Batora: Lost Haven

62%
Game Brain Score Based on 210 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Batora: Lost Haven Game Cover
Overall, despite some questionable design elements, Batora: Lost Haven is a solid action RPG once given time to properly gel.
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"Batora: Lost Haven" is an isometric action-adventure game with RPG elements and a unique duality system that affects combat, story, dialogues, puzzles, and endings. Players control Avril, a survivor who embarks on a journey across the universe to uncover ancient secrets and restore her lost haven while making life-changing decisions. The game features a variety of unique alien planets, abilities, and combat styles to defeat enemies and solve intricate puzzles.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

62%
Audience ScoreBased on 210 reviews
story56 positive mentions
grinding6 negative mentions
  • The combat system is fluid and engaging, allowing players to switch between physical and mental powers, which adds depth to the gameplay.
  • Visually stunning with a unique art style and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
  • The game features meaningful choices that impact the story, leading to multiple endings and encouraging replayability.
  • The narrative is often predictable and poorly written, with dialogue that can feel childish and cringeworthy.
  • The game is relatively short, with a lack of exploration and side content, making it feel less rewarding for players seeking depth.
  • Technical issues such as clunky controls and unresponsive mechanics can detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
  • story242 mentions

    The story of "Batora: Lost Haven" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it predictable and poorly executed despite its intriguing premise. While some appreciate the choice-driven narrative and the potential for multiple endings, others criticize the dialogue, character development, and pacing as bland and unengaging. Overall, the game is seen as having a solid gameplay foundation, but the story often feels like its weakest aspect, lacking depth and coherence.

    • “The story is engaging and confronts choices that have deep consequences, with many varied and fun puzzles.”
    • “The story has some great ideas that could have been really powerful and emotional, but the writing is just abysmal.”
    • “The story flows nicely and there aren't any dead points, so you won't stay stuck for 20 minutes not knowing what to do.”
    • “The story is a total mess, despite this game being sold on being so *story heavy* focused in design.”
    • “The story is boring and cliched, the voice acting weird in places, and the writing is bland and uninteresting.”
    • “The story feels like it's been written for kids, which could be fine, but with a crude gameplay that kids would find too difficult or annoying.”
  • gameplay121 mentions

    The gameplay in "Batora: Lost Haven" is characterized by a mix of solid combat mechanics and innovative dual-form abilities, allowing players to switch between melee and ranged attacks. While the controls are generally tight and the variety of puzzles and boss mechanics adds depth, many players find the overall experience repetitive and lacking in depth, with some criticizing the simplistic nature of the combat and puzzles. Despite its beautiful graphics and engaging story elements, the gameplay often feels underwhelming, leading to mixed reviews regarding its overall enjoyment and replayability.

    • “The controls are tight, and the dodge mechanic gives you that extra sense of mastery, allowing you to be creative with your abilities.”
    • “The game really shines at its game mechanic variety for bosses, puzzles, and general combat.”
    • “The combat mechanics are fun and even pretty creative, forcing you to switch up between two forms ('physical', in which you only have melee attacks, and 'mental', in which you only have ranged attacks) with each one having its own separate set of skills and its own health bar.”
    • “The gameplay isn't deep or engrossing, but it's fine.”
    • “The story is trivial and unengaging, the characters are plain and cliché, the dialogues are long and boring, and, worst of all, the gameplay and combat mechanics are simplistic and repetitive.”
    • “The combat is decent but quickly becomes repetitive, and not very original in mechanics.”
  • graphics81 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the vibrant art style and colorful visuals that create an engaging aesthetic experience. While some players find the graphics to be stunning and reminiscent of classic titles like World of Warcraft, others note a lack of originality and detail in certain areas. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point of the game, enhancing the gameplay despite some criticisms regarding performance and repetitiveness in design.

