The Loop

Solid novelization. Would probably rec this over playing the game to most people tbh. The bit of diy translation at the back is a fun bonus!

Heaven's Vault was one of my favourite games of the year when I played it back in 2019, and I bought the books mostly to support the devs since I find tie-ins to be pretty hit or miss.

I was surprised to find I enjoyed the book in its own right. It does roughly follow the story of the game, but is able to shine a light on different aspects. I really liked the descriptions of the physicality of sailing (this is not as apparent in the game since as the player you operate the ship from the outside) and the enriching of Aliya's history and POV. The character has a lot of rough edges and can be tough to get a handle on - I feel like I know her a different way after reading this.

It was interesting to see the character trying to solve the mystery on the page (there is a part where Aliya immediately jumps to a conclusion that I jumped to at that same point in the game, which was funny to me) and I liked reading her analyses of artifacts and attempts at translation. And of course, the banter between Aliya and Six is great.

I'm not sure how well it would hold up for someone who hasn't played a few loops in the game but I have and I'm really enjoying it.