Heaven's Vault

A totally unique odyssey that immediately envelops the player in a richly detailed universe ripe with intriguing lore and some of the finest storytelling on PS4, Heaven's Vault is an essential odyssey for all to embark upon.

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"Heaven's Vault" is an archaeological adventure game that follows Ali, a robot archaeologist, as she explores a mysterious network of ancient ruins, deciphering a lost language and uncovering secrets of the past. Players will solve puzzles, make choices that affect the story, and delve deeper into the rich history and lore of this ancient civilization. With a unique narrative-driven experience, "Heaven's Vault" offers a compelling and immersive journey through space and time.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,822 reviews

story816 positive mentions

grinding155 negative mentions

The game features a unique and engaging language translation mechanic that allows players to feel a sense of discovery and accomplishment.
The story and world-building are beautifully crafted, with rich lore and intriguing characters that keep players invested.
The art style and soundtrack create a captivating atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.

The game suffers from slow pacing, with tedious movement and sailing mechanics that can detract from the enjoyment.
There is a lack of manual save options, which can lead to frustration if players accidentally lock themselves out of content or make irreversible choices.
The dialogue system can be clunky, with unskippable conversations and unclear character interactions that may lead to confusion.

story
2,164 mentions
38 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The story of *Heaven's Vault* is widely praised for its depth, intricate world-building, and engaging narrative that unfolds through player choices and exploration. Many reviewers highlight the unique mechanic of deciphering an ancient language as a compelling way to reveal the story, although some express frustration with the pacing and occasional lack of clarity in how choices impact the narrative. Overall, the game is recommended for those who appreciate slow, story-driven experiences that reward thorough exploration and multiple playthroughs to fully grasp the rich lore and branching paths.
- “The story and world are beautifully and meticulously crafted, so sometimes, the cutscenes make sense.”
- “The story, the way the story is told, and the puzzles all come together into one of the most engrossing games I've ever played.”
- “Heaven's vault is a magnificent work of art, an incredible feat of storytelling and a truly unique experience.”
- “And, in brief and without spoilers, while the plot works as a framework for space fantasy archeology, and has some nice smaller stories along the way, it falls off at the end really badly, and your player character, who was already kind of insufferable, starts doing drastic things for the sake of moving the plot forward that just shattered any chance of me staying engaged with the story.”
- “The story is very slow burning, but it gets very interesting later, especially when you discover something very big about Iox.”
- “The translations you solve have zero impact on the story, a major disappointment, as I had hoped that my time investment in the puzzles would yield some benefit in terms of your ability to affect the ending you wanted.”
gameplay
1,077 mentions
28 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of *Heaven's Vault* is centered around a unique translation mechanic that allows players to decipher an ancient language, which many find engaging and rewarding. However, the overall experience is marred by clunky controls, slow movement, and tedious sailing mechanics that detract from immersion and pacing. While the narrative and world-building are praised, the gameplay can feel minimalistic and repetitive, appealing primarily to those who appreciate story-driven experiences over action-oriented gameplay.
- “The core puzzle mechanic of gradually deciphering an ancient language is fun and engaging, and the world has interesting lore.”
- “The translation mechanic is smooth, satisfying, and fun.”
- “The gameplay consists of walking and looking around trying to find hidden artifacts and inscriptions, translating said inscriptions, and dialogue with other characters.”
- “However, the controls feel very awkward during the first couple of hours of gameplay.”
- “The central mechanic of 'translation' is tiresome and confusing, and left me feeling like my best option in any given moment was to randomly associate similar letters/characters until the game told me I might be onto something.”
- “The gameplay just makes me mad.”
graphics
487 mentions
43 % positive mentions
52 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Heaven's Vault" have received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the unique blend of 2D hand-drawn characters in a 3D environment, which creates a distinctive aesthetic. However, some critiques highlight issues such as janky animations, repetitive character designs, and occasional graphical glitches that detract from the overall experience. While the visuals are often described as beautiful and atmospheric, they may not meet the expectations of players seeking high-end graphics, reflecting the game's indie roots.
- “Heaven's Vault is an intriguing option for players who love complex stories, beautiful graphics, and a relaxing atmosphere.”
