The Spotlight is a monthly summary that encapsulates some of the more notable media experiences I’ve had over the past thirty days. From insights on games played, to articles worth checking out, and even cool stories from tabletop role-playing games, it all has a place in the Spotlight.
For the month of June, 2024, here’s what I’m shining the spotlight on.
Games
Thank Goodness You’re Here!
Funny, genuinely gut-busting games are a rarity in the gaming sphere, but Thank Goodness You’re Here! manages to be just enough of a game to be included among those ranks. Despite being armed with a jump and a punch, you aren’t really doing much of anything in Thank Goodness You’re Here! aside from prompting new bits of dialogue. You don’t have an inventory or any choices to make, and I don’t think there’s even a fail state in the game.
Thank Goodness You’re Here! is more of a lightly interactive cartoon than a game. Were it not for its excellent writing, voice acting and truly bonkers story lines, I definitely wouldn’t be lauding the game as much as I am. Sitting somewhere between a point-and-click adventure game and something you’d watch on TV, Thank Goodness You’re Here! is a delightful experience that’s worth checking out.
Lawn Mowing Simulator
Honestly what do you really need me to tell you about Lawn Mowing Simulator that you can’t glean from its highly descriptive title already? You mow lawns and get money for doing it. You hire more people and buy more mowers to help you do the jobs you don’t feel like doing. Lawn Mowing Simulator is what it says it is, and nothing more. It’s supremely relaxing and puts me in this zen-like state that’s been so calming, I may have fallen asleep at my desk more times than I’d like to admit.
Submerged: Hidden Depths
Speaking of zen-like experiences, Submerged: Hidden Depths, is a game about exploring a half-submerged city in a rusted jalopy of a boat. There’s a bunch of corrupted vine overgrowth that you clear out by climbing various structures like hotels and hospitals and solving some very easy puzzles. It is not a challenging game by any stretch of the imagination, but it was soothing and had a decent enough gameplay loop to keep me engaged enough to complete it.
Mafia: Definitive Edition
I don’t think I’ve played the original Mafia game since its initial release back on the OG-Xbox and PS2, so playing through Mafia: Definitive Edition has kind of been a real treat for me. The story is what you’d expect from a mafia movie, where your character gets wrapped up in the world of crime by happenstance, but that’s not a bad thing by any stretch. I’ve always felt that the Mafia games were pretty hit-or-miss in terms of quality, but this remake is easily the best version of this classic game.
Castaway
Castaway is a supremely short, top-down action-adventure game reminiscent of the classic Legend of Zelda games. Consisting of 3 micro-dungeons, each with their own bosses and puzzles, Castaway is a fun-sized Zelda adventure that does a pretty decent impression of its inspiration. I beat Castaway in under an hour, but once doing so I did unlock an endless mode that I haven’t touched yet, so there’s clearly more game there than I’ve seen. I think I paid like three dollars or so for Castaway, which feels like a reasonable price for what I got.
Crime Scene Cleaner
Hell yes, another increasingly niche simulation game has made it into the August Spotlight. Crime Scene Cleaner is, as you may have guessed, a game about cleaning up crime scenes for the mafia or something. I did not pay attention to the story because it could not have mattered less to me.
What did matter was the enjoyment I was getting out of disposing bodies, mopping up blood, and ensuring no evidence of wrongdoing was left behind. If you liked Viscera Cleanup Detail, you’ll enjoy Crime Scene Cleaner. It’s not as tedious as Viscera was, which honestly is a good thing. I inhaled this game at record speed and am more than eager for more levels to be added to the game in the near future.
Watch List
My Adventures with Superman
I’ve never been the biggest Superman fan, but My Adventures with Superman contains probably my favorite depiction of the Man of Steel that I’ve ever seen. It’s also a show whose title I consistently forgot, often times going with My Friend Superman, which is would be a great title for the Totoro, Superman, crossover event we’ve all been waiting for.
What I really like about My Adventures with Superman is that this is a Superman who isn’t invincible or infallible. He’s this kid who is trying to figure his shit out is bolstered by the support of his friends. It’s very anime in that sense. But it’s beautifully animated and has some great story lines for all of the characters. I really can’t praise this show enough.
Batman: The Animated Series
After My Pal Superman, I decided to go back in time and revisit a childhood favorite of mine in the form of Batman: The Animated Series. It was nice to see it was all available on HBO Max, but for anyone who feels like watching it, be warned that it is completely out of order and is technically 3 series mushed into one listing.
Despite that, Batman: The Animated Series is still a phenomenal show. That wonderful art style, the great plots, and the iconic and imposing voice of the late Kevin Conroy as Batman, are all things that have elevated this series to its legendary status. After years of different iterations of Batman, going back to this one is great, but it does highlight just how more powerful they’ve made Batman over the years. Seriously, Batman routinely gets his ass kicked by 2 or 3 nameless thugs who for some reason can tussle with the Dark Knight with any efficacy at all. But whatever. I love this show and am happy I returned to it.
Listening Party
Third Atlantic – Crime in Stereo
Sink – Dikembe
Nerve – The Story So Far
News
Indiana Jones And The Great Circle Goes Multiplatform
Gamescom Happened, Here’s Some Highlights
The ESRB Made a 30th Anniversary Music Video For Reasons I’ll Never Understand
Thanks for checking out The Spotlight. We’ll be back at the end of September with another installment. Consider subscribing to The Bonus World so you can get an email updating you whenever we publish something new.
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