Video games have opened modes of entertainment that were considered dead for a long time. They are allowing developers to bring back tons of things back from their death and tabletop RPGs is one of those things. Back in the 90s, tabletop RPGs were at their maximum demand but eventually, they died with the ever-changing concept of entertainment. Paranoia: Happiness is Mandatory is one such game that is based on the cult-classic tabletop RPG which was released back in 1984 and since then has been long forgotten. This is our review of the digital adaptation of Paranoia called Paranoia: Happiness is Mandatory by Black Shamrock and Bigben.
Paranoia: Happiness is Mandatory is set in a dystopian sci-fi Alpha Complex which is run by a paranoid artificial intelligence who is known as the Friend Computer. Friend Computer has a very narrow vision and likes everything in perfect order. It does not like anything going against its own will and dictates the whole community what needs to be done. It has a very specific set of rules that everyone has to follow and if someone goes against them, they are instantly terminated. Friend Computer itself monitors each and everything happening inside Alpha Complex.
You start your life as one of the clones living on the Alpha Complex. Life exists on Alpha Complex only as clones and if a clone goes rogue, it is terminated instantly. You also get a limited number of replaceable clones however each clone is unique in certain ways and if your current clone dies, the next one will not inherit anything from the previous one. His abilities, skills, and specialties are reset and are randomly assigned to the clone. Run out of clones and it is game over for you. Since Friend Computer likes everything organized, your clone is also assigned a designation and purpose in Alpha Complex.
You are a Troubleshooter Team Leader who must lead a team of three other Troubleshooters. Your task? Ensure that the will of Friend Computer is followed throughout the Alpha Complex and nothing goes out of the order. At the start of every day, Friend Computer assigns you the main assignment which ranges from finding traitors to checking out what happened in different sectors of the complex. This also serves as the main campaign of the game. Apart from the main quest, you must also complete different side quests which range from testing different items to gathering feedback on items. These are assigned to you from the complex’s R&D department.
Now the main trick here is to complete these side quests while you are working your way around the main story mission. Before the mission begins, Friend Computer will explain to you about the assignment however you need to be extremely careful about how you answer different questions. Choose the wrong one and you will end up getting some Treason Points. The bar at the top of the game shows your current Treason Level and how the world around you sees you. Reach 100 and you will be marked as Terminate on Sight. At this point, you can either head to a Termination Point to kill yourself or let others do the dirty job by killing you.
For your missions, the Friend Computer assigns you special Vendicodes which are to be redeemed on Vending Machines which grants you necessary gear for missions. Once the mission is over, all of this gear is taken back by the Friend Computer so you do not get to keep anything unless you hide something in your secret stash in your room. However, it is again illegal to have a secret stash in the game and if Friend Computer finds out about it, you are again in trouble. Another important aspect of the game is the Clearance Levels. Different areas, machines, and even Vending Machines are clearly marked with certain colors that can only be accessed by people who have that color’s clearance level. You start at Clearance Level Red which gives you access to only areas and vending machines marked with red. Move to an area that has an increased clearance level or use a vending machine with a higher clearance level than yours and you will get treason points.
Before heading into missions, you will also have the option to choose three partners for your mission. You will need to pick very carefully because each partner comes with its own unique strengths and weaknesses. Some will help you access locked doors, others will keep the treason levels in check while some are experienced soldiers and will keep the enemies at bay. Apart from passive skills, your partners also come with different Active Skills that you can activate at your own will while encountering enemies or in other scenarios. These skills ensure that each and every partner in your squad plays a vital role in the mission.
However, these partners are not your best friends. Do something in front of them which goes against the will of the Friend Computer and they will gladly report you during the mission debriefing. Mission debriefing is equally important as that of the mission briefing. Mission debriefing takes place after the mission has concluded according to your choices and decisions and you submit your findings to the Friend Computer for evaluation. During the debriefing, Friend Computer will not only ask you about how the mission went but also your partners who will stop at nothing to report your treacherous acts.
This makes it extremely important that you try to follow the rules as much as possible while performing your assignments or your teammates will report you which in extreme conditions could even lead to your termination. For example, during one of the early missions, I had to find a traitor and I did some treacherous things as Friend Computer’s cameras were not operating in that area. I completed all tasks including the secondary ones, went back to report my findings and my teammates reported all my actions which led to my Treason Level hitting 100 and I was terminated.
To reduce your Treason level, you can also visit Confession Booths where you are asked a few questions. Answer them right and you will end up lowering your Treason level however it is still a bargain because if you answer the wrong questions, you will end up further increasing your treason level. This becomes annoying as well after some time because in certain situations, if you don’t have the right person with you, you are forced to go out of the way for completing missions and you will end up being reported by your team to the Friend Computer.
All of this, however, delivers a completely unique experience and I’ve never played such a unique title in my life before. The visuals are pretty decent; the audio design is pretty solid as well while the story is pretty good as well. The gameplay is pretty standard and nothing special. You can use the keyboard to easily choose dialogue as well whereas, in combat scenarios, you can use the nifty Action Pause mechanic to your advantage. During Active Pause, the game is paused, allowing you a tactical advantage as you can assign different commands to your team during this phase. You can order them to take cover behind objects, fire at certain enemies, use abilities on enemies and more. Once you are satisfied, resume the game and your team will execute the commands you issue to them while Active Pause was active.
You have plenty of weapons at your disposal along with different items that provide you with different bonuses during the fights. Most of the gear is provided to you by Friend Computer for the missions however you can access the vending machines yourself as well and purchase different items from them such as ammo, food, and drinks. Higher clearance level vending machines offer better gear and items and if you want them early, you will need to risk getting some treason points. The more time you spend in higher clearance level areas or interacting with vending machines, the more points you will get.
You can also access and use the Recycler to craft different useful items such as nanobots. These nanobots are really helpful in certain situations as they will help you to turn off defenses, hack into vending machines to unlock additional items for purchase and even unlock locked doors. This counts towards treason but these nanobots are extremely useful is acquiring better gear for missions and making your life easier in the underground sectors of the Alpha Complex. You will often find these recyclers in different locations which can be a real lifesaver if you have the right resources to use them.
Paranoia: Happiness is Mandatory is a great title and offers plenty of challenge and freedom as to how you want to complete your missions. You can become the ultimate Friend Computer loyal clone and obey each and every command by staying within the limits or you can be the biggest rebel on Alpha Complex and use your own methods to complete the mission by keeping your Treason levels low. If you don’t keep your treason levels low, you will surely die because the whole Alpha Complex turns up against you. Overall, the game is pretty challenging and humorous at the same time and someone who wants to play something different will find this game to be pretty fun and different to play.
Final Verdict
Paranoia: Happiness is Mandatory might be based on a cult-classic tabletop RPG but it is an excellent modern game and greatly brings back the tabletop RPG to modern times in a brand new way. Black Shamrock has done a great job in creating a truly immersive world with the annoying and demanding AI Friend Computer trying to put everyone’s life in order. The game offers humor, challenge, decision making, and great gameplay and wants you to be happy at all times. Your teammates are a massive help in the game but sometimes could become a massive pain as well. It all boils down to your own playing style on how you want to approach in the game. I really liked Paranoia: Happiness is Mandatory and if you want a decent adaptation of a tabletop RPG, this game will not disappoint you.
Final Score: 8/10
