living in a happy, trusting relationship. Exploring an alien planet indeed is calming, but monotony creeps in after a couple of hours. [02/2021, p.46]
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  3. Screen Rant
    Jan 2, 2021
    70
    In spite of the general tedium of its gameplay, Haven is a truly poignant and memorable story of two lovers against the world. It has a rare combination of intimacy, tenderness, humor, and fear all in one. Whether it's the central relationship, the social implications of its universe, or its final, gut-wrenching decision, Haven is sure to stick with players in one way or another - just as long as they can look past its much more mediocre gameplay and repetitive cycles.
  5. Gamer Escape
    Dec 3, 2020
    70
    It just doesn’t seem they put as much love and detail into the gameplay as they did the character writing and world building. In the end, while not a must play, Haven is still worth a glance if you’re looking for a feel-good experience.
  6. MGG
    Dec 5, 2020
    65
    The title has many qualities, especially aesthetic. However, once the graphic slap is over, the various flaws of the game present themselves to the player. The sublime artistic direction and the worked out narration are extremely attractive, however, the slowness and repetitiveness of the game means that it will certainly not be appreciated by everyone. But for the player ready to take his time, Haven is a true meditation exercise because of its relaxing and minimalist side.
  7. Cubed3
    Dec 21, 2020
    60
    The best description for Haven would be that of a game developed by a very talented team of people, who dreamed big, but had a budget that was simply not enough, as the concept can even scare larger, more experienced studios. Due to all that, it feels as if stuck in the second chapter of a much, much larger game. Its alien world is beautiful, the gameplay is far from bad, and the way this focuses in the protagonist duo and their romantic relationship is pulled off quite well (for the most part), but in the end, the severe lack of content, as well as challenge, soon turns this into a repetitive, and painfully boring chore.
  8. RPG Site
    Dec 7, 2020
    60
    Haven is a really enjoyable time if you have a significant other to play with you. It is a decent experience alone, but many of its core systems are designed to be enjoyed with another person. Severe problems with its narrative tone later into the game that sabotage its themes dampened my enjoyment, and I still struggle to understand why the game twisted itself that way. There is so much to like about this game from its clean cel-shaded look, its ethereally evocative soundtrack, its compelling voiceovers for the main couple, and its intuitive co-op friendly user interface. I am left simply mixed at what could have been a strong title in a largely untapped subsection of modern RPGs.
  9. Siliconera
    Dec 3, 2020
    50
    Haven is a game that tries and sometimes succeeds. Its gameplay loop allows for ease of access when picking up and putting the game down. However, it doesn’t break any kind of mold or improve on any story that hasn’t already been told. While the narrative may resonate with some, others may bounce off of it hard. The artstyle will please those who have an eye for cel-shaded character models and environments, and the combat will be satisfying for those interested in something a little more interactive. If you’re looking for something to fill the space between upcoming releases, Haven might just be what you’re looking for.
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  1. Rock, Paper, Shotgun
    Dec 3, 2020
    Cutting out the parts that became tedious would quicken the narrative enough to undermine it, but those parts became so laborious that they dragged it down instead. Perhaps I missed the point entirely by playing it alone – it is eminently obvious where a second player would fit in to its design – but if I had a lover here right now, I don’t think this is the game I’d choose to play with them. I’ve been in my own haven for far too long.
  2. The Indie Game Website
    Dec 7, 2020
    Haven is a game about taking time out – it’s about staring into the endless mesh of rust and stars and considering where you are, who you’re with and where the both of you want to be. Some of the mechanics are a little rough around the edges, and the overall experience doesn’t quite feel perfect. But neither are relationships – Haven explores one that’s really special, and I’m beyond grateful to have spent time with it.

Awards & Rankings

79
#79 Most Discussed PC Game of 2020

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 103 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 73 out of 103
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 103
  3. Negative: 13 out of 103
  1. MotoWolf
    Dec 5, 2020
    10
    Dear developers! Please accept my gratitude for such a great game! It is a pity that many people did not appreciate it and the rating ofDear developers! Please accept my gratitude for such a great game! It is a pity that many people did not appreciate it and the rating of Metacritic did not reach 80( for me, the game became a real mini-masterpiece! Once again, I am convinced that you do not need to have million-dollar budgets and arrange a hype to release a decent, interesting and deep game! No need for graphics that squeeze all the juice out of your computer, PS or XBOX. The main thing is an approach, live characters who want to experience, sympathize. The game should not have a beautiful cover. The game must have a soul! And You, all those who worked on this game succeeded! The game is live!
    Personally, I am very much looking forward to new masterpieces from Your team! Keep it up! 1010!    … Full Review »
  2. mmrventricle
    Dec 9, 2020
    8
    Haven is a character-focused game. Whether you like the game or not will almost completely depend on whether you like the protagonists.Haven is a character-focused game. Whether you like the game or not will almost completely depend on whether you like the protagonists.

    This game goes for a natural, unscripted style for the writings of the conversations, which means you can either love them for how realistic they sound, or hate them for how cringe they make you feel, and for me I found the former to be true far more frequently than the latter. Yu and Kay are the most realistic pair of couples that I can remember in a video game, they have consistent personality traits, they have good chemistry, they have running jokes between themselves, etc. The amount of contextual dialogues and their trigger conditions are also impressive -- once I was controlling the girl and the guy happen to follow behind her and she commented on if he was getting a good view. There are also a lot of mundane scenes about the characters' daily lives that don't serve any plot purpose which I somehow found interesting.

    One thing I disliked about the dialogue is that there are a lot of dialogues about fictional science or technology. It would be another thing if they discussed real science, but fake science discussion is completely non-engaging and make me roll my eyes more than anything else.

    The combat is a mixed bag. It's a turn-based system where both you and the enemy take turns at the same time (which reminds me of Final Fantasy 13 of all things). There are 3 actions you can take: melee attack, ranged attack, and shield. The enemies can be resistant or vulnerable to some of these attacks, and some enemies require timing. There is some strategy to it, but I think it simply isn't fun. The characters will also speak after every action, and since you make roughly 1 move per second per character and there are 2 characters, you will hear around 2 quips per second for the entirety of the duration of combat.

    The majority of the time in game will be spent traversing. Most of the time the movement mechanics is a glorified auto-run, and there is no jump button at all making it pretty frustrating for vertical traversal as any tiny ledge stops you. Instead there are set locations where you can take flight along a given path, and that's how you are supposed to reach high places. Overall it's nothing special but nothing especially offensive either.    … Full Review »
  3. tacobales
    Dec 8, 2020
    10
    Really fantastic art style and music , if youre a persona fan , jrpg fan or just a fan of just good stories this ones a banger. Camera is aReally fantastic art style and music , if youre a persona fan , jrpg fan or just a fan of just good stories this ones a banger. Camera is a bit hit or miss.… Full Review »
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