Have you ever fallen in love at first sight? The kind of love where you yearn to see it again. The kind of love that is better than any drug or a surprise trip to Disney World. That feeling where your heart races like it’s Christmas morning. This is how I first felt when I saw Heave Ho. This is the second time that a game has inspired such a strong emotional reaction; the first time was from an original Xbox game called Kung Fu Chaos. The game was cheesy and cliche but the multiplayer aspect created memorable moments with childhood friends.
PAX East – Love at First Sight
When I first discovered Heave Ho it was by sheer accident. Earlier this year, the PR team for Devolver Digital contacted us about upcoming titles being shown at PAX East 2019. Only two titles were formerly announced and one unannounced title were to be at the show. The one unannounced title was so private that even the PR team was kept in the dark. To quote Thomas, ‘It’s a secret to everybody ‘That’s not a cute hint about this being Zelda related, this project is just so tightly under wraps that even we know nothing about it yet.”’
During PAX East weekend, Devolver Digital revealed Indie title called Heave Ho, a game about overcoming obstacles and thinking outside of the box. In a world of AAA titles that focus on the graphical experience, Heave Ho focuses on the social experience. Devolver doubled-down on this by demoing the game at both PAX East and E3 on a ten-foot screen. Each demo utilized Nintendo Switch Pro Controllers and focused on enabling four-player cooperative chaos.
So you might be asking yourself, “Why have I never heard of Heave Ho?” The answer to that question is this, many Indie games fly under the radar until someone big discovers it and shares it with the world. Think of how Untitled Goose Game, Castle Crashers, Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, and other Indie games got their big break. Hopefully, the rest of the world will have the opportunity to experience Heave Ho. Of course, this is our review of Heave Ho and why it’s such a good party game.
Review Factors and Description:
As always, we focus on five key factors for a review: gameplay, controls, music/sound, graphics, and replay value. These five attributes give each game a fair and equal chance to show their merit on an even playing field. First, let’s start off by quoting what Le Cartel Studio has to say about their game.
“Heave Ho tasks up to four players with a simple goal – don’t fall to your death! Players will use their own two hands and the outstretched grip of their friends to grapple across each level on their way to victory. Grab one another’s hands, climb across dangling bodies, and swing your pals to safety in a wobbly, dangly mass of limbs. Customize your character with all manner of stylish accessories and zany accouterment in a vain attempt to remember who you are and which of your hands is the only thing between you and the plummet of doom.”
Gameplay
The gameplay of Heave Ho is rather simplistic. The player and their companions must swing throughout the level and avoid any obstacles in their way. The level is complete when all players in the game are securely in the finishing zone. If a player dies, they are dropped back at the starting zone or a checkpoint area carrying forward momentum. As the game progresses, levels become more difficult and make the player think of alternative ways to complete each challenge.
The game’s difficulty is predominantly modified by visual impairment, obstacles, or moving structures; damn farting Llamas! As levels become more challenging, a new type of level is added, the moving course. Players must navigate through the terrain and predict how they will get to the finish line when it is not clear. If the player is having difficulty and a teammate has made it to the finish line, a rip chord can be pulled providing a player a lifebuoy to float the player to the end. The lifebuoy can break, similar to the coin which lets players further challenge themselves.
If a player is struggling to complete the level still, a candy cane colored tightrope will appear, allowing the player to navigate the course by climbing it instead. Throughout each level, there is an opportunity for bonus levels to be discovered. The bonus levels are triggered by pulling a golden rope. Challenges include keeping up to a DJ’s beat or score a basket to name a few. Sadly, the bonus levels are locked behind the normal levels.
Two additional elements can change the game’s difficulty. The first and most notable is the player’s Arms. The player can choose between training gloves or the standard costume arms. The training gloves allow the player to see which hand is currently gripping what person or object. If it’s solid you can grab it. The standard arms give no indication and the player must remember or discover which arm is holding on to what.
