Opinions on old PS2 game "Haven"

[Steven]

Just curious what your take on this game is. It was damn tough (esp. that infamous "pirate ship" shooting sequence) but I managed to beat the darn thing. I found it oddly enjoyable myself. Not the perfect game by a long shot, but I thought it was a fun challenging sleeper.

Anyone else liked it? I remember it didn't fare too well with critics when it came out 5+ years ago.

[josekortez]

Yeah, I kept trying to get into this one, and it just never took. It was an average game IMO, just slightly better than other platformers of its time. For instance, it was better than Vexx and I-Ninja, but that ain't saying much...

[jupitersj]

I never beat it myself either; it just rots on my shelf

Maybe I should pick it up again.

Nice to see you Kikko

[roushimsx]

I've been wanting to give it a shot, but the promise of wonky control and uneven difficulty kind of puts me off. It's neat how the developer was able to kick out a Christian game without generating any sort of controversy (either for or against). I didn't even know about the relation until I read an interview on Gamasutra, I think.

[jahvybe]

I know that I am in the minority but I actually enjoyed this game. I did trade it after I beat it though, so I didn't enjoy it enough to play it again. This was before I started collecting video games, I would never get rid of a game after I beat it now. If I remember right, there was a slightly different ending if you beat the game 100%. I couldn't beat it 100% with out a walkthrough though.

[PentiumMMX]

Yeah, I kept trying to get into this one, and it just never took. It was an average game IMO, just slightly better than other platformers of its time. For instance, it was better than Vexx and I-Ninja, but that ain't saying much...

I actually liked Vexx. It's camera does suck, but it's better than Super Mario Sunshine, though it doesn't take much to be better than SMS.

[Gapporin]

It's neat how the developer was able to kick out a Christian game without generating any sort of controversy (either for or against). I didn't even know about the relation until I read an interview on Gamasutra, I think.

Eh? That sounds interesting. Can you (or anyone else) provide a link?

[DigitalSpace]

I remember that this game seemed to drop in price pretty fast. I used to own a copy that I picked up for $5.99 used at an EB in 2004. I had read some decent reviews in online and in magazines and figured that the game had to be at least worth that.

I liked the variety, but there have been so many games out since Haven's release that have done the job better. I even enjoyed Malice (an early Xbox game that got scrapped, then brought back to life and hacked into a collecting spree budget title for the PS2/Xbox) more than Haven.

I got stuck somewhere and took a break from the game for a few months. When I went back to it, I didn't have the enthusiasm to finish it, so I went to playing something else and the game eventually got traded off.

[roushimsx]

Eh? That sounds interesting. Can you (or anyone else) provide a link?

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/new...hp?story=11640

Pretty neat little interview (the Haven bit is a ways down). Can't say I much cared for a bulk of their work, though.

[FrakAttack]

Bought it brand new but swapped it pretty quick. Never could seem to make up its mind just what kind of game it wanted to be.

[Sniderman]

This is one of those budget PS2 titles that I will always have as I really enjoy it. I think I admire the way they tried to seamlessly blend various gaming genres (platformer, shooter, driving sim). I don't think there were cutscenes so much as the character would enter a craft and the platformer suddenly shifts to a driving sim, or when he gets behind the gun, it shifts to FPS.

The storyline was kinda neat too. And as you go from area to area of the world, there isn't a cutscene while the next area loads. Gameplay just "flows" into the new area without a break. Very nice. Wish other games had figured out that.

[j_factor]

I liked Haven, but then again I also liked both Vexx and I-Ninja, so maybe I'm just weird. Or maybe I'm Dave Halverson's soulmate.

I actually had Haven preordered for Xbox way back when. I remember hearing that the Xbox and Gamecube versions were to have some gameplay changes... then they were canned.

[packratshow]

I loved Haven, it's great game. They actually went to the length to copyright the term FreeFormer as its genre:

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"Utilizing FreeFormer gameplay – which allows the player to experience multiple gameplay mechanics blended together in a virtually limitless world – a variety of genres are fluidly integrated into one game. In the game, players have total freedom to move anywhere in the world on foot or by vehicle with smooth gameplay transitions between turret-based shooting, boat racing, bike battles, plane fighting, gladiator arena combat and space exploration. In addition, the groundbreaking technology allows players to seamlessly travel from the earth, through the atmosphere, into outer space, and back again."

http://jobs.midway.com/rxpage/mpr_1058.html
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It also has one of the most depressing unresolved endings ever!

[j_factor]

FreeFormer < F.R.E.E.