Batora: Lost Haven, an action RPG that might surprise you | Tried

Batora

Batora: Lost Haven has been shown on several occasions over the past few years. Officially announced on January 7, 2021, we are talking about the new production of the Italian development team Stormind Games, the authors together with Chris Darril of the appreciated Remothered dilogy, which at the time proposed a different context than that of Batora: Lost Haven.

If in Remothered we immersed ourselves in a pure survival horror, the new production of Stormind Games takes us in a sci-fi scenario beyond the known universe, in living and pulsating worlds and with a character who could to please anyone who is looking for a different experience than usual. Yes, because Batora: Lost Haven, which we previewed for a whole week exploring each of its features even more in depth, left us with many positive sensations.

The Italian development studio, first of all, has guaranteed a successful publisher like Team17, which certainly needs no introduction. For those unfamiliar with it, however, we are talking about a publishing team that over the last few years has brought productions such as The Escapists and The Survivalists to the video game market, with an eye towards independent and quality products, such as in this case . We often talk about talents and new recruits in a landscape that runs, updates and the next day is different from the one before, and Stormind Games is part of the development studios with lots of ideas, a lot of talent and a desire to talk about itself.

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This demo of Batora: Lost Haven the we played with an Xbox controller and not a PC keyboard, because we were curious to approach the first two planets in a different way and in our own way. Normally we would never start to tell about a similar feature at the beginning, but in this case, to facilitate our story and make it more rounded, it is inevitable to do it to give you a more in-depth view of the work of Stormind Games: the keys us they appeared well implemented and we can already say that they respond to various actions quickly without any input lag problems.

We are talking about a second build structured even better than the first, and one inevitably wonders how the result could be finale of the work of Stormind Games, which we can't wait to touch and experience firsthand. How is it to play a video game like pad in hand? Much more convenient and direct, because it allows an instant approach to the game actions, which are the beating heart of the entire production.


Batora: Lost Haven is an action RPG with an isometric view, with gameplay dynamics that could well marry with a pad attached to the PC case. But this is just one more footnote than what we tried last week, because Batora: Lost Haven tells us so much more.

An intriguing and interesting context: Batora: Lost Haven could offer a excellent narrative component

Unlike the demo we tried at the beginning of the year, we are given a deeper insight into the whole context. Avril is the main protagonist of the events of Batora: Lost Haven, a young girl who is fleeing from a burning city with her sister, who is mysteriously engulfed in a chasm due to the collapse of a building.

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Not being able to tell you too much, just know that the context immediately appeared interesting to us, first because it highlights human nature by presenting Batora, a mysterious witch from another reality who tells the girl what is happening in the universe and the threats she has to face, telling her of the powers that have been conferred on her by the Moon and the Sun, a clear inspiration from Aztec mythology, which saw these entities as two trunks that supported the world, giving peace and prosperity to all peoples in need of help and listening.



During the exploration of the two planets available in the demo, we in fact came into contact with two different peoples, a sign that the development study The Italian group seems to have built an immense universe, structured with a wealth of details. In the course of the exploration of Gryja (which we have already explored previously) and Huav we realized this, because both planets have different biomes.

If the first is more rocky, surrounded by diamonds pointed, the other instead is desolate and with other unprecedented settings (which we prefer not to reveal so as not to spoil the surprise), and we can tell you that it is bigger than the first planet with which we interfaced. This makes us understand the care of the team towards the construction of the environments and the peoples within them, as well as the writing of Avril, a protagonist who will certainly be interesting to discover in the course of the experience, in its entirety.

Furthermore, we were pleasantly struck by the dialogues, on which the team seems to have worked carefully: it is rare to find such a cure, especially in similar video games, towards the edifications of worlds and situations that could be much more than just any stories, inserted so much. to give content. In Batora: Lost Haven, however, there is much more: a story that seems exciting, with a structure that appears much more detailed than it seems and moments that could actually be memorable. All this could define a perfect recipe, and not only from a narrative point of view. The story lays the foundations to offer an intriguing experience, while the playful structure could be much more multifaceted and fun than we imagine, and we realized this shortly after completing both planets.

