Heaven's Vault | PS4 | Review

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As my GCSE German teacher would tell you, I’ve never been particularly blessed with languages. How is it then, that Heaven’s Vault has stuck with me from the first play - back at Rezzed in 2018 - right through until now? More importantly, has that initial promise spawned the Oscar Wilde of video games, or, much worse (but definitely funnier), Danny Dyer?

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by Rob Holt

@acousticmagic

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Developer: Inkle
Publisher: Inkle
Platforms: PC, PS4
​Players: 1

Heaven’s Vault casts you in the role of Aliya, an archaeologist with an intriguing past, a love for destroying robots, and a taste for discovery. From the very first moments of the game there’s intrigue aplenty: Aliya’s one-time saviour and now-time mentor tasks you with finding her lost associate, a fellow by the name of Renba. It’s from this simple quest that the game opens up, branches out, and, ultimately, thoroughly entertains.

Now that you know the basic premise, how does the game actually play? Well, you’ll find yourself flitting between third-person adventuring and point-and-clicking, conversing with multiple dialogue options, language deciphering, and... sky sailing on your noble steed. We’ll break them all down individually, of course, but what we can say for sure is this that each element comprising Heaven’s Vault is so well executed, you’ll be hard pressed to pick a favourite.

Point-and-click adventure sections form the backbone of the game, and depending on personal preference (or time constraints) you can indulge in as much, or as little, detective work as you like. We were so taken by the gameworld and story that we spent as much time as possible in each area, gathering every morsel of information available, to not only aid our discovery of what happened to Renba, but to understand as much as we could about the ancient language and characters at the center of the game.

​These sequences are also where you’ll start to see the true beauty of the world which developer Inkle has created. One moment you might find yourself on the Zelda-infused farming moon of Maersi, a location flourishing with lush green grass, endless trickling water, pigs and not-so-friendly citizens. The next you’ll be on a barren, rocky moon, being blown away by sandstorms. Ten minutes later, the bustling, definitely-influenced-by-Marrakech alleys and markets of Elboreth. Then there’s the Garden Palace, a level so thoroughly, stunningly beautiful you can’t help but sit back and just admire it.

Like many games before it, Heaven’s Vault utilises an excellent conversation system that not only affects how people interact with you, but what you learn about the settings, story and lore. We’re sure many would site the Mass Effect series here, but since the Brighton branch of PTC (that’s me) has never played any of them, it feels rather more like the ghost of Shenmue. How will you behave around a particularly aggressive slave master, for example? Will you try and sympathise, or downright scold them for their line of work, thus potentially closing off a line of questioning and information? These choices even change the course of your relationship with robot sidekick Six, who bloody loves a good natter.

Discovery and decoding of an ancient language is one of the main parts of the game that we found so compelling back at Rezzed 2018, so it’s wonderful to see it fully realised in the final product. This is where a thirst for adventure really helps, too: interact with everything you can, as often Aliya will remark about inscriptions or glyphs on certain items, and it’s here where the fun begins. If an inscription is split into four parts, let’s say, you’ll be given a potential selection of words to fill in each of the blanks, based on what you’ve previously tried or discovered. This charming element of trial and error further strengthened our desire to explore.

​What was all that lark about sky sailing, then? Imagine a blend of Panzer Dragoon and The Wind Waker and you’ll have a decent idea of what to expect, as you pilot the good ship Nightingale along vast rivers in the clouds, to destinations new and old, all the while having one eye out for ruins and wreckages to plunder. The tranquil mood, pastel hues and sublime strings and pianos stave off any potential frustration at the amount of time it can take to get between places in the game, but those of you without patience will be happy to hear that a fast travel option is currently being patched in.

Heaven’s Vault never fails to leave you in awe, in a way only a few games really do.

We’re not sure why you’d want to skip over absorbing more of such a resplendent and alluring game, though. From the dark outlines and subtle colours of the exquisite hand-drawn 2D characters, to the fully 3D, lush environments of the Nebula, Heaven’s Vault never fails to leave you in awe, in a way only a few games really do (here’s looking at you, Breath of the Wild). It’s largely these lavish, luxuriant locales that spur you on to visit as much of the world as possible.

​There’s just so much to love about the game, honestly. Sure, it isn’t completely flawless (the lack of music in many of the cutscenes seems odd, especially considering how good the soundtrack is), but the blend of adventuring, sky sailing, story and language are pretty close to perfect. The wealth of choices mean it’s ripe for multiple replays, too, so you’re really getting your money’s worth.

Whether it’s the small touches such as story recaps every time you start a play session, or the big ones listed above, Heaven’s Vault manages to tap into that truly wondrous, almost childlike sense of discovery brought on by experiencing something for the first time. If it sounds like your speed, make sure you don’t miss out on this glorious, glorious experience.

Pros
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• Absolutely stunning visuals
• Fantastically blends point-and-click adventure with other genres
• Deep lore, story and characters
• Sublime audio all around
• Encourages you to do it your way, lending the game replay value

Cons
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• Jarring sections where the gorgeous audio vanishes
• Lengthy travel times may bore some (though there’s a fix incoming)

9/10