- “The visuals and soundtrack are gorgeous, and the gameplay is both fun and addictive, while also calming and therapeutic.”
- “The art style blends 3D environments with hand-drawn 2D characters in such a unique way.”
- “The graphics are ridiculously bad.”
- “The negative thing is: this game is (graphics-wise), to put it bluntly, really ugly.”
- “Here we come to the biggest flaw of the game: for what concerning graphic and visual features, it is extremely deficient.”
music
371 mentions
64 % positive mentions
34 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its haunting beauty and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers praising the soundtrack as a standout feature that complements the visuals and storytelling. While some players noted occasional issues with repetitiveness or mismatched tones in specific moments, the majority found the music to be relaxing, immersive, and integral to the game's emotional impact. Overall, the soundtrack is described as a significant highlight, contributing to a rich and engaging gaming experience.
- “I fell into the story lulled by the spellbinding delivery of music and historical discoveries across a breathtaking universe.”
- “The music does an incredible job of enhancing the moods of every location.”
- “The soundtrack is simply amazing!”
- “On a different note, Heaven's Vault's music is deader than death.”
- “The background music is so bad I had to mute it.”
- “There were areas that didn't even have background music and it felt so low quality.”
grinding
157 mentions
0 % positive mentions
1 % neutral mentions
99 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for its tediousness, particularly in the slow sailing and walking mechanics that dominate gameplay. Players often find the travel between locations frustratingly slow and repetitive, leading to a sense of monotony, despite some enjoyable puzzle-solving and storytelling elements. While there are moments of charm and depth, the overall experience is marred by the excessive grind required to progress and uncover content.
- “The game is just so frustratingly tedious, not in the casual let's explore the same areas again but in the forced let's work through a jigsaw puzzle you've completely lost interest in.”
- “The majority of your time is spent tediously navigating your ship down wind rivers from one little bit of story to the next.”
- “Sailing the rivers is, unfortunately, very tedious; it takes a long time to get from one place to another, and there's no real gameplay to it.”
replayability
153 mentions
42 % positive mentions
54 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The game boasts exceptional replayability, with players highlighting the significant impact of choices on the narrative and the ability to carry over knowledge in new game+ modes. Many reviewers noted that multiple playthroughs reveal different outcomes, hidden areas, and deeper understanding of the game's language and lore, making it a rich experience for those who enjoy exploration and discovery. However, some players expressed concerns about repetitive elements in subsequent runs, which could detract from the overall experience.
- “Lots of replay value, as you expand more of the ancient language and learn more of the nebula's secrets.”
- “The game mechanism of discovering fragments of texts, trying to translate them, making sense of the history of your story, the ability to remember said ancient language through new games+ and the replayability leading to more discoveries is simply amazing.”
- “Engaging story with incredible replayability, always more to discover and new things to learn depending on how you play, and the language aspect is what I love most, incredibly well-designed and fun, feels like learning a real language and I can't get enough!”
- “Replayable, but there are no second-run optimizations such as fast forwarding, skipping dialogue, or skipping travel.”
- “Little replayability, since most of the mystery cannot be forgotten.”
- “- hugely replayable in theory, but just too boring to go through the 80% of stuff that'll be the same from run to run (same conversations, walking from a to b etc).”
atmosphere
93 mentions
61 % positive mentions
32 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
Heaven's Vault is praised for its captivating atmosphere, characterized by beautiful graphics, an engaging soundtrack, and a relaxing, immersive experience that enhances its complex storytelling and worldbuilding. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke a sense of mystery and exploration, although some note that slow pacing and occasional bugs can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, making it a compelling choice for those who enjoy atmospheric adventures.
- “If you wish to immerse yourself in a realistic world with a complex mysterious history, all presented through excellent character writing and a beautiful sense of atmosphere, this game is for you.”
- “The atmosphere and worldbuilding are insanely well put together.”
- “Beyond gameplay, the atmosphere of this game is incredible.”
- “Beautiful, and effective graphics, but the music doesn't really exist, and it severely damages the atmosphere.”
- “Can you imagine a game about archaeology where you never see an ancient tablet full of symbols, where you have to translate ancient engravings that you never see, where you enter presumed ancient palaces and temples that have no ancient atmosphere, where what you should see is just described by words, where you're able to date relics and identify the site of origin at first glance?”
