The Opening Night time Dwell trailer for ‘comedy slapformer’ Thank Goodness You are Right here! was a joyous balm in a sea of shoulder shrugs final week. Its vivid, cartoon visuals immediately stood out in opposition to the gray, ultra-realistic grizzle beards of all the pieces else Geoff needed to supply in his Gamescom mega present final Tuesday, and even now I nonetheless discover myself whistling its jaunty little tune round the home. However what precisely is Thank Goodness You are Right here!? Properly, having performed by way of one in all its 15 minute missions now, I can let you know it’s kind of like Untitled Goose Recreation, in that you’ve a village you’ll be able to wander about in inflicting chaos, but it surely’s additionally rather more structured than that, with particular quests and folks to assist as you information your tiny travelling salesman by way of its surreal neighbourhood. Here is what I discovered.
Straight off the bat, you’ll be able to inform it is a recreation made by British builders. With my tiny salesman someway having wedged himself into the highest of a chimney, a close-by sweep declares that he is discovered a “toad within the gap”, and promptly introduces me to the enterprise finish of his stick and shunts me right down to the (fortunately extinguished) fire in the home under. The one approach you’ll be able to work together with the world of Thank Goodness You are Right here! is to leap and kick, and so it is up out the open window to see what’s in retailer for us subsequent as we gamble in regards to the unusual city of Barnsworth (primarily based on actual UK metropolis Barnsley, the place the builders Coal Supper originate from).
In seconds we meet a barely hapless gardener known as Herbert who’s having bother watering his large tomato. “Thank goodness you are right here!” he proclaims, as do many others all through our demo, and he units about telling us that this backyard hose he is been sucking (he really does say “sucking this pipe”, I am not making that up) simply is not doing the trick and may we presumably assist him out? Kicking the backyard faucet does not yield any higher outcomes, so I adopted the remainder of the dampen a suspicious wanting properly. Down and down the pipe went, alongside a winding tunnel that finally led me to a sink in an underground kitchen on the native Fish and Cigs store. It is onerous to inform if the oblivious Herbert is aware of he is unintentionally been siphoning off the store’s water provide, however after one other swift kick, the water begins flowing once more.
Now to discover a approach out. There was no going again up the properly, so my solely approach ahead was out the entrance of the store – although not earlier than the shopkeeper additionally breathed a sigh of ‘thank goodness you are right here’ and set me to work serving to him kind his fish from his cigs. And sure, cigs as in cigarettes right here, which burst forth in packs of three from every fish’s gob as I jumped on their frozen, ice-packed bellies. As somebody from the south of England, I can not say I am conversant in this explicit British delicacy, however issues solely received weirder as my demo went on.
Having sorted out the fish keeper’s downside, I used to be then free to wander the city sq. for a bit, which had loads of different freaky inhabitants to satisfy (and likewise kick) as I made my approach again to the gardener. With the water now flowing (albeit instantly into the gardener’s trousers, I would add – I advised you he was a bit hopeless), the following step was to obtain some fertilizer, which could possibly be discovered again within the sq. on the native grocers. Going backwards and forwards like this felt a teensy bit clumsy within the second, I will admit – particularly since my approach again by way of the hedges did not appear open for a return go to, so it was again down the properly once more to get out – however the sheer nuttiness of what adopted actually went an extended option to make up for it.
Arriving at Roger’s Veg Corridor, I am instantly introduced with full-on fruit warfare. Roger the grocery store’s gone berserk, and the gardener’s in entrance of me cowering behind the meals stalls, swearing blind he did not point out the grocery store’s “huge head”. I leap and sprint ahead within the gaps between vegetable hurls – my small stature coming in helpful right here so I do not get clocked with a cucumber – and as I lastly make my option to the counter, popping up in all types of bizarre locations in and across the store on the best way, I spring up in entrance of Roger by way of a metallic trash can, the shiny, reflective floor of the lid providing up a mirror to his elongated noggin. Abruptly, I am watching Roger’s total life story play out earlier than my eyes, how he was bullied as a toddler for having such a surprisingly formed cranium, how different youngsters would chuck popcorn at him within the cinema, and the way his first girlfriend did not thoughts it. Reduce to his girlfriend now spouse leaving him as a result of she simply cannot maintain mendacity to herself anymore, and the grocery store ageing and getting sadder and sadder as folks regularly exclaim “It is simply too large!”, till lastly he collapses in a heap from the push of emotional trauma.
We seize our fertilizer and go, leaving no matter’s left of Roger to take care of one other time. It is doable we’ll see him once more in a while, builders Will Todd and James Carbutt inform me, as finishing varied ‘missions’ will culminate within the city clock transferring on one hour, and extra of the city will regularly open up over time. The locals may also transfer about to completely different areas, and every hour can have a few doable duties accessible.
“It is not a loopy branching narrative,” they inform me, “however there are, like, relying on which factor you do first, some issues will turn into accessible at completely different occasions. The world responds in a barely completely different approach and issues unlock for various causes.” As such, you will not see the entire recreation on a single playthrough, and I really cannot wait to see what different unusual issues are hiding in right here, as a result of after we get again to the backyard and our gardener buddy begins making suggestive grunts and thuds attempting to “get her open”. The digicam then cuts away to his dad and mom wanting on inside the home, silent, however clearly wistful and proud that their son has – to their ears, a minimum of – has discovered somebody to ‘love’.
After arguably too many barely awkward seconds, the sack bursts forth (by which level his dad and mom have disappeared to thud the furnishings in a fair friskier style), splattering onto the already bulging tomato. It ripples and rumples to horrifying proportions, birthing a monstrous pair of eyes, nostril and mouth because it utters a single phrase in a high-pitched squeak: “Daddy??” However the gardener’s having none of it. Instantly, he is gorged himself on the whole factor, his mouth slick with purple juice, and a vacant look in his eye as he stares at his knife and fork. I am undecided what I’ve simply witnessed, however the gardener is happy, and the mission display shouts “Cream Of The Crop!” at me. The city bell then rings out within the distance, signalling that one other citizen is in want of help, it appears. However earlier than I discover out who, my demo attracts to a detailed and I am left to ponder what I’ve simply seen.
Quite a bit occurred within the house of that quarter-hour, however like Herbert, I am hungry to see the remainder of it, which can be arriving on Steam and the Epic Games Store someday subsequent 12 months.
For extra of the most recent information and previews from Gamescom 2023, head to our Gamescom 2023 hub. It’s also possible to discover all the pieces introduced at Opening Night time Dwell proper right here.