Review of Happy's Humble Burger Farm
If you've ever worked for a fast food chain, you've probably seen horrors your overweight customers couldn't imagine. To hell with cholesterol. The kind of toll such a job takes on those unlucky enough to find themselves at the frying station of a Big Kahuna Burger or beating onion rings for Jack Rabbit Slims is nothing short of disturbing. Hell, I was only 15 when I was shooting dirty burgers, and almost two decades have passed. Yet, I still can't watch a grill without bursting into tears. Naturally, I was shaking like a leaf when Happy's Humble Burger Farm landed on my desk.
The development team at Scythe – the creators of Happy's Humble Burger Farm (HHBF) – must share my sentiment. HHBF is a wonderfully twisted homage not just to games of the late 90s, but to anyone who knows the nightmare that the service industry can be.
Taking HHBF at face value would easily classify it as a simple time and money management game. And that's fair, considering the first hour or two tends to feel directionless. The goal is to get to work every day, serve customers, take care of the restaurant and earn some money. Then you sleep. But the real joy of HHBF is found when you start to think outside the box, diving into its impossibly bizarre and delightfully creepy world.
Order
Much of the intrigue in exploration comes from the brilliant level design. HHBF's elemental graphic style didn't take long to grow on me. Instead, I found myself noticing early on that this was the PlayStation nostalgia trip I didn't know I needed. However, this is by no means something only people who grew up with Sony's original console will enjoy. The Scythe development team has struck the perfect balance between old and new, creating an accessible world anyone can immerse themselves in. Whether or not they want to stay is another story, however, as HHBF does a fantastic job of constantly hanging a cloud of unease over the player's head.
As I mentioned above, a big part of where you'll spend your time at HHBF is the kitchen. Alongside your trusty colleague (and best friend) Toe, it's your job to open the restaurant, take orders, prepare food, clean up, and more during your shift. And this is where things start to fall apart. With each passing day, disturbing events – one after another – will work to shatter your psyche and force you to question what is real and what is imagined.
Equally compelling are the eerie ambient sounds that find their way into your playing. As with any horror game, I can't recommend playing HHBF highly enough with headphones. I don't think they'll really make or break the experience (unlike the Blair Witch Project, for example), but a good set of cans will increase the experience tenfold. And a big shout out to the team in charge of the TV and radio station as they both help create the atmosphere of HHBF.
Stop to smell the roses
Although I really enjoyed HHBF, I understand that its formula may not be for everyone. Strictly following objectives will advance the story, but a big part of what makes HHBF unique comes from its ability to reward those who stop to smell the roses. Please take your time, watch TV, shop, explore the city. Let yourself be absorbed by everything that is happening, not just a routine of work, sleep, work, sleep.
Another thing that stands out is that HHBF is not as well optimized as I expected. For a game that looks like it was pulled straight from your dusty PlayStation in the basement, load times and framerate leave a bit to be desired. There's no reason why Ratchet & Clank should be faster than HHBF. There is no reason for HHBF to stutter. But, here we are. Most concerning, however, is that once I felt full, the last few hours ended up feeling like a repetitive task.
Yet even with its issues, HHBF never ceased to be one of the most distinctive past blasts I've ever played.
I'm a big fan of Happy's Humble Burger Farm. Its atmosphere, high-stakes handling, and eerie sense of doom all come together in a perfectly palatable throwback that anyone can enjoy. Plus, without giving anything away, there's plenty of room for a sequel that doesn't necessarily need to talk about a restaurant. If the Scythe dev team wants to flip the switch, I'll be there.
***PS5 code provided by the publisher***
