There are titles that are infamous for their ability to make us “fight” with others. We usually say it in jest, but there are real fights that start because of Mario Kart, Mario Party, Overcooked and the like. But does the opposite exist? Are there games that serve to strengthen our bonds with the person sitting next to us? So it is and we believe that Haven is one of the best video games out there to enjoy as a couple.
Of course, he is not the only one. There are excellent titles with local multiplayer, both cooperative and competitive, that teach us collaborative skills and even get to know each other better. A good example is It Takes Twoconsidered by many to be the best game of 2021But the title of the French studio The Game Bakers is special.
Haven not only does it have perfect game mechanics for couples, but it is a title about life as a couple. And yes, we do mean ‘couples’ using the most romantic definition of the word.
The protagonists of this adventure are Yu and Kay, a couple in love who fled from a society known as The Hive to settle on Source, a forgotten planet. We have to explore this world, find the necessary parts to repair our ship and the necessary resources to survive.
We’ll explain why these elements are so appropriate for its multiplayer mode, and then we’ll talk about the revolution that its most recent update brought.
“Take my hand”
Despite how common the hobby of video games is, it is not uncommon to find couples in which only one of its members is considered a ‘gamer’. It is also not uncommon for attempts to share this hobby with the loved one are a failure. There are many who only know video games through the screen of their phone or who have not played since the days of SNES. Trying to adapt to a modern video game, especially the simultaneous control of the character and the camera through a dozen commands, can be frustrating.
Haven offers good solutions to these problems. The control system is quite simple and its movement system, in which we slide across the surface of the planet, is intuitive and satisfying. Even so, a person with less gaming experience may have trouble controlling his character. This title allows either of the two players to take control of the exploration at any time. Thanks to this, a new player can get used to the mechanics at his own pace and under the guidance of his partner.
This ease of use is also present in the other gaming systems. The combats are very simple and are limited to choosing the type of attack, defending or pacifying an enemy. Thanks to this, we can assign ourselves roles to play in order to get out alive: “I attack, you defend”, “pacify this enemy while I attack the other”, etc. It is also possible to coordinate the attacks to make them more effective. Initially it requires constant communication, but eventually we will stop needing words to coordinate.
When performing other activities, each player controls half of a minigame. choosing dialogue options also requires a convention. It is not possible to play Haven with someone else without having to constantly agree on what we want to achieve. Thanks to this, it ends up becoming a great communication exercise..
And we can’t forget the survival mechanics. Yu and Kay need to feed, rest and heal their wounds. Food preparation is one of those mini-games that must be completed by two and gives us that feeling of packing a lunch to take on a walk. The characters chat while they eat and the bond between them – which unlocks more scenes and situations – is strengthened, but also the bond between those who control them. It is a mechanical representation of a royal couple bonding by doing activities together.
But none of that would be as effective if it weren’t for the fact that this game makes us fall in love with its protagonists.
horny youngsters
Yu and Kay not only love each other, they passionately desire each other.. The biggest strength of this game is the way it shows a pretty believable relationship between two twenty-somethings. Although they never show it explicitly, sex is a common part of their lives and is something they talk about openly and with great humor. There is a scene involving a “sticky blanket” that is hilarious.
It’s really refreshing to find a relationship like this in a video game. We are sadly used to characters’ sexuality being completely ignored or reduced to embarrassing “exciting” sequences.
The heart of Haven It is not in the exploration, combat or survival mechanics, but in the constant talks between the two protagonists. This gives it a visual novel tone. Yu and Kay flirt, play games, joke around, worry, cry and support each other. The difficult situation they live in can stress them out and make them cry from time to time, but it never damages what they feel for each other.
It is the fantasy we have of getting away from everything. Leaving society behind and creating a life only with the person we love. That’s why the true ending is so heartwarming and the bad ending so cruel..
Love is love
All this we say about Haven It was true at its launch, but it becomes more real after the arrival of the “couples update”.
A very fair criticism leveled against the game was that the plot, in which a pair of lovers escape from a society that forces them to settle for something they are not, would have been a better fit for a gay couple. The developers noticed this and fixed their bug. Now, At the beginning of the game we can choose that Yu and Kay are two boys, two girls or a boy and a girl.
The really important thing is that apart from the art and the voice actors, nothing in the game changes. The dialogues are adjusted to the new genres, but remain the same. The love, passion and affection that Kay and Yu feel are the same regardless of whether they are male or female.
We wish these options had been available since the original release. But that lack was not the only “bad” thing about him. Even after the update there are still problematic elements within the game. Having an LGBTI character, Yu’s mother, as an oppressive villain when we play a straight couple is completely out of tune with the tone of the story. The bad ending also takes on an even more negative dimension when played with a same-sex partner.
Still, we want to thank The Game Bakers for making this game even better and giving us all kinds of gamer couples—straight and LGBTI—very positive representation and an engaging experience that may even strengthen our bonds.
Haven is available for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC. The couples update is free.
