Genre: Role-playing (RPG), Hack and slash/Beat 'em up, Adventure, Indie
Batora: Lost Haven
Batora: Lost Haven Dev Update
Hello, Keepers of Balance!
As time goes by and you’ve already had two chances to try the game - last Summer’s Closed Alpha and the most recent Demo during February’s Steam Next Fest, and each time you helped us by filling out some quite detailed feedback forms that contributed to the game’s improvement, it’s only fair that we share with you the details of how the game has improved since the closed alpha and what we’ll keep doing to improve it until it launches, later this year!
Updates since the Closed Alpha
Last Summer’s Closed Alpha was the first real taste of Batora: Lost Haven for players. Over 23k gamers got a key to try it and the response was AMAZING!
Seeing how many people played and enjoyed it made us super proud, especially since you appreciated it so much even at such an early stage of development.
That time, your feedback was extremely helpful as it pointed out some issues that we were aware of and some that made it clearer what kind of game you envisioned Batora: Lost Haven to be.
So, besides overall performance enhancement - remember that it was in alpha stage - following are the main updates we implemented since the Closed Alpha:
Camera system and navigability As some users pointed out that the camera movements would cause motion sickness, we improved the camera system and level design for a better level legibility
Enhanced controls (focusing on keyboard and mouse) We improved the animation system, the combo windows, and overall responsiveness of the controls
Impact on physical hits We introduced the camera shake and freeze on hit and improved the attacks’ VFX to ensure that physical hits would give the right “impact” feeling
Progression feedback We improved the in-game notification system and the VFX for level-up and acquired items, to highlight in a more incisive way whenever players reach a new level or get runes or new skills
Strategic combat boost We improved the combat system in terms of AI and skills to make it more fun and strategically interesting
Enemy spawn system We improved the enemies’ spawn system to allow management of specific spawn points, increasing the fights’ variety and making them more “choreographic”
New improved puzzles We re-designed puzzles and VFX to be more accessible and clear; we also improved control sharpness
New companions mechanics We made the companion a part of the gameplay, so it now has an active role in fights too
Work-in-progress updates for final release
Then there was the Steam Next Fest: one intense week during which Steam users got to play the demo of Batora: Lost Haven and give us their feedback once again.
We’ve already started working on the new updates so that, as we head towards launch, everything will be ready and functional.
Here are the main features we’re working on:
Zoom system As many players pointed out that it would be great to be able to zoom on the beautifully detailed environments, we are implementing a system that allows players to adjust the camera choosing between 2 zoom modes
Pad controls We’re improving the control system to make it more accurate and responsive to the player’s intentions, consistently adapting to the different control systems
Reworked UI & menus We re-designed the menus to make them clearer for players, showing relevant information and making it more accessible
Codex Players specifically asked to delve into the game’s plot and backstory, so they will now get to collect the codex pages while playing, thus learning more about the game’s lore
New tutorials We’re re-designing the tutorials to make them readable on all platforms. Players will be able to access them through the codex after unlocking them in-game.
Full control customization We’ll give users the possibility to customize the controls choosing their favorite bindings
Rune stats We’re improving the rune system, making their effects more impactful and remarkable
Improved health bars status We’re adding a “semi-death” status to alert players when one or both of their health bars are below 20%
Dubbing As players were not convinced about some of the dubbing, we’re going to replace some actors - including Batora! - choosing the most appropriate ones for their roles
Super detailed world-building We’re adding more dialogs based on the players’ choices and their consequences - for example, characters and NPCs will talk in real-time commenting on what’s happening in the game
Did you play Closed Alpha or Next Fest Demo of Batora: Lost Haven? Leave a comment and let us know what you thought!
Be sure to add Batora: Lost Haven to your Steam Wishlist to keep up to date with news, and don’t forget to tell your friends too!
And don’t forget to come back to this news section in the future for more exciting announcements… 👀
Play the new Batora: Lost Haven Demo Now!
Hello there Keeper of Balance,
We’re over halfway through Steam Next Fest so time is running out to play the new Batora: Lost Haven demo!
Here’s everything you need to know about the demo…
WHEN: The demo will be available to download and play until Next Fest ends at 6PM GMT on February 28th WHO: As long as you have a Steam account and a PC, you’ll be able to access the demo WHAT: By playing the demo you will enter the world of Batora: Lost Haven, solving new puzzles and facing terrible enemies, and understand some of the secrets behind Avril’s quest to save planet Earth… WHY: Do we really need to explain why you should take this chance to play Batora: Lost Haven?! It’s the deepest insight you can have on the game before its launch, it’s open to everyone, and it’s free! HOW: Head to the Steam page and click the ‘download’ button
Leave us your feedback!
