HappyFunland
- March 21, 2024
- Spectral Illusions
Get on Steam"HappyFunland" is a VR thrill ride exploration game set in an abandoned South Florida theme park, once owned by the infamous Mort Grisly. Discover the park's dark secrets and tragic past by experiencing unique attractions like "Marauders of the Tropic Isles," "Grisly Manor," and "Feral Squirrel's Nutty Excursion." With no lines, no waiting, and no escape, prepare for a high-speed, turbulent journey through this haunting amusement park.
Reviews
- The visuals are stunning and create an immersive atmosphere that captures the essence of an abandoned theme park.
- The story is creative, engaging, and filled with clever humor, making for an enjoyable experience.
- The world-building is impressive, with attention to detail that enhances the nostalgic feel of the game.
- The controls and combat mechanics are janky and outdated, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- There are numerous bugs and glitches, including issues with object interactions and character animations.
- The lack of customization options and poor audio mixing detracts from the overall experience.
- graphics11 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 9 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning visuals and immersive environments, described as "gorgeous" and "stellar eye candy." While some users noted that the gameplay mechanics are lacking, the overall aesthetic and thematic variety of the visuals significantly enhance the experience, showcasing the developers' talent in this area. However, the absence of graphical settings was mentioned as a drawback.
“The visuals are stellar eye candy, and the park is a blast to be inside.”
“The graphics themselves are very good, great progress from the previous part.”
“I enjoyed the park, its mood and visuals.”
“There are no graphical settings.”
“Also the same with any graphics settings.”
“The graphics.”
- humor10 mentions
- 90 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is polarizing; while some players appreciate its dark and irreverent wit, others find it lacking and unfunny. The writing and world-building are noted for their cleverness and detail, contributing to the comedic experience, but the overall execution may not resonate with everyone. Some reviews highlight that the humor can be over-the-top, which adds to its charm for certain audiences.
“I spent a lot of time at the Disney theme parks in Orlando as a kid, so naturally when a native VR game was announced that combined my love and nostalgia for all things Disney with my preferred horror genre, with a dash of smart satire and humor, I was pumped!”
“I found this game really funny; its sense of humor is irreverent for sure, and may not be for everyone.”
“The humor, while sometimes a bit over-the-top, was great and the writing was surprisingly decent.”
“He talks way too much for way too long, and if it's supposed to be funny, it's not at all.”
“The jokes fall flat and feel forced, lacking any real wit or charm.”
“I found the humor to be cringeworthy and more annoying than entertaining.”
- story7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The game's story is praised for its creativity, cleverness, and engaging nature, providing a fun and unexpected experience that compensates for its mediocre gameplay mechanics. While the narrative is described as silly and enjoyable, some players wish it had been more fleshed out. Additionally, the environmental storytelling adds depth, enhancing the overall experience.
“The story is creative, clever, and engaging to the end.”
“The game story is so fun and unexpected, and the visuals are so beautiful, it more than made up for the problems.”
“Maybe higher due to the story and people sometimes sh*ttalking to me.”
“There's a lot of attention to detail in the environmental storytelling.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised, with music and thematic elements effectively enhancing the experience, particularly for a Halloween setting that appeals to a broader audience. However, some players feel that technical issues, such as the need for smoother motion controls and better collision detection, detract from the overall immersion, suggesting that the game could have benefited from additional development time.
“The 'spooky but not too scary' atmosphere was great, perfect for Halloween, and will open this game up to a wider audience than, say, Madison VR—which was brilliant but I can't even recommend to my friends as it's just too much for most people.”
“If atmosphere is key, you’ll be happy.”
“The music for the rides and films that play throughout the park really nails it and contributes a lot to the atmosphere of the game.”
- gameplay4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received largely negative feedback, with many users describing it as mediocre or even poor, reminiscent of outdated VR experiences. Concerns about the game's mechanics and overall length have led some players to postpone their purchase.
“My spirits were dampened when the legion of reviews trashing the game's mechanics and length came out, and the title was relegated to my 'wait for sale' bin of dashed dreams.”
“But the game, the actual gameplay, was always mediocre at best, and just straight up bad at other times.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game elicits strong emotional reactions, with some players experiencing significant discomfort and nausea, particularly due to the snap rotation controls. While the emotional impact is notable, there are suggestions for improvement in feedback animations to enhance the overall experience.
“Well, this game made me feel sick as hell in a couple of spots; it's an experience I can count on one hand since first getting into VR in 2017.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Reviewers generally find the game's replayability lacking, citing a short completion time and minimal incentives to replay beyond achievement hunting. Many feel that the price does not justify the limited replay value offered.
“The game's price is well worth it considering the extensive completion time and high replayability.”
“I find myself coming back to this game time and again, as each playthrough offers new experiences and challenges.”
“The variety of choices and outcomes ensures that no two playthroughs are ever the same, making it incredibly replayable.”
“Honestly, price-wise it's a bit too much in my opinion for the duration, and while not bad, there's no replayability besides achievement hunting if you're into that.”
“It is still a bit short though, and there's no replay value for me.”
- music2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game significantly enhances the atmosphere, particularly during rides and films, creating an immersive experience. However, some players noted that the in-game audio can be excessively loud, making it difficult to communicate with friends on Discord.
“The music for the rides and films that play throughout the park really nails it and contributes a lot to the atmosphere of the game.”
“Sometimes the in-game audio/music was so loud that I couldn't understand my friends in Discord.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Overall, users report that while performance issues are minimal, the inability to adjust all settings for lower-end PCs is a notable drawback. The scoring system for performance is also criticized for not functioning correctly, adding to the confusion around optimization.
“Thank goodness your performance in these sections doesn't matter, and the scoring doesn't work right with it anyway.”
“Performance was fine and did not have any issues, but it's rather weird that I can't lower all settings if my PC couldn't handle it.”
“The game runs well, but the optimization options are limited, making it hard to adjust for lower-end systems.”
“I expected better optimization; even on lower settings, the game still struggles to maintain a stable frame rate.”
