We Happy Few

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/10/17674288/we-happy-few-review-ps4-xbox-pc

This was one of the recent titles I was interested to play given the dystopian premise seemed up my street.

From reading the review and watching a playthrough on Facebook Live this morning, it seems in some ways a limited mess, not what you want from something that's supposed to be worldbuilding - a mess, perhaps, but under no circumstances limited.

Also while I like Cor Blimey Guvnor impressions of English people, that aspect started to grate very quickly.

[bgmnts]

I watched Jim Sterling play and talk about an earlier version of it. Seems like a typical 'babysit the protagonist' game, which I hate.

[Mister Six]

What's a "babysit the protagonist" game?

[Zetetic]

I've no idea what half the mechanics are for in this game - there seems to be bunch of stuff to keep the player busy without it really engaging them in the setting or plot. (I guess it might be to push them to explore?)

[bgmnts]

What's a "babysit the protagonist" game?

Where you have meters that constantly deplete - hunger, thirst, oxygen etc - and you have to constantly refill them whilst playing the game.
I cant stand it.

[Twed]

Ugh, micromanaging stats is something developers add when their core game design isn't really working out.

This game definitely isn't for me. And is it making a statement on medicating mental health issues, or is it just a really clumsy dystopian thing?

[Zetetic]

The weird thing is that the 'survival' mechanics have been there from the very start - I get the impression that it's meant to be the driver for taking risks (which works well enough elsewhere). I wonder if there might have been tighter ways to approach that, but these would have meant a massive overhaul of the gameplay.

I don't think it's anything to do with 'mental health issues', particularly. I think it's meant to be about guilt and responsibility across a society.

[Ferris]

This is downloading on the PlayStation now. 50 quid ($80CAD)!

It had better be good.

[St_Eddie]

Where you have meters that constantly deplete - hunger, thirst, oxygen etc - and you have to constantly refill them whilst playing the game.
I cant stand it.

I'm glad that you mentioned this.  I was thinking of buying a copy because the art style looked interesting but knowing what I know now, no fricking way!

[bgmnts]

I'm glad that you mentioned this.  I was thinking of buying a copy because the art style looked interesting but knowing what I know now, no fricking way!

To be fair that was a while back, they may have changed it.

[Twed]

I don't think it's anything to do with 'mental health issues', particularly. I think it's meant to be about guilt and responsibility across a society.

Sure, not as its main theme. But is there any hint of "you shouldn't take pills to fix problems"?

[madhair60]

More like Wee Crappy Poo

[Zetetic]

Sure, not as its main theme. But is there any hint of "you shouldn't take pills to fix problems"?

I'm sure that's not an impossible reading of it. I think that the emphasis on 'Joy' putting people in an explicitly disturbed state to the point of hallucination somewhat undercuts it as a stand-in for antidepressants and the like, but it doesn't completely prevent it. (I guess the mass medication angle could go either way, and the medical imagery pushes you back towards that view, maybe.)

(I think I tend to be oversensitive to this stuff, so it's possible that I'm overcompensating consciously and not seeing an obvious allegory. Particularly given that I don't think the game looks terribly good overall, from what I've seen of it.)

[Zetetic]

Although, having said that Wikipedia has "Narrative director Alex Epstein considered the idea similar to Prozac Nation, and where in current times, there is a prescription drug for every conceivable malady." so...

[Twed]

I'm sure that's not an impossible reading of it. I think that the emphasis on 'Joy' putting people in an explicitly disturbed state to the point of hallucination somewhat undercuts it as a stand-in for antidepressants and the like, but it doesn't completely prevent it. (I guess the mass medication angle could go either way, and the medical imagery pushes you back towards that view, maybe.)

(I think I tend to be oversensitive to this stuff, so it's possible that I'm overcompensating consciously and not seeing an obvious allegory. Particularly given that I don't think the game looks terribly good overall, from what I've seen of it.)

Thanks. Your second paragraph is relatable.

I ask because I haven't played the game at all and I doubt that I ever will. I've seen stuff floating around on Twitter suggesting that it has a negative mental health message (intended or not) and was interested in what real people have to say about it.

[Ferris]

Mrs Ferris is onto the second chapter and enjoying it so far while I make tea. It looks quite fun, but I think I'd get bored of it.

[Ferris]

I'm glad that you mentioned this.  I was thinking of buying a copy because the art style looked interesting but knowing what I know now, no fricking way!

You can customize the difficulty and turn the "character maintenance" to easy, and leave the rest at hard/medium as you so choose.

I also hate doing that kind of stuff - if I wanted to worry about keeping a character well-maintained, I'd go to the gym and eat more vegetables. As it is, I want a beer and a video game. Is that so much to ask.

[Mister Six]

Where you have meters that constantly deplete - hunger, thirst, oxygen etc - and you have to constantly refill them whilst playing the game.
I cant stand it.

Ah! Cheers. I'm sure those kinds of mechanics must have been utilised well in some game but I have no idea what it might be.

[Twed]

The Sims. Not tacked on to action games when imagination runs out. This stuff was unacceptable in the days of GTA: SA.

[Bhazor]

This is one of those infuriating things. I love so much about it but the game itself holds basically no appeal. The artstyle is great, the concept of the setting is great (not original but still), the  logo is great, the name is fucking brilliant. But the game? Looks like balls.

Now all that great stuff is wasted, it can't be used by anyone for at least 3 or 4 years without everyone calling it a complete ripoff.

[biggytitbo]

According to Jim Sterling, the game is totally broken. When will devs learn not to release totally borked games to the public?

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Now all that great stuff is wasted, it can't be used by anyone for at least 3 or 4 years without everyone calling it a complete ripoff.

Hollywood doesn't appear to have such qualms.

[Zetetic]

When will devs learn not to release totally borked games to the public?

Shortly before the banning of the US national anthem, I shouldn't wonder - the idiots!

[Mister Six]

The Sims.

Ha, yes, of course.

[BRen]

Resurrected thread, but I'm playing though this for the first time at the moment and really enjoying it. Most of the bugs have been fixed from what I can see, and while it's not the most in-depth game, I really love the setting and story, very unique. I guess it's a bit of a 'British Fallout' if you're trying to compare it to anything. Gonna pick up the three DLCs too once I've finished the main game, would like to see more games or a continuation of this to be honest.

Howcome it got shit on at release, was it simply a case of being full of bugs and a bit shite in that regard? Anyone played it recently and done a bit of a re-appraisal?

[madhair60]

Wee Crappy Poo

[BRen]

Wee Crappy Poo

We've got a Downer over 'ere!

[Ferris]

Got to say, I thought it was very mediocre at best. It's stuck in my list of games I got halfway through and have binned off without hope for redemption.

[Blue Jam]

Didn't get on with it, found it a bit too Fallout-y for my tastes...

I guess it's a bit of a 'British Fallout' if you're trying to compare it to anything

Ah.