E3 makes room for the creepy and showcases We Happy Few, the disturbing video game that brings us to an alternate dystopian future where everyone smiles.
The Microsoft press conference of today has granted space for indie and independent games with a voice of their own. One of those weird ones is We Happy Few, a dystopian first-person survival game developed by Compulsion Games. In less than four minutes, they have revealed the biggest and latest gameplay to date and with it, proved that they have a rather luring story to tell.
With style sparks that reminds us of the BioShock games, Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange and the Fallout musical settings, We Happy Few may disappear for a moment under all the big AAA titles during this E3 but it surely will come under our radar again. There’s yet no official release for it but its early playable version will be accessible via Xbox Game Preview already on July 26.
We Happy Few, a Retro-Futuristic Dystopia
The gameplay ventures into what seems to be the first moments of the game. Set into an alternative world after World War II, We happy Few puts us in the role of a Downer, this is, someone who has voluntarily decided not to take Joy, a governmental and socially accepted drug that makes you accept your reality with a plastic smirk. The trailer depicts a pinata party going terribly wrong and after that, the dreadful anguish of being on a fox hunt where the hunters smile all the time.
From all the bites and pieces that Compulsion Games has been sharing since PAX East 2015, we know that the game relies heavily in stealth and survival systems. Once we have declared our independence from our ever-lasting happy comrades, the fun begins. Our focus is to leave the city but, of course, we’ll tend to our most basic needs while keeping the happy crew away from us, running through London streets and squares and blending sometimes by ingesting small amounts of Joy. Do not be fooled by its expressive and colorful art. We Happy Few promises to bring us to creepy grounds.
If you are interested to know more about it, head to Compulsion Games website. Remember, no one wants to be happy all the time. Not in that world, at least.
