Perhaps not many gamers were aware of We Happy Few before Microsoft showcased the game during their E3 2016 Briefing. The indie title by Compulsion Games was originally funded via Kickstarter on July 4, 2015 with a total of $334,754 CAD in pledges. Often compared to Bioshock for its visual style, the actual game is very different.
We Happy Few is set in a dystopian version of England during 1964; in this alternate timeline the Soviet Union went to war with England. In the game, set in the fictional town of Wellington Wells, most citizens are kept under control via a drug called Joy which is capable of altering personality.
Protagonist Arthur Hastings decides not to take Joy and discovers a very different world around him. The thing is, he'll have to avoid being discovered as the other citizens don't take kindly on the so-called Downers.
The ultimate goal in We Happy Few will be to escape Wellington Wells, but there's a time limit to be able to do that - after too many days have passed, the social structure will collapse rendering the escape impossible. We Happy Few also has some roguelike elements, such as the procedurally generated layout of the town, the absence of any save option and the fact that players will have to start a new game if killed or captured.
We Happy Few is now available on Steam Early Access, GOG.com Games in Development and Xbox One Game Preview for $29.99. According to Compulsion Games, it will remain in Early Access mode for six to twelve months; the story will only be available with the full release and the team is also planning some significant updates throughout the development, adding more content and features.
Take a look at the new trailer below.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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