![]() The streets and architecture feel organic, like a place that’s been built up over time rather than snapped together in a predictable pattern.Īt this stage of development, it’s no surprise to find plenty of issues related to the custom setpieces. Compared to the fairly generic puzzle-piece sets of Phoenix Point, where each location ultimately pulls from the same basic assets, the dim alleys and grubby interiors of Haven City have a handcrafted feel you can’t help but appreciate. It also seems like the developer devoted massive resources to its custom environments. It’s still an invisible die roll, but you feel more involved, especially since the game makes good use of 3D space and conveys a mountain of tactical information like line of sight without cluttering up the interface.īased on the demo missions, most of the tactical experience is already in place and superbly designed. Rather than pushing “shoot” and waiting for the results of an invisible die roll, you aim and shoot with your own hands. Taking a cue from Phoenix Point, it gives you direct control when you discharge your weapon, which gives combat a more hands-on texture. It’s instantly familiar if you’ve played a tactical combat games before: turn-based, each character armed with a pool of action points to spend and an array of context-sensitive options for dealing with particular circumstances. PROJECT HAVEN DEMO HOW TOProject Haven isn’t even in Early Access, but it should be, because tons of Early Access games could learn a bundle about how to solicit input from players. Try not to fuck this up, you fucking fucks, or we’re fucked.Īlmost everything else about Project Haven is great, from the elegant controls and tutorial to the clever, detailed feedback system that pops up between missions, inviting granular input on the experience. Who the bitch wants their ass fucked, am I fucking right? You’d piss blood. Then of course some of them say things like “I prefer not to get shot.” Which is a little out of the blue but fucking makes sense. Why say “sadness, I have been shot” when you could say “I’m pissin’ blood here!” Do they reload? Tits cock no, they stroke their rods. They don’t take cover, they hide their ugly fucking mugs! Because srsly, damn. Squad members don’t “run out” of bullets, they blow wads and empty sacks. And then it strokes dicks and talks shit and tits and fuck balls shit crap. With all respect to Tim Langdell, former owner of the word “edge,” Project Haven is all edge. How else would I know what Project Haven wanted to be? In among the usual epilepsy disclaimers, Project Haven even daintily warns you that it uses swears because it’s gritty and adult, but you can turn them down or off in case you’re Mister Rogers and potty language upsets you.Īs you all know I am very easily offended and consider profanity to be a crime against god but in the interest of journalistic integrity I left the poop-talk on. Indeed, if I have one complaint about Project Haven, it’s that this game tries so hard to be edgy that its dialogue veers into territory better occupied by a heavy metal band conceived by a nine year old grounded by his parents for swearing. The merc team should change its name to “Steal Draggyynns” for an edgier feel. I needed to open with the positive because now I’m going to mock Project Haven for several paragraphs in succession. Set in a near-future urban wasteland, you take control of the Steel Dragons, which is a dumb name for a rather dumb group of mercenaries trying to make a less-dumb name for themselves in the high-stakes world of killing strangers for money. And well it should because this game has a lot of promise.Ī small-squad tactical management sim along the lines of… well, games similar to ones I’ve played, Project Haven (not to be confused with Gloomhaven, they’re similar games but altogether different havens one is a project and one is a gloom, do not mix them up or you will be confused) is a slick and stylish mix of good elements from many forebears. It is similar to games I’ve played ( XCOM, Phoenix Point, Gloomhaven) and it’s a game that has some buzz attached to it as well: Project Haven is a deserving Epic MegaGrant recipient, and gathered a bit of limelight even in its alpha state. How did I not hear about this game before Steam grabbed my hair and announced that it’s “similar to games you’ve played?” I don’t know. If I stuck with twelve then it’d be more of a whimper than a bang. As it happens, the last two we’ll look at are actually interesting, so at least we’ll end on a high note. In a way it’s for the best, though, because just as I didn’t really plan out the games I’d play, I also didn’t put much planning into the order I played them. Well folks, the bad news is we’re going to have to change the title of this project to “Steerpike’s Demo Decathalon” since I’ve kind of run out of demos that work (well enough to count). ![]()
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