Since Sony’s first VR headset and the purchase of the first Quest model, I have been both an ardent champion of how amazing the VR format can actually be, and one who has tried many experiences. However, it’s hard to argue against the lack of more comprehensive titles in VR. Another argument that almost always comes up is that many VR games feel like technology demonstrations rather than actual gaming experiences. That means they demonstrate how cool virtual reality can be, rather than offering everything we want in terms of game mechanics, narrative and depth. All of this is also hard to argue against because it is often true. However, the lack of releases is by far the main reason why my PSVR2 hasn’t been used as much as I’d hoped for when it arrived.
With all this in mind, and perhaps especially the fact that VR is largely a demonstration rather than something interactive, I started HappyFunland with the belief that it would be a lot of just that. It was partly justified, but thankfully not only that, and the low expectations were quickly replaced by a pleasant surprise that it was actually a lot of fun.
After a brief introduction where we meet a chatty character who wants us to put on a pair of headphones and a camera to document what we see during our trip to an abandoned amusement park, we jump aboard his little swamp boat. It quickly becomes clear what kind of experience this is trying to give me, and I’d call it a bit of easy-to-digest horror. There are some “jump scares” that made me scream out loud. I hate this kind of thing, but still managed relatively well and luckily survived. In many ways, HappyFunland is a walking simulator, and it is noticeable that it is a bit of a technology demo for VR. But at the same time, walking around environments is something we do a lot in “normal” games too. This is actually one of the biggest strengths of VR, as in many ways it feels like you are there. In addition, the dilapidated, dirty and very strange theme park is an incredibly fun environment to walk around.
Because it is precisely in connection with this that the first part of the great surprise and joy creeps in. Although it takes place almost entirely in a theme park, the environments and experience manage to be wonderfully varied. This is achieved by throwing in some simple puzzles and a dose of wacky mascots in the form of robots that go berserk and act as enemies. There are many different themed areas that you visit, and of course there are different attractions that you can hop on board. Everything happens at a furious pace in fantastic surroundings, and the design is absolutely top class. The visuals are also improved with a lot of detail, and it generally looks very nice, despite the state of the park. The visuals are, however, slightly reduced by the fact that things at a distance are a bit blurry, which means that, for example, some attractions where you drive around and look at things are graphically worse when it comes to things that are a long way away, and some effects are also very flat.
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It is primarily in the design and the richness of detail that I think they are most successful. Nothing feels forgotten. There are small souvenir shops, eateries, picnic areas and all sorts of other things. It is packed with everything you can imagine a park to have, and it really helps to make this incredibly atmospheric. Just something as simple as being able to see the emergency exits when riding an attraction makes these, along with the fact that it really feels like you’re riding them, absolutely amazing features. Admittedly, you don’t get the feeling in your stomach that gravity gives in reality, but otherwise it most times feels like riding a real attraction, which is of course a fantastic result. In addition, there is also a great undertone of dark humor, and I experienced the scary elements as self-critical crap with regard to horror as fully manageable. It’s a park where cigarettes and alcohol are advertised, a park that definitely feels more for adults than children, and I can’t stress enough how accomplished the park itself is as a place for all the craziness.
In addition to exploring the park and driving the attractions, the game consists of very simple little puzzles, and encounters where the mechanical inhabitants of the park have gone berserk and attack you, and you have to smash them with the tools you find. The fights are really just pure brawling, but at least they add a little menace. This is also where I come back to the point that a lot of what’s coming to VR doesn’t feel like full-fledged games. HappyFunland suffers a bit from that too, because the interactive and a bit deeper is missing. As an experience, it’s incredibly good, among the best I’ve driven for the format in a long time. But there is still something missing to develop the actual game mechanics and engage me more than just finding it a fun journey through the park. It’s a bit one-tracked, and although you can find some sort of collectables, there’s nothing beyond that.
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One of the more noticeable problems also lies in the technology. While this looks great, much better than I expected, and is extremely well designed, it also suffers from a classic VR problem. There is an extreme amount of clipping, probably more than I have experienced in a title in a very long time. Just something like the golf club being able to sink through the ground on the fairways is a first hint, and the problems are often noticeable. There are many objects that you just walk straight through, sometimes you turn around and find yourself inside a wall, and the immersion is broken many times. This is a shame, because if the technology here had been better it would have felt more polished, and while I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the character is affected or noticeably inferior, there is some technology that doesn’t work very well Good.
Also, it’s a bit of a shame that the settings are so limited. It’s not possible to change the height of the character, which means the perspective can get a little silly at times, and the only way to move forward is to steer the character forward with the joystick. In other words, there is no form of teleportation for those who prefer it in VR, which I know is a must for many. However, it is possible to choose the degree to which you can turn even if everyone is a notch, and I missed a seamless movement that I myself prefer.
Another thing that is a bit sad is that it is also quite a short trip. It takes a few hours, and then you’re done with the experience. However, this is now sold significantly cheaper than many other games, and despite the short playing time there is still so much to experience here in the form of several themed areas, things to look at, drive and be fascinated by. If I judge it based on the premise that you get a really cool and fun trip into virtual reality, this is in many ways absolutely fantastic, but as a game it rather stops short of being good.
In most respects, HappyFunland does what I want from such an experience and should definitely be checked out if you miss sitting with the VR helmet on your head. Which at least I have done, and luckily what was shown in front of me was one of the funnest and wackiest virtual worlds I’ve visited in a while.
2024-04-01 12:00:00
#HappyFunland #Review
