IN A WORD: MAYBE
IN SHORT:
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WHAT TO EXPECT:
Indie. City/Base builder. RTS with pause. Zombie/Apocalypse setting. Survival simulation. Hands-off population management. Hands-on point and click combat. Task allocation. Automated resource gathering. Research prioritisation. Territorial expansion. Military organisation and arms production. Item manufacturing. Long-range raiding. Fiddly controls. Incomplete GUI. Singleplayer only.
ACHIEVEMENTS: STRAIGHTFORWARD.
STATUS: IN EARLY ACCESS.
WHEN TO BUY: BUYERS PEROGATIVE
More info below....
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2432858452
THE LOWDOWN:
The Last Haven (TLH) is a city builder with an apocalyptic twist. Choose to take on one of three scenarios. Customise the session from eleven options. Play to achieve a scripted finale or select endless mode to play beyond this. Assigning the workforce is conducted hands-off. Ordering the armed militia is hands-on. Time is short, for on the horizon the spectre of radioactivity and the elements creeps ever closer. As the temperature drops a nuclear winter is born.
GAMEPLAY commences with a few dozen survivors, a haul of resources and the ability to build basic structures. Core goals are; to maintain and expand the settlement, keep the population safe and research technologies to be able to build better structures and to develop more a productive populace. Additionally to house and feed the population. To gather resources. To produce energy. To train and arm a militia for defence. All while managing the population's morale and settlement's stability.
STRATEGY involves balancing the needs of the population, while growing the settlement and maintaining an armed force large enough to defend it from aggressors. Mid to long-term goals will be to ensure enough resources are there to reach the end-game, and researching buildings to survive the nuclear winter. To ensure the population does not revolt. As resources in the vicinity begin to decline, the search for these moves further afield. Especially as every new day brings more groups of survivors arriving slowly with the hope of salvation.
COMBAT is an important part of game. Once a member of the population becomes a fighter, they equip themselves with a firearm, armour and grenades. If these are present. Equipment must be acquired or produced to provide the defenders with the best kit. Once combat-ready they can be grouped and given offensive or defensive orders. Positioning them at key points around the settlement to watch for intruders is a must. Later on these troops will spearhead efforts to conduct missions in remote areas of the region. Can The Last Haven stand tall or will this bastion fail and fall to the forces arrayed against it?
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2432860651
THE GOOD:
+ Pretty graphics and 360d camera.
+ Soldiers can be given set 9x behaviour orders. Gain levels of experience. Be outfitted with 3x types of equipment.
+ Building auto-disassemble when all resources are gone from its area.
+ 10x languages supported.
+ Completely stable. No CTDs.
THE BAD:
- Fiddly combat. Action needlessly obscured.
- No overall management/resource balance sheet.
- Employed pop. are auto-tasked rather than unemployed ones.
- Bug: Some weapons are shown as other types when equipping guards.
- Possible to stall any progress by not building required buildings essentially entering a softlock.
- Early visits by merchants seem useless.
- Easy to make mistakes and rely on save-scumming.
AND THE ORDINARY:
* Lots of events simulate dissent, morale, stragglers, hostile incursions, off-site scavenging and roving traders.
* 35x buildings. Some require research to unlock.
* 3x enemy types, radioactivity and cold weather to contend with.
* 8x resources to collect and store for the settlement's survival.
* 67x research topics across industry, survival, political and science topics totalling 236days.
* Dozens weapons and manufacturable items to equip armed members of society.
* Choices effect pop. morale, settlement stability and resource stocks.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2433300247
VERDICT:
PLAYING TLH proved to be a battle in and of itself. There were alot of positives playing this game but nonetheless some aspects detracted from what would otherwise have been a fairly good experience. Better than I would have expected. However...
TECHNICALLY the visuals were pretty and the soundtrack equally as good given that this is an indie title. Despite the game being in Early Access it was very playable and stable, possessing a good amount of content. There may be a few non-critical bugs littered about. Elements of the GUI could have been better defined but the overall design and execution was in-keeping with what a city builder should deliver.
GAMEPLAY proved enjoyable once the underlying concept and dynamics were understood. To get the best out of TLH growing and maintaining the settlement, while building up military assets for defence and eventually go on off-site raids must be on a level to meet the challenge the game meters out. Not easy considering most of the challenge comes from dynamic events. The easy part was assigning tasks for the workers and collecting resources. Its the long-term planning that will keep players on their toes.
COMBAT was fun on occasion. All to often it became a fiddly mess that needed constant micromanagement to ensure the guards didn't do anything stupid and die needlessly. For tougher engagements it became an exercise in reloading as losing too many soldiers would become fatal. The constant incursions of enemies proved jarring unless enough attention was dedicated to military preparedness. Not an easy balancing act. Not by a longshot.
DIFFICULTY was harder than it should be. Even playing on the beginner map it was easy to hit a wall due to poor planning. Buildings became obsolete without any visible indication. Most of the dynamic events delivered a negative impact to challenge the player. With little possibility of receiving help it was too easy to travel irrevocably down a cul-de-sac and have to reload. Missing information on the GUI and a lack of notifications didn't help either. By having to learn critical elements of gameplay on the fly, there was always the risk of a soft-lock and resorting to save-scumming.
REPLAYABILITY relied on dynamic events more than anything else. Maps and available resources seemed to be fixed. The off-map raid locations may be different with every game but this could not unverified. There is also the suggestion that an end-game plotline exists that will funnel the game to a resounding finale if the sand-box option is not ticked. But I did not make it. With only three maps there is enough to ensure the game is played a few times but not much else. The initial act of each game felt the same more or less. Due to the relentless nature of the challenge, the inevitable feeling of repetition did not really register given the passage of time. Just be aware that the pace of the game plods along. Speeding up time will be essential.
Overall The Last Haven proved to be a decent city builder. One that fans who enjoy such games should consider getting. Especially if one in an apocalyptic setting seems attractive. There's zombies too! It has flaws but given this is made by a small team, its an admirable effort. So as my experience felt limited and frustrating at times, this is only a MAYBE purchase. However just like the populace in this game there is hope. At least while work continues on the game.
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