    • “The art style is unique and extremely fancy, gameplay is smooth and the combat system is easy to learn and hard to master, like all good RPG games should be.”
    • “The graphics are good, probably even the thing that got me to rate this game so well.”
    • “The art graphics and overall aesthetic are a big draw.”
    • “The graphics are basic, cartoon-styled.”
    • “The graphics, reminiscent of World of Warcraft, are visually pleasing but lack originality.”
    • “Graphically, Batora is often really pretty, and then again it has passages where it tends more toward 'mediocre'.”
  • music21 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the memorable soundtrack and ambient tracks that enhance the overall mood, while others find it forgettable or poorly integrated, particularly during key moments like boss fights. Despite some criticisms regarding voice clarity and the effectiveness of certain tracks, many players appreciate the unique cyberpunk nuances and the overall audio experience, highlighting the soundtrack as a strong point in the game's artistic presentation.

    • “The game has a really cool art style, great music, amazing setpieces with a very distinct look and feel, and a lot of replay value thanks to the decision system, a new game + mode and four different endings.”
    • “Wonderful soundtrack and art style and a gameplay that flows really well for me.”
    • “The story, setting, music and voice acting are all top notch.”
    • “On the other end, the big entities are voiced quite poorly, barely audible over the music because of some reverberation.”
    • “Music is unremarkable.”
    • “Music: okay, there were a couple songs during boss fights I thought were good, but other than that, pretty forgettable.”
  • character development8 mentions

    Character development in the game has been widely criticized, with many reviewers noting it as predictable and lacking depth, often describing it as some of the worst they've encountered. While the character design and art style receive praise, the overall storyline and character arcs are deemed ridiculous and unsatisfactory for those who prioritize plot and character growth.

    • “The character design is also very impressive, and I love the art in the game.”
    • “The game does have an amazing character design, really enjoyable (if a little bit hammy) voice acting, and a decent overall idea.”
    • “The art style is very enjoyable, there are plenty of well-animated cutscenes, and the character designs are insanely good.”
    • “Predictable story with what might be the worst character development and dialogue of any game I've ever played, very much reminiscent of Forspoken.”
    • “The thing with 'Batora: Lost Haven' is that, albeit the gameplay is solid, the storyline, character development, and overall plot are just too ridiculous to take seriously at any given point.”
    • “There is no actual character development.”
  • optimization8 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is generally well-received, with stable performance on desktop PCs and the Steam Deck, achieving smooth gameplay at 60 fps. While some users experienced initial stuttering on Linux, it resolved quickly, and there were no significant issues reported with crashes or stuttering during regular play. Both DirectX 11 and 12 performed similarly, despite recommendations favoring DX11.

    • “I have no issues with how the game runs; it was always stable on my desktop PC.”
    • “Runs great on Steam Deck - surprisingly, the best performance was with DirectX 12, which was supposed to be experimental. Otherwise, with default settings, the battery goes down quite fast, but you can always tweak it.”
    • “It runs smoothly (60 fps) on Steam Deck; it is a perfect game to play on the go.”
    • “It works well on Linux too, even though there is some heavy stuttering during the first 15 minutes of play, after which it smoothens out.”
    • “Additionally, while DX11 is recommended for some reason over DX12, there was no difference in performance or stability between the two.”
    • “Performance: I have no issues with how the game runs, as it was always stable on my desktop PC.”
  • humor7 mentions

    The humor in the game is generally well-received, with clever and funny dialogues, humorous cut scenes, and likable characters contributing to an enjoyable experience. However, some players noted inconsistencies in the main character's attitude, which detracted from the overall comedic effect. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with engaging gameplay, particularly as players become more accustomed to its mechanics.

    • “They were clever and funny.”
    • “Good plot line with likable characters and humorous cut scenes.”
    • “The game is really funny to play and the possibility to play it with a gamepad makes it even more enjoyable.”
  • grinding7 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and lacking in engagement, with many expressing a desire for more varied gameplay elements, such as puzzle mazes, instead of repetitive combat. The dual-combat system, while initially interesting, ultimately feels forced and monotonous, contributing to a sense of boredom rather than excitement.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Either way, it's not particularly difficult, just a little tedious.”
    • “The dual-combat thing was interesting, but even with the addition of extra abilities and power-ups, I found it somewhat tedious by the end - I would have liked the option for more puzzle mazes instead.”
    • “Combat felt simultaneously both boring and tedious.”
  • atmosphere5 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its beauty and serene quality, reminiscent of titles like Bastion, though some players feel that certain character designs and voice acting detract from the overall experience. While the lore is engaging and well-integrated into the gameplay, some players noted that rushing through the game limited their ability to fully appreciate the atmospheric elements. Overall, the atmosphere is a strong point, though opinions vary on specific aspects that contribute to it.

