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You will hallucinate or else 🤔🧠😵‍💫

I remember seeing videos for We Happy Few years ago and thinking that it looked very cool. For unknown reasons, it flew away from my mind with the wind before I ever got to play it. Fast-forward a few years to the present time and I now have Xbox Game Pass, a place that We Happy Few calls home.

We Happy Few is a compelling action-adventure game developed by Compulsion Games and published by Gearbox Publishing. Released in 2018, the game is set in a dystopian alternate-history version of England during the 1960s, where citizens are required to take a hallucinogenic drug called Joy to maintain a facade of happiness and conformity. Players take on the role of various characters, each with their own unique storylines and motivations, as they navigate through the unsettling and oppressive world of Wellington Wells.

Central to We Happy Few is its narrative-driven gameplay, which explores themes of conformity, authoritarianism, and the consequences of blind obedience. Players must navigate through procedurally generated environments, scavenging for resources, completing quests, and avoiding detection by hostile inhabitants. The game's branching storylines and moral choices offer multiple paths to explore, each with its own consequences and outcomes, making for a compelling and immersive narrative experience.

Beyond its narrative depth, We Happy Few is praised for its distinctive art style and atmospheric world-building. The game's retro-futuristic aesthetic, reminiscent of 1960s British culture, creates a visually striking and immersive environment for players to explore. From the dilapidated streets of Wellington Wells to the eerie underground tunnels, each location is filled with detail and ambiance, drawing players deeper into the game's unsettling world. With its thought-provoking storylines, immersive atmosphere, and engaging gameplay mechanics, We Happy Few offers a unique and memorable gaming experience for those willing to explore its dark and dystopian universe.

This game is much more story-focused than I had anticipated, but at least it is an interesting story. It may not be quite what I expected to play, but I still came away intrigued by my first impressions. See for yourself in my video below.