Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness is a visual novel with a cyberpunk setting and anime-style graphics that will please fans of the genre. If you have played other visual novels on the PlayStation or the PS Vita, such as Steins;Gate, then you will also enjoy this one. Come read our Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness review to find out why we loved this game!
For those new to the genre, visual novels are exactly what their name says they are: a visual representation of a very large book with huge walls of text and plenty of cutscenes. Entries in the genre are a perfect way to relax with after a hard day at work. But the real question is, how does this one play on the PlayStation 4? Time to find out!
If you’re going by the basic and strict definition of gameplay, this one doesn’t much to offer aside from a few decisions you can make here and there. But on the plus side, this a very polished release that is fully voiced so you can enjoy listening to the story as well as read the walls of text. The main thing about the game is making the right decisions to unlock the different endings it includes, offering a lot of replayability if you want to see everything the game has to offer.
Upon booting up for the first time you will be asked to choose from two main characters to play as: Inspector Nadeshiko Kugatachi or Enforcer Takuma Tsurugi. Inspector Nadeshiko Kugatachi is a person who makes rational decisions on all her cases. Enforcer Takuma Tsurrugi is the opposite, since he lets emotions run high. You have two very different characters to choose from, which is sure to please players.
The story is set in the far future in Toyko, Japan. There are four cases to go through, and playing with both characters on seperate playthroughs will give you new insights on the cases as well as give you a clearer picture as to what is really going on. You can expect the game to be really dark and maybe even a little disturbing, so be ready!
The Antagonist is called Alpha and is a hacker who only has one objective: to make people happy, no matter what. As a result of that, the Criminal Investigation Department starts to follow his actions as it personnel tries to find out who he is, and what his abilities are, so that they can understand his purposes and end game.
Once you get acquainted with the characters in the game you will be given your first case. You and CID Division one will be investigating the kidnapping of a little girl in Sado Marine City. The kidnapping was done by a boy, and the pair was previously close, which makes the situation even weirder. It turns out Alpha got in touch with the kidnapper and offered to help him achieve his happiness. And now you can start to see why Alpha’s actions can be very, very dangerous.
It is often difficult to determine the correct answer or decision for each case, so you’ll be experiencing the consequences of your actions every step of the way. I can’t go further into the story without heavily spoiling things for you, but rest assured that the twists and turns are very good and will keep you glued to the screen until the end!
As you play, you’ll realize that interrogating a suspect or searching their homes could lose you valuable time, but since you can also gain crucial insight into what that person is like, you’ll have to weight the pros and the cons. One tiny mistake in a decision could ruin your case!
Did I like Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness on PlayStation 4? Certainly! Playing the game to let you know what I think of it in this Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness review made me very happy during my time with this release, and I highly recommend that you buy it today! I loved every minute of it, and couldn’t find a single thing to complain about. If you love visual novels, you need to add this one to your collection!
Disclaimer
This review is based on a PS4 copy of Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness provided by NIS America.
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