Someone’s being a Downer.
We Happy Few has been denied classification in Australia, although the reason behind the decision hasn’t been specified.
The game was refused classification this week based on Australia’s “National Classification Code”, which states video games that “depict, express or otherwise deal with matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or abhorrent phenomena in such a way that they offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults to the extent that they should not be classified.”
We Happy Few was announced at E3 2016, and depicts an Orwellian-esque future where the citizens take Joy pills to detract from the horrors of their reality. The game doesn’t shy away from violence either, but due to the vague nature of the reason given for refusal of classification, it’s difficult to ascertain which particular in-game events were found to be so offensive as to breach the standards of “morality” and “decency”.
The title was initially set for an April release this year, but was delayed to a summer 2018 release window. An exact date has yet to be confirmed.
Last year, it was reported that a We Happy Few movie adaptation was under way, courtesy of Pitch Perfect producer Gold Circle Entertainment and the producer of the Sleeping Dogs movie, dj2 Entertainment.
The film will remain “true to the source material, while still surprising fans” and will capture the game’s “menace, dark humor, and central themes.”
We Happy Few will release for PC, PS4, and Xbox One later this summer.
Shabana is a freelance writer who enjoys JRPGs, wine, and not finishing games. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.