by TC. Harris
A Story based RPG from the creators of “Furi”
2016’s Furi was a wonderful surprise for all those who rose to the challenge of the rhythmic boss-rush journey to free “The Stranger” from his jailers. Developed and released by French studio Game Bakers, Furi presented a difficulty that was unfortunately off-putting for some but surprisingly rewarding for all who possessed the patience to master its musically driven battles. Precision was key to your survival in Furi, especially when facing the games final boss. Ultimately, it was another great entry into the growing indie genre, with clear nods to titles like No More Heroes and Metal Gear Solid. I was lucky enough to download this game for free as a PS Plus title that year and enjoyed it so much that I purchased the game physically as soon as it became available. Since 2016 the coast has been rather clear for Game Bakers, but today we’ve been given a peek through the looking glass at what might be another bright horizon for the small indie studio.
Game Baker’s next project will be a story-driven RPG simply called “Haven”. The game is set on a mysterious Planet called “Source” and features two characters named Yu and Kay, two lovers who’ve been exiled to the planet and must learn to survive in order to carve out a new life for themselves. The game appears to take inspiration from JRPG’s but will provide a relaxing play experience with light combat elements. While playing solo, you’ll control one of the two characters, leaving the second to the (hopefully) intelligent AI, however, Haven has the added bonus of adding cooperative play at any time during play. That comes in the form of allowing a second player to take control of whichever character you didn’t select, giving us a solid couch co-op experience in an age of “online-only” cooperative options. Game Baker Studios founder Emeric Thoa has stated that the game draws inspiration from “Persona”, “Catherine”, and “Nier Automata”, with an original soundtrack provided by French musician Danger.
From the trailer, it is rather clear how the Catherine inspiration manifested, while also giving us a glimpse of at least one mode of traversal within the game world. I’m very curious how Haven will reference Persona, and Nier, but am more than happy to wait to see what this studio will deliver when the game releases sometime next year. Perhaps this will become the “go-to” game for couples to play together. With its focus on romance, light combat, and an emphasis placed more on exploration than combat, Haven is shaping up to be a rather unique entry into the indie genre. We’ll be updating this story as more information becomes available.
Here is a link to the developer’s blog for all who wish to follow the progress of this game. https://www.thegamebakers.com/hand-in-hand-in-haven/
