During their annual press event in February, Nippon Ichi Software America confirmed they acquired the rights to Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness. This is a companion visual novel to the original TV anime series produced by Production I.G and written by Gen Urobuchi. While Nippon Ichi Software America have worked on many video games which have had visual novel elements to it, this will be one of the few titles which exclusively deliver a visual novel experience.
While initially listing the visual novel with a late-2016 release, fans of the Psycho-Pass series won’t have to wait that long to dive into this new title. The company have today confirmed that Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness will be available in North America on September 13th 2016 and PAL regions starting September 16th 2016. It will first be available on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita via both physical and digital channels. A Steam PC release will follow at an unspecified date.
Feel like spending a little bit of extra money to nab yourself a special edition of Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness? NIS America have confirmed that the visual novel’s Limited Edition is now available for purchase via their official online store. This edition comes with:
- A copy of Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness on either the PlayStation 4 or PlayStation Vita
- A full-colour 72-page softcover art book (7″ x 10″)
- Original soundtrack w/ jewel case
- 3x Pencil Boards (7″ x 10″)
- 1x Microfiber Cloth (6″ x 6″)
- Collector’s Box to store everything in
The PlayStation 4 Limited Edition will set you back $69.99 USD, while the PS Vita edition is $10.00 cheaper at $59.99 USD.
Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness takes place during the timespan of the first season of the anime, and adds backstory and world building to the overall series. This is in addition to presenting new in-depth storylines which can be impacted based on player decisions, and the introduction of brand new characters which will provide new perspectives on the Psycho-Pass universe. You can read more about the storyline in the below synopsis:
In the near future, advanced technological developments have allowed one’s mental state and disposition to be quantified and profiled.
For the public’s welfare, all emotions and thoughts are documented and managed by the Sibyl System. This system measures the quality of each person’s life by what is known as the PsychoPass, a reading of an individual’s mind. Broken down into two main components, the PsychoPass is the system’s omniscient eyes of justice. One of these components is the Hue, which is a visual representation of the Psycho-Pass that conveys a person’s stress level. The other is the Crime Coefficient, which is a numerical value that represents a person’s criminal capacity. This number determines whether an individual requires enforcement by the detectives of the Public Safety Bureau. Detectives are divided into two groups: Enforcers, who are tasked with the investigation of crimes and the apprehension of criminals, and Inspectors, who are charged with managing the Enforcers
In Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness, players will choose between two new detectives assigned to the Criminal Investigation Bureau: Nadeshiko Kugatachi, a calm and serious Inspector whose memories were wiped, and Takuma Tsurugi, a hot-headed Enforcer who is searching for his missing childhood friend. Depending on your character selection, new opportunities can emerge, leading to a number of different endings. Depending on your choices as well, hues may deteriorate beyond recovery, cases may be left unsolved and the game may end quicker than expected.
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