Developer: HappyGames Studio
Genre: Puzzle
Store: Steam
Reviewed version: Final
Censored: No
Patch Needed: Yes (Free DLC)
OS: Windows
Language: English, Chinese
I’ve been a fan of the Happy franchise for a while: Happy Numbers was an entertaining puzzle game, and Happy Quest was a fun and innovative Match-3. This one, however, barely met my expectations and, as a result, disappointed me a bit.
Pros
Solid gameplay
Artistically it’s pretty, and the H-scenes are pleasing to the eye
[h3]Cons[/h3]
It feels like a rehashed version of Happy Numbers
There’s a lack of variety in the puzzles despite being the main focus of the game
The soundtrack only has one song, and there’s no background music in Extra mode
The game puts the player in the shoes of Akito, a lowly servant who works for Alisia and takes care of every problem she has. Things change for him when, one day, she faints out of the blue and wakes up extremely aroused due to a curse she has. Akito then embarks on an adventure to get some water from a magical well and use it to lift her curse. In a sense, the story feels like something they came up with at the last minute. It’s decent, but they put it in the “extra” section instead of making it the main part of the game.
I expected a bit more from it, gameplay-wise. I imagined this one would be full of puzzles like the ones you find in HOGs given its name, but it turned out to almost be a rehash of Happy Numbers. Though there are a few of them in story mode, you can count them with one hand. My disappointment aside, the puzzles are well-implemented, and solving them is equally fun and challenging.
Artistically, the game is as good as its predecessors. The characters are beautiful, and the Live2D animations in the sex scenes are very well done. The main puzzles mix a blurred background taken from the story sections with a minimalistic design, and it works. Regarding the soundtrack, it has no more than a single song. It’s quite relaxing and makes it easy to focus on solving the puzzles, but it’d have been better if there was more variety. The extra mode, however, has no background music to go along with the story.
Verdict: Passable
I recommend this game despite my initial disappointment. After all, Happy Puzzles is a decent game as long as you keep your expectations in check. It may not be as good as the devs’ previous games, but it’s still a fun one.