We Happy Few for Windows

Joy, a drug widely used in the We Happy Few universe, and an important pillar of the gameplay of the game, has an interesting property that after its adoption, the world is initially gray-brown and violent, turns to a place of beautiful and bright all-consuming happiness.

However, this effect persists only for a certain time.

WHF story

The plot of We Happy Few tells us an alternative version of history, known to us from textbooks – it was Germany that won the Second World War, while the United States refused to enter the war. Great Britain was left without allies and had to recognize the superiority of its neighbor. Many historical tidbits and references, as well as plot-relevant information – presented directly or hidden between the lines – can be found on your own in the many letters, notes, and documents collected during the game.

From the point of view of history, the drug Joy mentioned above is also important, it is not only an excellent driving force of the plot, but also the gameplay. Since, in essence, every citizen is obliged to take a drug that should cause a short-term state of euphoria – failure to comply with this prescription will lead to unpleasant consequences.

The fun begins when Arthur Hastings – one of the three playable characters in the game – decides to stop consuming red capsules of happiness, as a result of which he falls into a maelstrom of events. And there is a huge plus for ingenuity here, because this chain of events (which is actually a chain of quests) – as well as the “campaign” of the other two protagonists – is just logical and interesting. Side quests also look quite interesting – for example, the one in which we have to deal with the cult, but in order to enter their residence we need to take hallucinogenic mushrooms.

Another aspect of the game that deserves praise from the outside is the visual and sound affects. All indications are that the Compulsion Games developers were inspired by their previous animations from the Construct game. Almost everything has been developed in the fairy-tale world – from the anatomy of unnaturally slender figures to architecture.

We Happy Few Gameplay

All this leads to well-designed gameplay that emphasizes the actions of the totalitarian system (and its impact on society) at every turn. The hero must – until he finds a mask behind which he can hide – periodically take fun pills. And this is in order to pass through special detectors that identify those who have not taken the “medicine”.

There is an overdose in the game, which gives temporary ailments (a decrease in certain statistics), hallucinations and vomiting. It is impossible to go through the game world in a state of constant intoxication. It should also be remembered about the remaining statistics that may affect our protagonist – he feels hungry, thirsty and tired, so it is also important to find food, drink and a comfortable bed to sleep in. An important element is also the crafting system, which allows you to create completely new items.

Pros and Cons

We Happy Few is a good game that, unfortunately, is not without its drawbacks. Its Achilles’ heel is, first of all, an unnecessary accident in the matter of world generation, which is a completely unnecessary addition to this kind of games.

However, We Happy Few has its advantages – first of all, the extraordinary atmosphere straight from BIoshock Infinite, which is very difficult to find in many other games. So if you are a player who – due to the gripping story and the many tingling moments in your hands – are able to close your eyes to the various visual repetitions of the animation that are visible in the first act, then you should buy the game.