Review: We Happy Few (Steam)

From the independent studio that brought you Contrast, We Happy Few is an action/adventure game set in a drug-fuelled, retrofuturistic city in an alternative 1960s England. Hide, fight and conform your way out of this delusional, Joy-obsessed world.

Pros:

• Charming bright cartoon-like graphics.
• 11074MB Download size.
• Steam achievements.
• Graphics options- Aspect ratio, Resolution, v-sync, frame rate limit, quality preset and FOV slider.
• Game and HUD options like what icons show, Subtitle size etc.
• Four difficulties- Easy, Normal, Hard and custom.
• Controller support.
• Controls- Sensitivity sliders, invert axis and keyboard mapping.
• Can skip cutscenes.
• Strong voice acting performances.
• Tutorial pop-ups.
• The crafting system that is split into categories like weapons, items, and healing. Uses a simple craft list and items needed then just press a button or use a crafting table for larger crafts.
• On-screen button prompts and icons for missions and waypoints.
• Scavenge resources from plants, car boots, people, chests, furniture and more.
• Clear mission and side quest section. Can set which one to run with, Look at it on the map.
• Save when you want.
• Vending machines for resources/items.
• Stamina system for running, jumping, climbing and fighting.
• Map- Fills in as you play and adds points of interests and custom markers.
• Notes- Collectibles that add more story and context.
• Stealth mode- Can see the enemies footprints even through walls.
• Earn points by playing which are then used to spend in the skill tree to unlock new abilities and increase health and stamina.
• A fantastic gameworld to explore very rustic countryside set in the 60s.
• Fast travel between any discovered access hatches.
• Masks- Again another optional collectible that when you find will trigger a flashback of an event.
• Central stash system that allows you to still craft with the contents even if you are not near it.
• Day/night cycle with weather effects like rain.
• A flowing game structure, Go here to do this to do that to unlock this.
• Easy to jump into.

Cons:

• Mouse cursor stays onscreen when using a controller.
• Loading times/frequency.
• Hacking and lockp[icking is just a case of holding a button down.
• Boring quests that all feel the same and has a lot of fetch quests.
• Very generic skill tree. Usual culprits like increase health, Unlock stealth kills.
• Many weird glitches like clipping, Enemies able to hit you when they are clearly no in range. AI teleporting, AI stuck in an animation in a doorway.
• The story is actually quite hard to follow with so many side quests.
• Simplistic combat- Just your block and attack affair.
• Repetitive scenarios both side and main quests.
• Little reason to explore as the game caters to you in every way as you just follow the checkpoints.
• The whole game feels like it runs out of steam.
• NPC all look and sound the same.
• They use this fade in effect to skip having to add animation sequences. Its very odd and ruins any possible immersion.