All arms are cosmetic and the player’s costume can be changed before each new stage. This brings us to the second element. Throughout each level, the player can grab the stage’s coin and carry it to the finish zone. In order to do this, the players must work together to secure the coin and move throughout the level with it. If the coin hits any destructive objects, the coin is destroyed. Thankfully, the player can recollect the coin after it respawns and attempts to move through the level. Collected coins can be used to unlock cosmetic outfits in “The Machine” tab.
Game Modes
Heave Ho has two playable game modes, Single-player and Cooperative. Single-player allows players to swing throughout the level but with less difficulty. Blocks are closer, making it easier to swing throughout the stage. Cooperative mode allows players to team up with up to three other players to Heave Ho through the course. Sadly, the game originally struggled due to having only localized play. Since then, the game’s community has solved that problem through the use of Parsec, a couch Co-Op application. If players are feeling daring, they can compete in Challenge Mode. Challenge Mode is indicated by a skull over the level.
Controls
Heave Ho’s controls are also rather basic, mostly depending on whether or not the player is using the Switch Joy-con or an actual controller. For our review, we played Heave Ho through Steam. The game uses three buttons and one joystick, simple enough. Any other buttons on the controller can be used to make the player’s character make comical noises. The triggers control each player’s hand and the X button has the player’s character expel gas. The gas expulsion can propel the player or push other players. Overall, the game’s controls are rather simplistic and the game’s visuals ease the player into the controls.
Music / Sound
Each level has a background track that remains constant throughout the level. Although the soundtrack is rather plain, it is not the primary focus of the game. The background music intends to set the mood and help with the real goal; the real goal is for the player to hear each of the character’s noises. The sound the character makes during death can be rather comical and set off a burst of laughter. Each character’s vocals were recorded by in-house staff members.
Graphics
Like the music, Heave Ho uses simplistic graphics to focus on the level’s experience rather than the visual presentation. Although the game can come off cartoon-like at times, the challenges within can be rather trying and sometimes irritating, especially in cooperative play. The costumes players can unlock for the characters are unique and interchangeable. If you want to have a Knight’s helmet on while sporting a beard show off that new leather jacket, fine. If you want to be a kitten with giant muscles, fine. Heave Ho’s costumes are meant to allow the players to express themselves.
Throughout our playthrough of the game, we only saw one visual bug; that bug was a detached arm. Funnily enough, that detached arm allowed us to grab a little bit further making the level a little bit easier to clear.
Replay Value
Heave Ho might not be the prettiest game and it probably won’t inspire you to download its soundtrack, but it will have you coming back for more. Heave Ho’s major selling point is its Co-Op play. The game brings laughter and enjoyment even under difficult circumstances. The game’s replayability is up to the player. Are you a social person and like playing games with others? If yes, then Heave Ho’s replay value is high. If you are a single-player, then the game can be rather lacking. Once all levels are completed there’s not much left to do, unless you want to beat your course time.
Conclusion
If you are a fan of party games then Heave Ho is a great game for you. Retailing at $9.99, Heave Ho can be purchased on the Nintendo Switch and Steam. If you play the game solo, we would recommend ONLY buying the game if you are looking for a quick laugh. In every one of our experiences with the game, I left happy and filled with joy. Heave Ho’s character customization enhances the game’s experience. The lack of dedicated servers definitely hurt Heave Ho’s early sales but thanks to Parsec, players around the world are able to enjoy the game with complete strangers. Hopefully, Le Cartel Studio will add a level designer to help expand Heave Ho’s course catalog and expand its player base.
Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed Heave Ho and it is a game we cannot recommend enough. If you are looking for a great party game this festive season, Heave Ho might just be the game for you. Hopefully, Heave Ho will release on Xbox One and PS4 within the coming months. If we were reviewing this game based on single-player it would get a 7.5. When playing solo, the game is rather one and done. Multiple game modes are locked, which makes it become stale. Prepare to cry from laughter and chaos.
More information about Heave Ho can be found on the official website. A digital Steam copy of the game was provided for the purpose of review. For more reviews, check out my takes on Catherine: Full Body or Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle. We also recently checked out Whipseey and the Lost Atlas.