Sun and Moon, not just two guides

If we were to place Batora: Lost Haven in a genre, we would say that it is an action rpg with elements of hack & slash and twin-stick shooter, like Clid the Snail, but definitely developed and treated better than the latter. It offers an isometric view, which can be zoomed in to follow Avril's movements, which we move within the immense game areas, which we can explore at will.

The game system focuses on Avril and her abilities, specifically her dual nature, a relevant element both during the dialogues and the choices we make, as well as in the gameplay of the game, which pad in hand was fun and enjoyable. We are talking about an extremely classic system, which however offers a small innovation: the possibility of changing the approach to fighting against enemies.

If in fact the Sun gives us the possibility to launch close attacks with a flaming sword, Luna allows us to attack from a distance with purple rays, very useful for combining different offensives. What is interesting, however, is the way that Stormind Games offers in its fights, with enemies that can only be attacked in one way or perhaps, as happened with the bosses we faced, we can defeat by changing the Moon attacks to our liking. and Sun, exploiting more approaches and ways to fight, consequently lowering their vitality, represented by the orange or purple color.



It is not just a fun way to wander with the various ways of fight, but it is above all a further stimulus to face those in front of us as we prefer. Among the skills we used the most during the test, there were dodging and the ability to create a storm with Luna's power, which on some occasions was a lifeline. What got us involved, however, as we progressed through the two planets of the demo, was the progression system, which seemed as simple as it was well implemented. Although still under construction and not being able to tell in depth, the runes are essential to reinforce the statistics of our protagonist, who levels up every time the missions are completed. By opening the inventory, it seems that we could choose and equip them to our liking, thus giving us the possibility to fully customize our fighting style, which in an action video game represents its beating heart.

Latest but not least, they are instead the puzzles that we have solved in various ways, having fun from start to finish, because they have never been too complex, never being predictable or predictable. The powers of the Moon and the Sun, in fact, are also fundamental for overcoming some of the various puzzles, where at times we have been forced to use the flaming sword to open the way or the blows of the Moon, changing style and approach several times. >
Consequently, the puzzles of the two planets were fun to solve, so much so that they could be an alternative to confrontations. How, could it even happen that you do not throw your hands and devote yourself only to the puzzles, thus choosing a different option to fight? There is a system of morality, where right and wrong do not always follow a logic, and karma, which can affect the continuation within the missions, is an interesting addition to be explored in the review and, especially because it could to offer much more and it is something to be discovered in the near future.



As we mentioned before, we have carefully explored the two worlds and met two different peoples, with whom we interfaced. We are curious to know how big the universe created by Stormind Games actually is, which at this point could present an immense and content-rich production to the general public. At the moment, we can only tell you that we particularly liked what we have played and explored.

What to expect from Batora: Lost Haven?

At this point, this could be the time for you. suitable for pre-ordering Batora: Lost Haven and adding it to your Steam wish list. Yes, we're not kidding: the Stormind Games video game could represent a great proof of love for a genre that needs great innovation and new stimuli.

During our test inside it, which we have completed in ten hours of playing because we have explored both planets and faced the various puzzles and studied their construction, we can assure you that Batora: Lost Haven looks like a video game that could reach its purpose but even beyond, offering the video game landscape a presence respectable Italian.



If we think about it, in recent months Freud's Bones and Ravenous Devils have conquered critics and audiences, and recently our Soulstice test has left us with a lot of good feelings. What could we expect from Batora: Lost Haven? A rich and strong experience, with an original and unique gameplay at the same time. We also remind you that its release date is set for autumn 2022, a time of the year that promises to be a period full of video games, where we are sure that Batora: Lost Haven will not disfigure.