High-octane action is a piece of cake: deep, nuanced RPG systems are in great supply, and high-fidelity graphics are near-on expected from almost all games hoping to catch the eye of the gaming Populus. There is something within the industry that is in short supply, however, and that are games that understand how to be funny.
Comedy is no stranger to the medium of gaming, but it tends to present itself in fleeting moments, and rarely do you see a studio go all out to make a game where humor is the standout feature, which makesThank Goodness You’re Heresuch an interesting prospect.
Review: SCHiM
The shadows are as important as the light.
Thank Goodness You’re Here, developed by Panic, is a game that promises cartoonish, irreverent comedy at every turn, in a game that aims to buck almost every gaming trend and norm to provide something truly unique and wacky beyond all comprehension. It’s an outlandish goal, but one that we feel this title manages to achieve with aplomb, and if you want to find out why, then stick with us for thisThank Goodness You’re Herereview
Jolly Old Blighty At Its Best
It’s hard to even begin reviewing the content on show withinThank Goodness You’re Here, because it’s not a controversial statement to say that there is literally nothing within the medium of gaming quite like this. The title places you in the little English village of Barnsworth, and it seems like you’re just the old chap they’ve been waiting for, as every single member of this little community needs your help with a series of tasks that get more surreal and irreverent as the game progresses. But as anyone that has lived in a small town will know, they’ll frame it as the most important task on earth.
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In terms of narrative, it’s a story that is cut up into loosely connected segments, which generally exist as a way to facilitate gags and general silliness, much like adult cartoons with lots of cutaways like Family Guy or Rick and Morty. So don’t expect all the Ts to be crossed and Is to be dotted, as ludo-narrative is tossed right out the window here. But what you do get here is oodles of comedy genius, with nary a lull to rest your aching sides.
Not to mention, the level of visual brilliance and attention to detail on show here is off the charts. For those attuned to old British comics of yesteryear, this feels like a love letter to old comic strips present in The Beano and The Dandy, providing subtle jokes, recurring gags, and wacky set-dressing everywhere you look. Honestly, all that’s missing is Dennis and Gnasher running around causing mischief, but thankfully you can fulfill that role.
It’s a title that truly understands its inspirations, setting, audience and comedy as a whole, which makes Barnsworth such a joy to explore.
Laugh-A-Minute Comedy Showcase
You may be wondering how this cartoonish game with gags aplenty actually provides a format that feels like an interactive gaming experience. Well, it does it in the most minimalist way possible as far as gameplay is concerned, but this simplistic approach pays off in spades.
WithinThank Goodness You’re Here, all you can do is walk around, jump, and kick things within the environment, but this allows this game to serve as a simple, intuitive game fit for gamers of all levels, and even non-gamers looking for a little fun escape. Through kicking everything in your path, you can initiate a conversation with the locals, interact with objects, and as you might expect, boot the snot out of anyone you feel like giving a swift kick. And this, in turn, is how you explore, progress the narrative, discover new areas and find all the little nuggets of comedy gold within this wacky title. If you need a comparison, it’s a little like sourcing the gags in games likeSouth Park: The Stick of TruthorThe Simpsons: Hit and Runand it’s equally as rewarding.
While fit for purpose and satisfying in practice, the gameplay is just something that facilitates the comedy here, and boy are there a lot of wonderful moments to be had in Barnsworth. The cast of larger-than-life characters plays on British stereotypes masterfully; the one-off gags initially act as seeds that blossom into outstanding recurring gags in later chapters, and thanks to the medium of gaming, you feel like a catalyst of chaos at the heart of the action.
Whether it’s the cultural divide caused by the big pie vs small pie debate, your encounter with a baked-bean-obsessed war general or doing your big shop down at Price Shaggers, there’s something here for everyone, and if you don’t laugh once from start to finish, then you may have a pint and a pie on us.
Comedy Is All About Flow
It’s fair to say thatThank Goodness You’re Heresucceeds mainly off the back of the brilliant presentation, writing and its inherent silliness. It would be criminal, however, not to mention how excellently designed this little world is.
Comedy is all about pacing and delivery, which is something that this game knows all too well. It successfully keeps the player on rails without ever feeling like they are being funneled through the experience. The town of Barnsworth feels like an ever-changing, alive environment, and this feeling is cultivated through the game’s ability to keep the player looping through previously visited areas, allowing the scene to change and evolve while maintaining the illusion that the player has full autonomy to explore the world as they see fit.
This means that every gag is delivered in the time, place and manner that the developer intended without ever asking the player to go to a certain place, or do a certain thing with any sense of urgency, and it bears mentioning that this is such a difficult thing to ensure, as every player’s approach is inherently different.
If we’re being super critical, this looping and ever-changing world does mean that less inquisitive players may miss out on content, and you may accidentally trigger world-altering events before you’ve had the chance to kick everything in sight, but considering the sheer magnitude of the task at hand, Panic to a stellar job here.
Blink And You’ll Miss It
Due to the love, care and attention to detail that has been poured intoThank Goodness You’re Here, it’s hard to actually find anything to be critical of, but we can already foresee the biggest gripe potential players will have with this game, which is the short runtime. If players take their time to smell the roses, as it were, you’ll maybe be able to squeeze three hours out of this experience, which will be a negative for some.
We do want to defend this short runtime and say that, due to the all-killer, no-filler approach, the sheer number of quality moments packed into this short runtime, and the level of intricate planning, care and animation that goes into making a game of this nature, it feels unreasonable to expect more of it. It’s a game that knows when to call it a day and not overstay its welcome. While we would have loved more, we know what we got from this game was more than we could have ever expected.
Closing Comments:
Thank Goodness You’re Hereis a resounding triumph that showcases how comedy and gaming can thrive in perfect harmony. This ability to be at the heart of this interactive comedic experience enhances the belly laughs, the surreal silliness is a joy to behold, and the level design, ever-changing environment and exquisite animation all play their part as well. It’s a title that captures the essence of small-town British life and then pushes the stereotypes to the nth degree to offer over-the-top characters and gags that will live long in the memory. It is an admittedly short experience, but it’s one that serves as a blueprint for anyone who wants to create a game where humor is the USP.
Thank Goodness You’re Here!
Version Reviewed: PlayStation 5
Explore the strange town of Barnsworth in this cheeky comedy slapformer!After arriving early for a big meeting with the mayor of a bizarre Northern English town, a traveling salesman takes the time to explore and meet the locals, who are all very eager to give him a series of increasingly odd jobs…“Thank Goodness You’re Here!” is a comedy slapformer, which unfolds over time as the players' exploration and antics leave their mark on the strange town of Barnsworth. With each completed odd job, new areas of the town open up, stranger and stranger tasks become available, and the clock ticks towards our salesman’s big meeting. The town’s colorful inhabitants are brought to life with vibrant hand-drawn animation, fully voiced dialogue, and wall-to-wall double entendres.
Thank Goodness You’re Here and Arco Highlight Panic’s Busy Week
Do you like British comedy games? Pixel art Western action games? Events talking about multiple games? Well, Panic has you covered on all fronts.
