We Happy Few Reviews
Fans of walking simulators and story driven games will find a lot to love here. While some of the systems in the game are rather intricate they tend to be unnecessary and even tedious at times, making the gameplay and puzzles overall drab and boring. With such a mixed bag of elements it’s hard to recommend We Happy Few to anyone that isn’t up for a long game that is story based.
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?
We Happy Few's focus on story over survival is a good choice, and at its best when dropping bombshells of truth that the drugged people of Wellington Wells have tried so hard to ignore. In its Early Access, I felt like wandering between procedurally-generated islands to stay alive wasted the intriguing setting and premise of its opening act. Now, exploring segments designed to reveal We Happy Few's secrets are both fun and rewarding. Although survival and crafting are fairly manageable, running through randomly generated towns, streets, or abandoned fields unfortunately shows that We Happy Few can't hide from the ghost of its own past, no matter how much Joy you take.
We Happy Few has an interesting storyline and attractive background settings, and the duration of the game is far beyond my expectation. But still, too many bugs make this game look terrible, and the mission design is not that rational.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
Pulling off a rich, expertly-weaved narrative for a dystopian title is no mean feat, and the team at Compulsive Games managed to do so. Buoyed by beautiful visuals but brought down heavily by combat mechanics and the hefty price tag, it would perhaps be more accurate for We Happy Few to be titled We Okay Few instead. Steam sale anyone?
We Happy Few delivers a great story, with a perfect setting in an alternate sixties Britain and some easter eggs for fans of classic sci-fi literature. Sadly, missions are too similar and there are some technical issues in combat, loading times and survival mechanics.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
And a willingness to stick with a severely flawed release to experience a fascinating tale of regret, shame, and addiction that's full of ambition, charm, and memorable detail.
We Happy Few have a lot of good ideas and the best virtue of the game is the story of this original dystopian world that we can explore, but unfortunately, other mechanics like combat or stealth can be better.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
We Happy Few is a game of high highs and low lows. It's certainly far from perfect, with questionable stealth mechanics, sometimes derivative gameplay, and a lack of polish that intrudes on the fun. However, it also offers a totally unique world full of interesting characters and places.
It's hard to criticize a game that offers so much originality, humor and satirical atmosphere. We Happy Few, unfortunately, lets its narrative and characters get bogged down in a desperate and, at times, tedious struggle to survive the game's brutal environment.
We Happy Few doesn't always come together to form a cohesive video game experience, but its story and art direction are nothing short of fantastic. Had the developers dumped the stealth and survival mechanics, I'd love this game to death.
We Happy Few releases on consoles and PC on August 10.
We Happy Few is an excellent story, and a fantastically imagined world, set in a game with many problems.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
While it has one of the best game worlds ever envisioned, We Happy Few stumbles over painfully simplistic gameplay and several major bugs.
It’s bold and adventurous world design that should undoubtedly be praised. If story and atmosphere can carry a game for you, then you should be able to look past the weaknesses elsewhere to enjoy this quirky and distinctive adventure.
We Happy Few isn't a bad game on its own. If you can overlook some of its overused elements, you will find an original FPS with a gripping narrative, if you dedicate enough time.
Aside from the immersive introduction, We Happy Few eventually becomes a chore more than an intense survival experience. One had only hoped, that the game became a linear experience akin to BioShock than the tacked on survival game it really is.
The combination of tension, exploration, intrigue, and survival made for an strong artistic foundation for Compulsion Games to build their story upon. They’ve created something special here, and I hope they continue to do good story work going forward. We Happy Few’s stealth and combat, on the other hand, needed more work. While the game encourages you to seek out additional playthroughs, they only serve to cast a harsh light on the fundamental mechanics. And that’s a bitter pill to swallow.
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 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