We Happy Few Reviews
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: The question becomes, how much joy can the player take?
If you can afford to play all of the great games coming this year as well as indie titles, you should also play We Happy Few in order to understand how games should not be. Experiencing this title will give you a clear understanding of the distinction that exists between a masterpiece and a disasterous product.
Review in Persian | Read full review
We Happy Few is a perfect example of a game with a great premise and setting yet it fails at the last hurdle. Technically, the game feels like it could have done with a few more months of polish here and there. It would have been better if the developers had ironed out some of the more serious memory issues which cause the framerate drops and occasional crashing the further into the Acts you get. That being said, if you can look past the issues then you’re left with a really interesting and unique game which perfectly represents an alternative 1960’s British City.
The killjoyers have always been among us and in the world of video games have always been an essential part of many deliveries of various genres and many well-known sagas.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
With some re-arranging of the locations we visit and the characters we encounter, the mechanics of play, and the level design, this game could have fantastic atmosphere and would have compelled me to take a deep nosedive into the ripe thematic core it presents. So my message to you is this: if the idea of ‘We Happy Few’ interested you, I’d recommend you give it a try. It’s not perfect, by any length, but it’s something I think we should all at least look at, as there are many design lessons to be learned. A great concept does not make a great game, but if you’re willing to put up with some slightly annoying level design and play with mechanics you’ve seen before, that price of entry may well be worth it if you’re wanting to experience the story it has to tell.
While this may not be what many players originally envisioned the launch version of We Happy Few being like, it’s hard to deny that it’s one of the more consistently interesting open-world games I’ve played, sporting deeply enjoyable lore and writing that make up for some gameplay shortcomings.
We Happy Few is enticing, and the premise of this twisted dystopian thriller certainty has its hooks. The setting is eerie and heavily implemented regulations leave the city of Wellington Wells feeling dense with pressure and rules. It’s a tale reminiscent of George Orwell’s 1984, but for this game to also become a classic it still needs some work.
Unfocused in both its plot and gameplay, We Happy Fews completely misses the mark and does a huge disservice by spreading old stigmas associated with mental health issues.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
We Happy Few hides nuggets of narrative gold at the end of tiring sequences of gameplay.
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.
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.
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
As it stands, the game’s early comparisons to BioShock were far too kind, and I would not recommend We Happy Few to anyone.
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.
We Happy Few tries to combine a dystopian story with a survival gameplay, but these aspects don't quite work together and sometimes even step on each other's toes. Also the execution of the game as a whole, leaves a lot to be desired.
Review in Persian | 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.
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.
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.
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