Haven: Call of the King

Haven: Call of the King

Released2002
The King Athellion has left his homeworld to fight in an intergalactic crusade. He left behind a huge bell - The Golden Voice - for his people to call him should they ever be in danger. During his absence however, the evil Lord Vetch invades the planet and enslaves Athellion's people by infecting them with a deadly virus. A virus, that requires a constant treatment with an antidote called catana. As the only one controlling the catana-support, Lord Vetch was easily able to force everyone to work for him. In order to prevent Athelion's return he has hidden The Golden Voice and soon it was forgotten along with the king's promise. Forgotten until Haven, one of the slaves, starts having dreams about a hill and a bell; dreams whose meaning he does not understand. When the news of the Haven's dreams reach Lord Vetch, he orders to murder him. Haven manages to escape and eventually learns about the real meaning of his dreams and is determined to find The Golden Voice and put an end to Lord Vetch' reign. Haven is a fast-paced, action-packed platformer but it also incorporates elements of several other genres. Haven can pick up many different weapons and parts of the game play more like a Shoot'Em Up than a platformer. There are also several vehicles to control, ranging from speedboats and jetcars to gliders ,spaceships and jetpacks. Despite all these action elements, there are also some slower paced levels, which put more emphasize on puzzle-solving and exploration. Haven's conceptual artwork was done by Rodney Matthews, a fairly well-known English sci-fi/fantasy artist, which is evident in Haven's surrealistic, bizarre design.

Details

DeveloperTraveller's Tales
PublisherMidway Games
ReleasedNovember 18, 2002
StatusReleased
GenresShooterPlatformPuzzleRacingAdventure
ThemesActionFantasyScience fiction
PlatformsPlayStation 2 PlayStation 2Xbox XboxNIN Nintendo GameCube
ModesSingle player

About This Game

Haven is a young inventor from Virescent Village on the planet Ferra whose mechanical bird Talon is his proudest creation. When his companion Chess is seized by Overlord — lieutenant to the galaxy's autocratic ruler Vetch — Haven tears through Darkwater Castle to free her and sets off in pursuit of the legend of the Golden Voice. An ancient bell atop the Mount of Sighs, sealed away by Vetch to prevent the return of the hero Athellion, holds the only real power that can challenge the tyrant. Haven's quest spans multiple planets, including a prison escape on the Sylex space station and an alliance with lizardoid brothers Chill and Will on the world of Exarco, before he reaches the Mount and rings the bell. The moment he does, Chess reveals herself as one of Vetch's spies — her rescue was a trap designed to pull Haven away from the Mount and force Athellion to manifest wherever Haven is, giving Vetch the opportunity to destroy the returning hero. Athellion surrenders to spare Haven and Chess, but Vetch kills him anyway. Haven is captured and left stranded on an empty planet, the story ending on a cliffhanger with the words "to be continued."