Paranoia: Happiness is Mandatory Game Review
3 Step Game Review
About the Game
Released
December 5, 2019
Platforms
Developer
Black Shamrock & Cyanide
Price
US$ 29.99
(MAY VARY PER LOCATION)
Game Description
Paranoia is a CRPG that takes place in humanity’s last idyllic refuge, Alpha Complex, which is controlled by Friend Computer. All citizens enjoy a life of joy, cheerfulness and cleanliness. Questioning the benevolence of… (continues…)
Game Links
Step 1: Playing Conditions
Read below the game basic characteristics. If it is something you see yourself playing, move on to Step 2: Graphics & Sound.
Gameplay Overview
Paranoia: Happiness is Mandatory (P:HM) is a 3D top-down camera game that can be played with a controller or POINT & CLICK actions. During the entire game, you have control of your character and, on missions, of other 3 teammates, each one with a different set of skills.
The game happens around the Friend Computer, responsible for assigning the main missions. You will interact, shot and choose what to say to NPCs. To feel involved with the game a fair amount of READING is necessary.
P:HM has much more of ACTION than of RPG as you can play the game by only mastering its mechanics. Even though the RPG elements can make missions easier, they have low influence on the gameplay results.
Step 2: Graphics & Sound
Watch 5 to 10 minutes of any video below. If you like what you see and hear, move on to Step 3: Game Evaluation.
Step 3: Game Evaluation
Build your expectations about the game by learning what it offers and how was The Partisan Spy’s experience.
USER INTERFACE
The UI brings everything an action RPG game asks for and its design helps understand the game. All information sections are accessible via a WHEEL and the HUD shows all essentials for the gameplay.
On the other hand, the game doesn’t offer keybinding customization and, during gameplay, there are some clickable objects that when clicked, nothing happens. A simple TOOLTIP with the reason why could help avoid players’ frustration.
STORY
The story is the CENTERPIECE of P:HM. Everything happens around it and some side-missions can be accomplished during a main mission.
Different from most games, at P:HM it’s not just enough to complete the mission objective. You need to do everything PERFECTLY with no sign of treason, even when talking to NPCs. Your teammates will report you. A false step during a mission can mean punishment or TERMINATION at the debriefing room.
COMMUNITY POTENTIAL
P:HM was developed INSPIRED by the Paranoia tabletop RPG game and this brings attention and curiosity to the title. Besides that, all other game elements don’t help its SSP.
PVE is the only game mode available and as content generation is LIMITED to the completion of its missions, the game has a short attention life span among the gaming community. If not for its background history, the SSP of P:HM instead of being LOW, would have been ABSENT.
GAMEPLAY MOOD TRACKER
MOOD ANALYSIS
The game is FUN and if you like reading, you will surely get involved with the story. The mood tracker shows exactly that. As my understanding of the game and involvement with the story grew, my mood followed the same trend. It started the game between NORMAL and ENTERTAINED and ended between ENTERTAINED and EXCITED.
The game bugs affected my mood 3 times resulting in the mood average to finish on ENTERTAINED.
GRIND FEELING
Missions may seem repetitive as you are always shooting something but the learning curve and story narrative COUNTERS any grind feeling.
There is a lot to learn in P:HM, in the first hours of gameplay many concepts and elements are presented. It takes time to put everything together and feel in CONTROL of the game. That said, your focus will not be just on the shooting but also on the use of logic and best judgment to progress and complete the missions.
LIKED THE MOST
The ACTIVE PAUSE function allows you to command multiple actions during combat and highlight important items of the environment making the game more dynamic.
HATED THE MOST
The bugs that impacted the gameplay experience in which the only way to continue was by RESTARTING the game.
EVALUATION SUMMARY
Paranoia: Happiness is Mandatory MOLDS you.
Forget your moral standards or what you think is right. If you don’t BEND, if you don’t ADAPT, you won’t beat the game. ACCEPT you are not in charge and that you will do things you don’t believe it’s right. Making you go against your natural behavior and submit to it, is the MAGIC of this game.
If not for the BUGS and unpolished game elements, it would have been a perfect gaming experience and at the same time a self-character exercise.
The biggest LESSON someone can learn from P:HM is that fighting the system is not the only and honorable option. You can beat the system on their own rules and when you get to the top, you can live all the privileges it offers or you can keep strong and make the changes you dreamt about when you were at the bottom.
Choices & Advice
DON’T BUY IT
IF YOU ARE NOT INTO READING GAMES AND SEE NO FUN IN CHOOSING FROM DIALOGUE OPTIONS.
WAIT TO BUY
IF BUGS BOTHER YOU AND YOU CAN WAIT FOR A GAME UPDATE. PROBABLY, THIS IS A GAME THAT WILL BE SOON IN A SALE.
BUY NOW
IF YOU ARE A FAN OF THE PARANOIA TABLETOP RPG GAME.
GAME LIFETIME
GAME CAN BE 100% COMPLETED 15 TO 25 HOURS.
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