We Happy Few breaks free from the illusory walls of early access today
No need to be a Downer - it's out now
After a long, bumpy and storied ride through early access, We Happy Few is out today. A survival-focused stealthy immersive sim, set in a bizarre, dark and dystopian alternate 1960s world. It's a bit like The Prisoner filtered through the mind of Austin Powers. While in early access the game was more of a sandbox-style affair, the final game features three intertwined stories playing out across semi-procedurally generated environments, as three protagonists attempt to uncover the truth behind the all-too-cheerful ruined world they live in.
While many of its elements (especially in its automated town defences) look like they're straight out of Dishonored 2, none of these protagonists have the poise or lethality of Corvo. The full game has you playing as Arthur, a mild-mannered nobody with crafting skills. Sally is a chemist more suited to life inside of the city, but can work her way out of situations with home-brewed drugs. Final protagonist Ollie is a much tougher, more combative character who begins life outside of the city walls, living with the outcasts. Problem is, he's diabetic, and insulin isn't in great supply.
While I admit that I wasn't that enthused by what I saw of the game during early access, the final product is intriguing. If it weren't for the half-dozen games on my plate, I'd be digging into it this weekend. For those wanting RPS's official opinion, while I'm not sure who's working on it, I do know that there is a review in the works, so keep your eyes peeled. As for when this might be, the RPS Ministry Of Information has deemed my request for details a capital offence, and I'm afraid I've got to go now. I think they're at the door.
We Happy Few is out now on Steam, Humble and GOG for £38.24/51/51, or about £10/$15 more for the Deluxe Edition, which will eventually include a trio of DLC chapters.