    • “Like Bastion or Com, it is one of those little games that captures you with its serene atmosphere and polished world.”
    • “The game is beautiful, and I absolutely adore the atmosphere; however, I rushed it and barely took the time to explore what the game allows you to.”
    • “I found the lore very interesting; despite not being a fan of fantasy atmospheres, the story captivated me from the beginning, and every element is justified by the gameplay in an almost never banal way.”
    • “The voices just did not fit with the atmosphere/characters, in my opinion.”
    • “Now there's absolutely nothing wrong with bodacious midriffs being bared, but neither of these is exactly conducive to building a post-apocalyptic atmosphere.”
    • “I found the lore very interesting; despite not being a fan of fantasy atmospheres, the story took me from the beginning and every element of it is justified by the gameplay in an almost never banal way.”
  • emotional5 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is polarizing; while some players find it capable of delivering a heartbreaking narrative, others criticize the writing and character development for lacking depth and coherence. The protagonist's intense reactions to fleeting relationships feel exaggerated and unearned, leading to a disconnect in the emotional experience. Overall, the potential for a powerful story is overshadowed by poor execution and clichéd dialogue.

    • “The protagonist has emotional meltdowns about the death of characters she met literally 10 minutes ago.”
    • “Just wait for a sale and definitely check out this heartbreaking story.”
    • “It also felt at times like story or dialogue was missing that would have made me better understand some of the, in my opinion, wild emotional and tonal swings the character takes at certain points.”
    • “A very stereotypical, boring story with cringy dialogues.”
  • stability5 mentions

    The game's stability is a mixed bag; while it runs well on the Steam Deck and performs surprisingly better with DirectX 12, users report occasional bugs and brief freezes, particularly at lower settings. Overall, it is not plagued by severe technical issues, but some unpolished elements remain.

    • “Runs great on Steam Deck. Surprisingly, the best performance was with DirectX 12, which was supposed to be experimental. Otherwise, with default settings, the battery does drain quite fast, but you can always tweak it.”
    • “It was buggy, unpolished, and somewhat chaotic, but I liked it so much that I decided to buy it here on Steam as well and played once again all the way to the end (I also got a different ending).”
    • “- It still has bugs, and it randomly freezes briefly on Steam Deck, though already being verified and set to low settings.”
    • “It was buggy.”
  • replayability5 mentions

    The game's replayability is bolstered by its unique art style, music, and multiple endings, alongside a new game + mode. However, the decision-making system lacks clarity, and unskippable cutscenes, a complicated inventory system, and a linear structure detract from the overall experience, making it feel less engaging compared to similar titles. Overall, while there are elements that encourage replay, significant limitations prevent it from achieving higher replay value.

    • “The game has a really cool art style, great music, amazing set pieces with a very distinct look and feel, and a lot of replay value thanks to the decision system, a new game + mode, and four different endings.”
    • “For the choices, there's no clear distinction which path it affects, and it's a pretty lazy mechanic to add, making the game 'semi-replayable'.”
    • “The inventory system is complicated for almost no impact on combat, the replayability is made annoying by unskippable cutscenes, and the overall game just seems weaker than others in its category.”
    • “The replay value is unfortunately limited by the somewhat low role-playing depth and the linear structure.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization aspect has been criticized for falling short of expectations set by previews and advertisements, leading to disappointment among users.

    • “In comparison to previews and advertisements, this is a huge disappointment.”
    • “The monetization system feels overly aggressive and detracts from the overall experience.”
    • “I feel pressured to spend money just to enjoy the game fully.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

70% average critic score

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Play time

17hMedian play time
13hAverage play time
6-20hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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