Haven

Haven is a charming and unusual sci-fi RPG about love prevailing above all else, although between its thrilling gravity boot rides and respectable combat are long spans of monotonous resource gathering and clean-up.

A relaxing adventure that's at its best when focusing on the romance.

Haven finds a groove in its exploration and character-building, but the combat and big narrative beats throw it off

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.

There are flaws in Haven's gameplay, but its endearing protagonists, unique atmosphere, and superb soundtrack make it an interesting and engaging journey to an alien planet. Its portrayal of an adult relationship is something to be admired, and it's hard not to care about the plight of Kay and Yu by the end of what is ultimately quite a touching love story.

Haven is a beautiful game about a relationship that is best in its quiet moments. The conversations and tenderness between Yu and Kay, its two leads, are the lifeblood of the game, and everything else is secondary. Its interesting combat system would benefit from a bit more signposting, and the flying traversal is a fun sci-fi addition to the game that works more often than it doesn't. Still, it's a wonderful experience, especially in co-op, but perhaps one to get on sale.

Built for local co-op with a significant other in mind, Haven is a pleasant experience with some severe narrative downfalls.

Even with iffy combat, Haven ends up being a dose of pure joy, letting you experience a well-written whirlwind romance with lovable characters, or just letting you hover around a planet at fast speeds, enjoying satisfying gameplay as you swiftly gather up more Flow or escape corrupted creatures.

A light-hearted story about a blooming relationship on an unknown planet surrounded by mysteries.

Haven presents you with one challenge after another in a dreamlike, audiovisually beautiful world where you'll spend dozens of hours unraveling all its hidden corners and contents. The blemish on an otherwise great title is the less well-handled co-op, rather sporadic hitches and feelings of stereotype for a certain variety of players. The romantically-themed story suits the younger generation more, but even a boomer like me enjoyed it to the fullest.