Since Sony’s first virtual reality headset and purchasing the first Quest model, I have been a huge advocate of how fantastic the VR format can really be and someone who has had many different experiences. However, it’s hard to deny that there are no full VR titles. Another common argument is that many games of this type feel more like technology demos than real gaming experiences. This means that they show how great VR can be, rather than offering everything we want in terms of game mechanics, narrative and depth. This is also difficult to refute because it is almost always true. However, the lack of releases is undoubtedly the main reason why I’ve used my PSVR2 much less than I expected when I got it.
With this in mind, and perhaps especially the fact that VR is largely a demonstration rather than something interactive, I started playing Happy Funland believing that it would be just that. In some cases this was justified, but on the other hand all these beliefs and expectations were quickly replaced by the big 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 headphones and a camera to document what we see during our excursion to an abandoned amusement park, we board his rudimentary small boat. It’s immediately clear what kind of experience it’s trying to give me, something I would describe as a slightly toned down horror. There were some “sudden terrors” that made me scream out loud. I hate this kind of thing, but I still made relatively good progress and luckily survived. In many ways, Happy Funland is a walking simulator, and this is reflected in the fact that it is partly another demonstration of VR technology. But at the same time, running around environments is also something we do a lot in “normal” games. In fact, this is one of VR’s greatest strengths, as in many ways it feels like you’re in the place itself. Plus, this tired, dirty and very strange amusement park is an incredibly fun environment to stroll around.
The first feeling of surprise and joy arises precisely in relation to what was said above. Although it takes place almost entirely in an amusement park, the environments and experience are fantastically varied. This is achieved by incorporating some simple puzzles and a portion of crazy characters in the form of robots that wreak havoc and act as enemies. There are many different themed areas you can visit and of course there are different attractions you can ride. Everything happens at a fast pace in fantastic environments and the design is top notch. The graphics are also improved with various details and overall look very good despite the condition of the park. However, they suffer a little from the fact that things that are far away are a bit blurry, meaning that some attractions where you ride and see things, for example, feel graphically worse when it comes to distant elements, and some also have effects that also lack dynamics.
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Above all, the design and the wealth of detail are successful in my opinion. Nothing feels forgotten as there are small souvenir shops, restaurants, rest areas and a little bit of everything. It’s filled with everything you could imagine in a park, which adds to an incredible atmosphere. Just a simple thing like riding an attraction and seeing their emergency exits means that these, coupled with the fact that you actually feel like you’re riding them, are absolutely fantastic features. Sure, you don’t get the feeling in your stomach that gravity gives in real life, but on the contrary, you mostly feel like you’re riding a real attraction, which is certainly a great result. Additionally, there is also a great and wonderful tone of dark humor as well as horror elements that I was able to stomach without feeling overwhelmed by them. It’s a park that advertises cigarettes and alcohol, which definitely seems more aimed at adults than children, and I can’t praise enough how well-suited the park itself is as a place for all this madness.
In addition to exploring the park and riding the attractions, the game features very simple puzzles and encounters where the park’s mechanical residents have gone crazy and are attacking you, requiring you to destroy them with the tools you find. The fights are pure grappling, but carry at least a small amount of threat. At this point I come back to the point that a lot of VR content doesn’t really feel complete. Happy Funland also suffers a bit from this, as it lacks interactivity and something deeper. As an experience it’s incredibly good, one of the best I’ve had in the format in a long time. But there’s still a long way to go to develop the actual game mechanics and get me to become more involved than just thinking it’s a fun journey through the park. It’s a bit monothematic and while there are some collectibles, there’s nothing beyond that.
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One of the most notable problems also lies in technology. While it looks great, much better than I expected, and is extremely well designed, it also suffers from a classic VR problem. There’s a lot of overlapping objects, probably more than I’ve experienced in one title in a long time. Things like the golf club sinking into the ground on golf courses are a first sign and the problems are often noticeable. There are many objects that you can literally walk through, sometimes you turn around and find yourself inside a wall, which makes the immersion even worse. It’s a shame, because if the technology had been better it would have seemed more sophisticated and although it’s not enough to say that the rating is affected or that it is noticeably worse, at the end of the day it is a piece of technology that doesn’t work so well .
It’s also a shame that the setting options are so limited. It’s not possible to change the size of the character, meaning the perspective can be a bit ridiculous at times and the only way to progress is to control the character forward with the joystick. In other words, there is no ability to teleport for those who prefer it in VR, which I know is a must for many. However, it is possible to choose the degree of rotation, although they all have a notch and do not have any fluid movement, which is what I personally like the most.
Another somewhat sad point is that it is a fairly short trip. In a few hours you have already gone through the entire experience. However, it sells significantly cheaper than many other video games and despite the short playing time, there is still a lot to experience in the form of different themes, things to see, drive and be fascinated by. If I judge it on the premise that you’re guaranteed a really cool and entertaining foray into the world of virtual reality, it’s absolutely fantastic in many ways, but as a game it’s something that falls more into the “decent” category.
In many ways, Happy Funland delivers what I expect from an experience like this, and you should definitely check it out if you miss having your VR headset on your head. At least that’s what I did and luckily what I saw was one of the funniest and craziest virtual worlds I’ve visited in a long time.