- “The game lacks atmosphere; it misses the peculiar sensations and emotions of facing ancient civilizations, archaeological sites, and ancient engravings.”
stability
44 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is marked by numerous minor glitches and visual issues, including buggy controls and navigation problems, which can occasionally disrupt gameplay but generally do not detract from the overall experience. While some players report significant bugs, such as black screens and out-of-bounds glitches, the developers are responsive and actively working on fixes. Overall, despite its technical shortcomings, many users find the game enjoyable and unique.
- “This game is buggy.”
- “Black screens, bad glitches (one almost destroyed my whole game), numerous grammatical errors (big no-no in a game that's about 95% text-based) and more.”
- “There's still glitches; the river waters sometimes fail to load and require a restart, and it is sometimes possible to glitch your way out-of-bounds with no way to return after autosave kicks in.”
emotional
42 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is a mixed experience, with some players feeling deeply connected and moved by the narrative and characters, while others express frustration over limited dialogue choices that hinder emotional engagement. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke strong feelings, particularly through its unique mechanics and art style, which enhance the sense of adventure and personal investment in the story. Overall, the game is praised for its emotional depth, despite some criticisms regarding character control and the bleakness of the world.
- “Have never been so hypnotized, touched, and taken on such a journey by a game; I still have an emotional hangover from it, I swear.”
- “This is the most beautiful and heartfelt game I've ever played.”
- “A real emotional, fascinating story, interesting characters, great dialogue.”
humor
24 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game features a blend of humor that is both subtle and intelligent, often interwoven with its deeper themes. Players appreciate the witty dialogue and humorous character interactions, particularly with a robot sidekick, which enhance the immersive experience. The humor is cleverly integrated into the narrative, making it a delightful aspect of the overall gameplay.
- “The writing is so good, it's worth playing it just for the immersive story and frequently funny dialogue.”
- “It is funny that a game about translating has its story premise based around an etymological error.”
- “The dialogue flows naturally, and I love how witty, funny, and deep it always is.”
optimization
10 mentions
10 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
40 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with users noting poor performance and a repetitive art style that contributes to a stuttering experience. Additionally, the lack of features for replayability, such as fast forwarding or skipping dialogue, further detracts from the overall experience, making it less appealing for fans of action-oriented or strategy-focused gameplay.
- “I would love to see this setting and premise revisited in the future with a less cynical protagonist and some better optimization.”
- “If you're generally a fan of action-oriented games, or games that reward optimization, strategization, and min-maxing—this is likely not the game for you.”
- “The second reason I hesitate to recommend the game is that it is very poorly optimized.”
- “Replayable, but there are no second-run optimizations such as fast forwarding, skipping dialogue, or skipping travel.”
character development
10 mentions
30 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is generally regarded as satisfactory, with some standout moments that enhance the immersive mystery-solving experience. While the character designs are praised for their originality, particularly in the context of a 2D-3D blend, there are concerns about their cohesion with the background style. Overall, the well-written storyline and engaging character arcs contribute significantly to the game's appeal.
- “Perhaps the most gripping aspect of it all was how original and well written the storyline was, and how well the characters and their character development fit into it.”
- “The most immersive mystery solving and character development I have ever experienced in a game.”
- “Her distinctive character design, her humor, and her overall character writing were really nice and made me want to hear more stories about her.”
- “The character designs (except for the robot, but that's just my personal opinion) are actually really great and the idea of 2D characters in a 3D environment is a really cool concept, but the characters do not match the style of the background at all.”
- “The character development is okay, but the mystery of discovery shines through so well.”
- “Perhaps the most gripping aspect of it all was how original and well-written the storyline was, and how well the characters and their character development fit into it.”
monetization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game is hindered by its secretive narrative, which complicates advertising and recommendations, as reviewers struggle to discuss the content without revealing key plot points. This lack of transparency may impact potential players' interest and understanding of the game's value.