We Happy Few is no longer banned in Australia. Indeed, the game was originally banned down under thanks to its depiction of violence. Australia has a long history with game bans and cutting content, so it’s nice to see We Happy Few unbanned. We are the happy few now.
Indeed, following a review by The Classification Board in Australia, We Happy Few has seen its original ruling overturned. A unanimous decision has given the game an R18+ rating. This means that We Happy Few will now be available for purchase. Rejoice!
In a statement released by Fiona Jolly, convenor of the Classification Review Board, the decision was made clear. A “three-member panel… unanimously determined that… We Happy Few is classified R18+ (restricted).” Anyone over the age of 18 will easily be able to pick up We Happy Few, but should be aware of its “fantasy violence and interactive drug use.”
Unlike its original ruling, which saw We Happy Few banned, the change in tone is refreshing. The Classification Board went into some detail over how We Happy Few was unbanned. The statement argued that none of the unsuitable material on display in We Happy Few went over the guidelines of “high” impact:
“The National Classification Code and Classification Guidelines requires the treatment of drug use to not exceed high at the R 18+ level. In the classification Review Board’s opinion We Happy Few warrants an R 18+ classification because the interactive drug use is high in impact. The overall impact of the classifiable elements in the computer game was no greater than high.”
There’s no doubt that getting We Happy Few unbanned in Australia was a great move by the Classification Review Board. However, what this may mean for the future of games in Australia is also exciting. Long has the country simply banned titles that would simply require an R 18+ rating. Hopefully We Happy Few can help to usher in a new era of high ratings, rather than bans. The We Happy Few release date on Xbox One, PS4, and PC is August 10, 2018.
