The new open-world survivalist game, We Happy Few, from Gearbox Publishing and Compulsion Games takes a terrifying twist on happiness. As players explore through this demented and creative dystopian world they are introduced to Joy, a pill which dictates happiness and survival. From the beginning it becomes evident if you don’t take Joy, you are not welcome in the Willie’s British society however Joy is a killer not a savior. This wicked take on happiness is fascinating and horrific.
The dystopian, survivalist theme is overwhelming as the player ventures through the open-world. From the very beginning the vibe becomes worrisome and each cutscene proves the story behind We Happy Few is brilliantly crafted. By changing the past, players experience what could have been which is an intriguing play on war and history. As someone who enjoys a well-crafted plot, I appreciated the time dedicated to the individual stories of Arthur, Sally, and Ollie.
It becomes evident that Joy is the enemy to the average person, however, society is too far in not to depend on it. While playing through the Arthur story I found myself struggling to balance an appropriate level of Joy when in the village. Traveling through the village became a task that was suspenseful and eerie. If the player falls below an appropriate amount of Joy or agitates fellow willies, the willies will turn on you. While it was very difficult, it was also enjoyable. Players can utilize hiding and conceal themselves in plain sight until they can take their Joy again or escape from enemy vision.
The controls are self-explanatory and easy to understand. Simple controls are vital in PC games and We Happy Few has allowed easy navigation and an ability to focus on objectives. Using keys to move and to select made it easy, however at times I experienced a lag when turning the camera which sometimes caused struggle in combat. Despite these minor lags it was an overall excellent implementation of controls and I appreciated their key choices.
I felt the graphics were unique and matched the overall game objective. There was a lot of attention to color which was impactful to create the perfect mood. Despite the horrific themes, the illustrations appeared bubbly and colorful. The alterations between light and dark hues changed the mood from joyful to down and visa-versa. This is helpful when traveling through the city and may even be the determinate between life and death.
The overall dystopian concept of We Happy Few was creative and well-executed. The entire time I played I was impressed by their ability to intertwine lightness and darkness so perfectly with their survivalist theme. I also found myself impressed by the vibrant graphics and wonderful illustrations. There were only few points where I noticed minor glitches or found myself unimpressed with features but in general I found We Happy Few to be an overall impressive game and would suggest anyone who enjoys gore and open-world survivalist games to purchase We Happy Few upon its release.
Rating: 8.4/10
Check out the We Happy Few Launch Trailer:
We Happy Few will be available worldwide on August 10, 2018 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, retailing for $59.99 USD.
Steam Review
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Overall Score - 8.4/108.4/10
My name is Haylee, but everyone calls me "Haylz". Gaming has been a passion of mine since my grandma bought me The Sims for PC and my love for gaming flourished from there. Currently, I'm a Senior studying English at Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi and spend most of my time gaming and leading my school through collegiate competitions as President of the eSports club! Despite being a dedicated vegetarian, my favorite games tend to be First Person Shooters and I'm naturally drawn to blood and gore! Chances are, if you can kill in it, I'll play it... I just won't eat it (unless it's a Fallout perk)!
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