These past few days have been a gaming quandary on what to play – not because there isn’t anything to play, but just too many games. Heaven’s Vault, from Inkle Studios (Overboard! and A Highland Song), is one of them.
You play Aliya Elasra. She’s the cat’s pyjamas when it comes to archaeology, and she’s been called into the Dean’s office as she needs help. Janniqi Renba, the roboticist, has gone missing, and you might be the only person to find them. Assisted by a bomb disposal-like robot you affectionately name Six, you head out into your bizarre-looking ship into the big, wide world.
Before this all kicks off, let’s touch in the pace. While I was expecting a slow-paced puzzle, if not point and click adventure, Heaven’s Vault is quite fast-moving when it comes to interacting, and you have to be reasonably hasty with dialogue responses. Emulating real-life, no doubt.
There are three options to choose from by pressing the associated button, plus there are a few swift responses while acting, or between points A and B. These dialogue scenes are mostly text-based, but here and there, you’ll get a voiceover from Aliya, which I have to say is brilliant.
The actor, Gem Carmella, is so natural. It doesn’t sound like she’s reading it, or putting on a voice or overacting like in many adventures. Video games are growing in their diversity and status as an art; Heaven’s Vault did get a nod from BAFTA, darlings. But rightly so, the storytelling is brilliant, and I soon forgot where I was.
But the greatest aspect of this game, well, aside from the storytelling, was the linguistic aspect. Within the first five minutes, you’re translating two words you’ve never seen before, so to put that in context, you have to pay attention. Don’t worry; you needn’t apply to The Open University before playing the game, just listen and read what is being said, and put two and two together.
In Heaven’s Vault, I was hanging on to every word; the game has an uncanny ability to say so much in so few words. When it came to translating the text, I’d be looking at the strokes repeatedly before committing to it. I hadn’t a clue most of the time, but it made me feel like I was the expert here.
I wasn’t keen on the animation despite being a minimalist. Minimalism certainly applied to the way Aliya moved; skipping keyframes not because of a glitch or resource-intensive, but through artistic choice. It’s about taste, and it wasn’t for me. It was like stop motion, only let frames and a lot of transparency, perhaps to represent the passing of time?
Back to the praise, travelling between locations and the animation choice were the only things I didn’t like. Referring back to that comment about playing around bedtime, Heaven’s Vault is a slow burner, but the type you want to relish, like a good drink – sip, don’t gulp.
The explorative nature of the game means you can take your time a bit, unlike something like Curious Expedition 2 – you’ll end up dead if you loiter too long. This reflective time made me feel a little more intelligent than I am, and I applaud Inkle for making me feel like I have doubled my IQ of 22.
What I won’t thank them for are the choices. The multiple options available in the game, both with quips and consequential actions, mean that you will get multiple endings, and being naturally indecisive was hard going. My first ending was a little anticlimactic, but the path that led me there was worth it.
Heaven’s Vault is like a good book in that you want to return to it at a leisurely pace, make yourself comfortable, and spot nuances you missed the first time. I like that there’s no right and wrong way of doing things, and the narrative highlights this, giving you some important choices. I won’t spoil anything, just try the game.
