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Ah, Steam Sales. Heaven’s Vault goes to Tier One, mostly because I picked it up for an hour and only put it down after completing it 12 hours later. But I’m not sure I can recommend it to, well, anyone.
Much like Sethian (which I need to get back to), Heaven’s Vault is a game about deciphering an ancient language. Unlike Sethian, it’s also about stealing treasure … I mean… archaeology, set within a “Nebula” of floating rocks (called moons) where a civilization has sprung up while sailing strange waterways amongst the clouds. You fly between them, seeking out ruins and clues to lost mysteries. The characters, politics, and belief systems of the Nebula all intertwine to tell a pretty remarkable story. I’m not sure how much can change based on your choices and how much is set in stone (heh, archaeology pun), but at least it never felt like I didn’t have a choice. It’s by the same folks who made 80 Days, which means it is very well written and well-paced (at least story-wise), and the world feels remarkably lifelike.
There is really only one, glaring, problem. Things happen too slowly. Scene transitions (which happen frequently) can take upwards of 30 seconds to get through while text slowly fades in and out. The sequence which starts a translation segment is so poorly constructed (hopping back and forth and loading possible words before letting you interact), it made me think they forgot to clean it up before release. And, worst, of all, you walk slowly. I’ve probably mentioned in the past how much I detest slow walking speeds, and Heaven’s Vault is slower than many games I’ve played.
I also wish it were larger in scale; only a few cities exist, and the distances necessary to travel from one place to another seem shorter than they should be. I liked the traveling the rivers of the Nebula, but there didn’t seem to be enough reward for exploration to really make it worth it (especially since many paths are blocked until you progress the plot).
That is a complaint of polish or bigger budget, though – besides the slowness I mentioned, the game as a whole is very good. So why can’t I recommend it? Well, the hook of solving an ancient language is already fairly niche; once I think about how long it takes to do things, I just don’t think I’d go back for New Game+ – even though the first go around was quite enjoyable.