That is what makes Heaven’s Vault so remarkable to play. At the beginning of the story, it seems like you are working for the university, but as you discover more you learn who is exerting their power in the Nebula in terms of how the history is presented, and it is up to the player to decide on the journey they will take. They are tracing a mysterious missing roboticist named Janniqi Renba. The in-game “hallowed” seat of learning is the University of Iox, and it is where we meet with space archaeologist Aliya Elasra and her robot companion Six for the first time. The Heaven’s Vault universe is set in an area of space called the Nebula, which is made up of four moons: Iox, Maersi, Renaki, and Elboreth.
Heaven’s Vault is niche, but this makes it even more appealing to people who enjoy puzzles within a game. That’s no mean feat for an indie game studio based in Cambridge, England. Jon Ingold, cofounder and creative narrative director of Heaven’s Vault developer Inkle Studios, invented the unique translation mechanic, which puts the player in charge of deciphering a lost alien language called Ancient-bringing players the closest they can get to a linguistics and translation game. It brings together the craft of compelling narrative games and a BAFTA-nominated interactive story presented in a rich, visual novel interface, taking players on a journey of imagination and exploration within an entrancing game environment.
Do I heed their warning and take a step back? I can see a tall pillar-like statue up ahead, peering at me over a flight of stairs-the prospect of deciphering another fragment of glyphs is motivating me to proceed through the thinning air.Īs a linguist and writer, Heaven’s Vault is the game that I’ve been waiting a very long time for. I climb the stairs, my faithful robot Six warning me not to proceed.