Played the demo? We’d love to hear what you think!
At the end of the demo, you’ll be met with this screen…
Click the orange button (‘YOUR FEEDBACK MATTERS: SHARE IT WITH US!’)
This will take you to a feedback form to complete - as Batora: Lost Haven is still under development, your role is fundamental at this stage, and it will only take a few minutes!
Want to see more Batora: Lost Haven action? Tune in to the Steam page during Steam Next Fest for a livestream with our special guest host Blue And Queenie who will be playing, taking Avril across the planets in our new demo.
PLUS, you’ll also get to check out the game for yourself during the event as we’ll be making this limited-time demo public too!
Don’t miss out, add this to your calendar and Wishlist Batora: Lost Haven today!
Batora: Lost Haven Demo - Important message for all users
Hello, Keeper of Balance!
For all users who have access to the Demo: Before you start playing, make sure you've updated your GPU drivers to the latest release checking in your Nvidia/AMD app.
For users that played Batora before (for example the closed alpha last summer):
- Disable Steam cloud by right clicking on Batora in your Steam library, choose Properties and unselect "Keep games saves in Steam Cloud for Batora: Lost Haven". - Delete the whole content of the folder "Saved" found here "{YOUR_PC_USER}\AppData\Local\Batora\Saved".
You can browse to this location by typing %localappdata% in your windows folder explorer address bar and pressing Enter.
Older save files are no longer supported and may cause crashes.
This should solve the issue and allow you to play!
Get Early Access to our Steam Next Fest Demo!
Hello there, Keeper of Balance!
As you may know, we’ll be releasing a brand-new limited time demo as part of Steam Next Fest on February 21st.
The demo will be available for the 7-day duration of the event.
We know you’ve been patiently waiting for another chance to play Batora: Lost Haven, so we’re giving a limited number of people the chance to play the demo early ahead of Next Fest!
We’ll be closing the form at 12PM GMT on Friday 18th February and demo codes will be sent out by 5PM GMT the same day – so you’ll have all weekend to play the demo BEFORE Next Fest even begins – pretty sweet right?
Don’t miss out, join the Discord and sign up for early demo access now!
PS. Be sure to also add Batora: Lost Haven to your Steam Wishlist ready for launch later this year!
As we mentioned to you in our last news post, we’ll be broadcasting brand-new, never-before-seen footage during Steam Next Fest – starting at 9PM GMT on Monday 21st February.
Our special guest host Blue And Queenie will be playing, taking Avril across the planets in our new demo. PLUS, you’ll also get to check out the game for yourself during the event as we’ll be making this limited-time demo public too!
Don’t miss out, add this to your calendar and Wishlist Batora: Lost Haven today!
Watch our new trailer PLUS get ready for the demo…
Hello, Keeper of Balance!
Since last Summer’s Closed Alpha, we’ve had many players asking for a new opportunity to play Batora: Lost Haven.
We’ve been working very hard to make it possible, and we’re very excited to tell you that it’s finally happening.
And this time everyone will have access to it!
This is not a drill: Batora: Lost Haven will take part in Steam Next Fest, a 7-day event during which you will get to play the game’s PC demo.
And there’s more - because we couldn’t just leave you with this news and not give you anything for the wait, here’s the game’s brand new story trailer to give you a sneak peek at what’s in store…
[previewyoutube="TtvbkVqews8;full"]
This trailer gives you some new insights on what will lead Avril to the exciting interplanetary journey that she will face with Mila, her lifelong friend, the enemies that she’ll fight, and the fascinating creatures that she’ll meet along the way.
Clearly, life is hard when you find out you’re the Chosen One to save the Earth!
Here’s everything you need to know about our upcoming demo…
WHEN: you’ll get to play the demo exclusively during the Steam Next Fest, which will take place from 21-28 February. WHO: this event is open to all Steam users: you just need a Steam account and a PC to be able to play it! WHAT: by playing the demo you will enter the world of Batora: Lost Haven, solving new puzzles and facing terrible enemies, and understand some of the secrets behind Avril’s quest to save planet Earth… WHY: do we really need to explain why you should take this chance to play Batora: Lost Haven? It’s the deepest insight you can have on the game before its launch, it’s open to everyone, and it’s free! HOW: when the event starts, you’ll just need to visit Batora: Lost Haven’s Steam Page, download the demo, and play it. It’s that easy!
