Heaven's Vault

 PC
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. Everyeye.it
    Nov 24, 2019
    90
    With Heaven's Vault Inkle offers us another extraordinarily packaged adventure, able to concentrate on very few playful elements, decorated with overflowing aesthetic and artistic qualities.
  2. PCWorld
    Apr 17, 2019
    90
    Heaven's Vault is rough around the edges, but its sense of discovery and self-fulfillment are unparalleled thanks to its commitment to player agency and its unique language-translation mechanic.
  3. Wccftech
    Apr 16, 2019
    90
    Heaven's Vault is a puzzle game you haven't experienced before. From its engaging story to its engrossing fictional language and puzzles, this is a game that feels rewarding in a way that no other game has done before.
  5. PC Gamer
    Apr 16, 2019
    88
    Heaven's Vault communicates the beauty of assigning meaning to symbols, and thus the people who wrote them.
  6. Games.cz
    Jun 24, 2019
    80
    You won’t find a better game about archaeology, and you’ll be hard-pressed to unearth two protagonists with more chemistry. The story is excellent, save maybe the very end. The rivers are waiting for you, as is the ancient language!
  7. Adventure Gamers
    May 3, 2019
    80
    The detailed landscapes, engaging plot and intriguing premise of a completely fictional ancient language to decipher make Heaven’s Vault a game for which it’s worth getting lost in translation.
  8. Softpedia
    Apr 30, 2019
    80
    Despite its shortcomings, Heaven's Vault is a delightful experience that's meant to discover your inner archaeologist. Even though it brings forward a repetitive puzzle system that encourages you to translate as many inscriptions as you can get your hands on, the loop remains fresh until the end of the game, and quite addictive I might add.
  9. Edge Magazine
    Apr 25, 2019
    80
    It lacks the infectiousness of 80 Days, but as a story and a reckoning with history, it leaves most videogame fantasies in the shade. [Issue#332, p.120]
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  10. Game Informer
    Apr 19, 2019
    80
    Heaven’s Vault is both ambitious and beautiful.
  11. Cultured Vultures
    Apr 16, 2019
    80
    There is always something new to see in Heaven’s Vault, and I was constantly taken aback by Inkle’s sheer and heartfelt attention to detail. Every turn of the plot, new character and puzzle was enough to see me through to the mystery’s end, and somehow even the minimal gameplay adds meaning to the story in a way few other puzzlers manage.
  12. SpazioGames
    Apr 18, 2019
    77
    An intriguing game for graphic novel fans with a lovable old style art design.
  13. Meristation
    Jul 29, 2019
    75
    It's refreshing to see a game that doesn't inspire itself in any previous title but try to establish its own ways of doing things. Some aspects, like the moments travelling the space, are however a bit bland and can become boring. But overall, it's a recommendable experience.
  14. BaziCenter
    Apr 21, 2019
    75
    It is safe to say that there is no other title in the history of video games that offers a similar experience and atmosphere to Heaven's Vault, but the fact that there is no voice acting in a game that relies so heavily on dialogues and conversations, is a huge mistake that costs Heaven's Vault greatly.
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This publication has not posted a final review score yet.
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In Progress & Unscored

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  1. Eurogamer
    Apr 16, 2019
    Inkle's follow-up to 80 Days is an archaeology adventure like no other. [Eurogamer Recommended]
  2. Kotaku
    Apr 16, 2019
    If nothing else, I’m absolutely stoked to translate more words. I think I’ve almost figured out how the ancient society did math!
  3. Polygon
    Apr 16, 2019
    Heaven’s Vault does hold great potential; Inkle’s commitment to delivering an alternative (and more realistic) take on video game archaeology, and to encouraging players to decipher and learn a language, is inventive and mentally stimulating. But holistically, the experience is humdrum; there’s little incentive to keep on unpacking its world if I don’t buy into its fiction. And sadly, I do not.
  5. Rock, Paper, Shotgun
    Apr 16, 2019
    I don’t know if I can recommend this to someone who isn’t a word nerd. But at the same time, what Inkle have achieved in Heaven’s Vault is tremendous. I don’t know what to compare it to, because there isn’t anything. I can’t remember what the Ancient for love is, but I know it contains the word for heart, which contains the word for life.

Awards & Rankings

15
#15 Most Shared PC Game of 2019

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 29 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 29
  3. Negative: 8 out of 29
  1. garbeige
    May 12, 2019
    10
    This game scratches an itch I didn't know I had. The characters are compelling, the gameplay is fascinating and the art style grew on meThis game scratches an itch I didn't know I had. The characters are compelling, the gameplay is fascinating and the art style grew on me throughout the course of the game. I love the depth of thought that has been put into the language decoding puzzles, which gives you enough freedom to feel like a genius when a translation comes together while also subtly supporting you towards that conclusion. I started playing after the quick travel was implemented, so I didn't notice this being as much of an issue for me.… Full Review »
  2. Lefarien
    Apr 25, 2019
    10
    A game that achieves what it's trying to. If the core conceit of translating an ancient language excites you, the game will really land.A game that achieves what it's trying to. If the core conceit of translating an ancient language excites you, the game will really land. Really a triumph of translating interactive narrative concepts into an adventure game with puzzle elements. It won't be for everybody, but if it's for you: it will delight you.… Full Review »
  3. Aldrenean
    Aug 21, 2019
    9
    Heaven's Vault is definitely a niche game. The main gameplay is talking to people and translating an ancient language through a semi-realisticHeaven's Vault is definitely a niche game. The main gameplay is talking to people and translating an ancient language through a semi-realistic symbol matching activity. Problems come in the form of limited animation, slow and sometimes frustrating navigation on the ground and even more annoying sailing off the ground. But if you can look past these imperfections, there is a fantastic experience here. You get to uncover the history of the world around you, slowly piecing together fragments of language and mystery and being rewarded with some pretty cool reveals. The dialog and role-playing is also surprisingly robust -- conversations aren't stuffed with decisions, but those that you do make have real effects and the ways in which characters and even the world can react are impressive. Even after beating the game, I'm immediately interested in starting another run to find things that I missed and see an alternate ending, although the aforementioned slowness of the navigation does make that less palatable than it could be.

    Overall if you have any interest in archaeology or history this is a must-buy, and if you like talking/walking simulators and generally being immersed in a world, you'll definitely enjoy it. Playing this after Outer Wilds has been one of my best months in PC gaming ever.    … Full Review »
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