We have all fantasized about getting away from it all. Escape from the daily grind, the forced chitchat, the pressures of civilized life, and just get away with the people you love and carve out your own space in the universe. The difference between Chloe and Kay is that they actually did it. The reality they face, though, is not so much "a secluded luxury villa in the Maldives" as "a broken spaceship on a destroyed planet.

"Heaven" is an RPG slash visual novel in which you are tasked with exploring the source (a world the couple has named their new home), finding parts to repair their battered ship, and solving a sinister mystery. The planet consists of separate chunks of landscape that need to be explored

, connected by portals called flow bridges.

You clean up after yourself as you go, fight pests, and bring back to base various plants that can be turned into different meals and medicines. It is also nice to see the map change from magenta to white.

It also satisfies with smooth drifts and racy U-turns that give it a floaty, speedy feel, much like the PS3 cult classic Journey, sliding over rocks, past reservoirs, and up and down slopes. Following the "flow threads" (basically zigzagging blue lines), the batteries recharge and occasionally lift you up to inaccessible places above. With a touch that is both endearing and nauseating, the duo often zooms hand in hand. Ah, young love.

However, it's not all beautiful scenery and sweet nothings at the Source. The islets you encounter are initially covered in crimson rust, which must be removed. To remove the rust, simply zoom over it and pick up chunks of material that can be used for repairs or tonics. The rust also enrages the creatures that inhabit the planet, and they seem to have collectively decided to take their frustration out on you.

What happens in each encounter is a brief tussle with a rogueized wild animal, played out in a simplified JRPG combat framework. A single stick on the controller triggers each character's action, allowing you to choose from a couple of attacks and blocks to unleash an unprovoked bludgeoning of your opponent, at which point you can placate him and send him on his merry way. Synchronizing and launching dual attacks maximizes damage, and using one character as a shield to beat up the other is a good strategy, but with a limited moveset, these brawls quickly become repetitive Haven is, by design, not an overly difficult game. It is not, but to me the combat felt more like a slow war of attrition than a spicy interlude.

Still, Haven is a game that, at its core, is more about loving than fighting, which is a great job. The relationship between Chloe and Kay is the central element of the game, and it is handled deftly; instead of the awkward flirting and anguished emotions so common in RPG couplings, these two are simply two people who have been together for a while and are clearly comfortable being together. Their conversations are easy and natural, ranging from banal bickering to gentle nostalgia, and the moments when their relationship grows more intimate are not shyly depicted, but thankfully, there are few graphic scenes that are chilling.

Everything they do together, from fighting to talking, serves to strengthen their bond. A particular favorite is cooking and eating together, and their intimacy changes depending on how good the food tastes. Who wouldn't think that food at a Michelin-starred restaurant is more romantic than at McDonald's? Once the bond meter is full, Chloe and Kay celebrate by drinking homemade sake, which makes them a bit more excited and results in an increase in their status.

Their conversations are a large part of the plot exposition throughout the game, with nuggets of it woven into throwaway remarks and late-night chats cuddled up on the couch. It feels organic, and each intriguing reference to the world they've left behind and their reasons for going on the run leaves you wanting to know more. Moments like these are what I love about Haven. There is a lovely sense of a cozy home that is intentionally at odds with the often hostile outside world. I could happily watch the Netflix series about Chloe and Kay. I loved just pottering around in their cozy spaceship home, The Nest, on game evenings, watching them prepare dinner, muse about "what might have been" and argue about whose turn it was to clean the showers. Unfortunately, if you want to make any headway, the outside world beckons.

My biggest problem with the outside world is that I wanted more variety. The islets that make up the source may have a varied constellation of hills, valleys, and ruins, but there was little thrill in discovering anything but rust. As a result, exploration began to feel more like a chore than a fascinating one. Frustratingly, surveying the building required waiting outside for Yu and Kay's chatter to stream through a doorway through which the camera could not pass. The look, however, is wonderful. Picturesque landscapes and soothing colors are accompanied by a gently pulsating synthesizer soundtrack.

A second controller can be connected for smooth co-op. Ostensibly, you control one character at a time, but it only feels that way during combat. In conversation, you both have to agree on dialogue choices, and movement is a round of following the leader. It's not an unpleasant experience, but it doesn't hurt to skip it altogether.

Haven's hook is effective. A relatable couple in an unusual situation is rooted in a genuinely interesting backstory. The visual novel elements work well, with enjoyable dialogue and an emotionally involving relationship.