We Happy Few Reviews
We Happy Few was originally released in August of 2018 to highly mixed reviews. The game was a mix of its original survival genre roots interspersed with a well-received story. Bugs were frequent and it truly felt like a game stuck between two fandoms. One wanted the original survival game, and the others wanted a Bioshock like narrative-driven title. Two and a half years later has developer Compulsion Games been able to right the ship and deliver on their goals?
Compulsion Games’ second major project was released to an indie horror gaming community that antcipated more than it got. We’re not mad, “We Happy Few,” we’re just disappointed.
We Happy Few is quite a unique game. It tells a story set in alternative universe, where Nazis successfully invaded UK. To ease people's sorrow, Joy was introduced. We play mainly as Arthur whose work is to censor sad archival news. The game starts when Arthur decides not to take Joy for the first time... Or is it?
Review in Polish | Read full review
We Happy Few is a fantastic game but is not without its flaws. The combat and stealth leave you wanting that little bit more. Stealth, combat and crafting have a lot of potential but are implemented very minimalistically. The game manages to save itself through the delivery of an incredibly unique and almost magical world that will quickly make you forget about the shortcomings. From the spooky Bobbies to the drugged up citizens. We Happy Few paints a colorful picture of a dark world. When things are looking gloomy, you can always pop a Joy!
We Happy Few is, above all, a disorganized game with no identity. It was inspired by great games, but fell into a limbo of bad executions and left the fact that it's nothing more than a copy clear as day. The game had a huge potential to become a classic but threw that all away.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
We Happy Few is a warning to any developer about the vision and ambition of a game overtaking the ability of the team to deliver all aspects of it.
We Happy Few is a bad indie game masquerading as an AAA title. It’s not worth your time, nor your money. Avoid at all costs.
The ideas of power, giving in to hegemonic cycles just to feel safe, and other gameplay systems are unfortunately overshadowed by the technical hiccups found in the game's software. It's a shame, because this game could have been good.
We Happy Few isn't the next BioShock, but if you're a fan of post-apocalyptic or dystopian settings and complex stories, it has something to offer. Too bad about the technical issues and overblown price.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
We Happy Few is an ambitious title with an interesting premise but it fails to deliver on the things that make a video game fun to play.
The thing most sought after in gaming is uniqueness. Players seek it out via emotes and customisation, while developers seek it out via their creations. We Happy Few is truly unique and the only game that feels somewhat relatable is Dishonored due to general gameplay. Aside from that, the world, back-story, main story lines, characters, and overall feeling of helplessly trying to survive in a society of psychopaths is one of a kind. Whether interest lies in the survival horror genre or the first-person action adventure, this is a title that delivers an amazing and heart-pounding 25+ hours. It's also noteworthy that a sandbox mode is coming to the game, but as of release it is not an available option. Hopefully, that means a lot of content post release.
It's a world to which you want to return, but it's also a world that throws up a new problem with every visit. With several patches, this game could be a fun experience, but right now it can often be an exercise in frustration.
At the end of the day, We Happy Few neither succeeds as a survival game nor as a plot driven adventure game.
Overall, the game could have been something amazing. Alas, that’s not the case. It stands between being mediocre and exceptional, making it feel like “meh”. You can still find some fun out of it, but that all depends on how you wish to take on the game. I personally felt like the gameplay hasn’t done the plot justice as it’s one of the more interesting ones in today’s current generation of games. So give it a shot if you feel like it and try to see what fun you can get out of We Happy Few.
Perhaps time will iron out many of the issues as this still feels like a living document being tweaked by the creators. But as a paid game at retail, it’s just not good enough to recommend.
We Happy Few contains moments of enjoyment and artistic brilliance, but they are short lived, and - like a Joy withdrawal - the eventual comedown of the clunky, burdensome reality of the gameplay seeps in. A classic case of style over substance.
It calls up any real experience of anxiety lickety split. But the threat's easy to escape and even easier to forget. The difference between a great idea and a great story is subtle, but important.
We're not saying that We Happy Few is all style and no substance, but have you seen how bloody stylish it is?
There's no doubt a ton of positive elements to We Happy Few, but it seems like a fantastic world clouded over by overzealousness on the part of Compulsion Games. While they should be lauded for their hand in crafting a world that I wanted to dissect every inch of, too much of the game feels like filler for its own good. Perhaps with a little Joy, We Happy Few could be more palatable to modern audiences.
Retrofuturistic England and Joy-obsessed world is interesting place. Well, with some bugs and some defects. if you don't mind, Take Your Joy!
Review in Slovak | Read full review