Get ready to fight with Avril to save the Earth!
Don’t forget to wishlist the game if you haven’t already: you’ll be notified as soon as the demo is out and won’t risk missing all the news and surprises related to Batora: Lost Haven!
Shaping Up the Universe of Batora: Lost Haven – Mahdzam’s World Building
Avril will explore some unique locations on her interplanetary journey! Today, we’d like to tell you more about the water planet – Mahdzam.
Mahdzam is shaped much like an inverted pyramid and is composed entirely of water which is present in liquid, solid and gaseous states.
The base of the planet is a gigantic ocean inhabited by creatures which have shapes similar to newts and nagas. These beings are known as the Dirs (the Dir tribe) and are renowned for their ferociousness.
The liquid part of Mahdzam is the largest and is home to hundreds of life forms! Thanks to its proximity to the planet Lume the ocean receives a constant influx of heat, evaporating the water up to the sky, creating a giant gaseous vortex at the top of the pyramid.
The middle of the planet is composed entirely of ice and is inhabited by the Flerki, a people made of penguins (Synir) and anthropomorphic walruses (Rostungar) who live inside a huge ark. This icy landscape has a totally flat shape and at the extreme limit of its borders, the ice falls towards the ocean below – converting back to liquid form in a continuous cycle.
The flora on Mahdzam is almost completely made of water too! It’s also not uncommon to see trees made entirely of gas, these are called Gler. The Gler are revered by the people of the ice, as they represent a link between them and the sages of the skies.
Because of its ‘inverted pyramid’ structure, Mahdzam has the complete opposite shape to the planet Huav, where the vortex is at the bottom. However, despite its substantial difference, Mahdzam also requires constant energy from the world of Lume to be able to sustain its continuous cycle. As a result of sharing the heat from the planet of fire, the planet suffers from very unstable periods, just like its counterpart.
Stay up to date with Batora: Lost Haven and add it to your Steam Wishlist!
In our last blog, we told you all about the builders of Huav – the cunning and magical Xiaias. This time, we’re going to tell you about the other tribes that inhabit Huav – the powerful Yu Xuan, and their subordinate tribes, the Jingren and Congmin…
Wanmei is the jewel of the planet of Huav and is the place where all the wise cultures of destroyers live, holders of the power and eternal wisdom due to the proximity to the core and the immortal forest of Yulin. Wanmei's wonderful temples are the seat of the Yu Xuan, the wise holders of the world's wisdom.
In fact, unlike Gryja, where the ruling class is represented by the builders’ faction, in Huav the destroyers, represented by the Yu Xuan, hold the power.
Their temples are created with the rarest and most precious materials on the planet and are used as both places of worship and political headquarters for the most important and wealthy exponents. The Yu Xuan are the sages who rule the energies of the winds. These have the task of communicating with the guardian through ancient rituals related to the music of the winds and are the only ones able to cover institutional positions. There is no way to ascend to this rank other than by birthright, so power plays are extremely common even among members of the same elite! Although they can live for a long time, their thirst for power has led them to monopolize the rains coming from the jade forest, making them almost immortal and extremely selfish.
The Jingren are the elite guards of the realm and are the only ones who can carry weapons and armor! They are very tall, slender and extremely strong in combat. Each of them carries a cloak and glyphs that link them to one of the realm's temples, which helps them reveal their status and importance. Some of the Jingren are so powerful that they are able to manoeuvre (with the aid of coercion) some of the lesser Yu Xuan. This allows them to hold some sort of power behind the throne, yearning one day to be able to carry out a coup and subvert the status quo. According to their ancient tradition, the Jingren are born from the feathers released by the guardians during their journey, which is why their pride and arrogance is equal only to that of the Yu Xuan.
The Congmin are the humblest bloodline that inhabits the Forbidden City and are the most common sub-culture. They usually perform roles as merchants. Although they are clearly less important than the priests or guardians, the Congmin are still part of the upper circle of the planet of Huav, which is why even the humblest of them wears extremely complex and precious clothes. The wealthier a Congmin is, the heavier the jewellery and items it wears. Their beak is longer than their counterparts and they have small lively eyes combined with long claws, useful for precision manual work!
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about the different tribes on Huav. We’ll be sharing more information about the world of Batora: Lost Haven as we head towards launch next year.
In the meantime, don’t forget to add Batora: Lost Haven to your Steam Wishlist to keep up to date with news and behind-the-scenes content!
