The Suggestion Box #117: Robots, and Monster Ops, and Existentialism, Oh My!

Posted on by Lauren

Wondering what to do with your upcoming free time? Good thing we have some suggestions for what you should be watching, playing, reading, listening to, etc.

Lauren’s Book Pick: A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers – When I tucked myself in with this novella I was ready to bask in the cozy journey of finding true happiness with a unfulfilled monk and a rather precocious robot who finds joy in all things new to it. Honestly, I think I was just so pleased that this Judgement Day’s machine revolution of centuries past didn’t end with the omnicide of the human race that I was unprepared to get utterly blindsided by a self-aware machine proposing that humans are living incorrectly, spouting “truths” about existence with non-applicable life lessons. Must be nice to live in a world that seems so much closer to a utopia than our own, in which it’s worth considering that the human drive to find meaning in purpose is a flawed form of existence that loses sight of the miracle of existence itself. Here in this capitalist society (where life is so often dictated by paying bills), not only does finding one’s purpose feel like a step past simply surviving, but it’s seen as being worthy of surviving by contributing. And sometimes finding one’s purpose is the closest we come to true happiness. Maybe it’s a flawed way of thinking, but it’s what we have. Now excuse me while I go pet my dog for an hour in the hopes of quelling the existential crisis I’m having by once again being reminded that I never figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up. 90% of your novella made me happy, Becky Chambers, but the introspection made me oh so sad.

Ben’s TV Pick: Creature Commandos – The first piece of media in James Gunn’s DCU franchise is an animated, witty, funny, and extremely gory good time. After the events of The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker (which are both semi-canon, I think?), Amanda Waller pivots from using human prisoners to metahuman prisoners for her ultra dangerous missions. The newest team includes (but is not limited to) the following: The Bride (Indira Varma) – a centuries-old reanimated being with super strength nearly as vast as the emotional distance she tries to keep between herself and others; G.I. Robot (Sean Gunn) – an automaton with an endearing disposition who was designed to kill Nazis on sight; Dr. Phosphorus (Alan Tudyk) – a man who emits various levels of radiation and is able to manipulate his power to hilariously gross and badass results; and leading the team is veteran soldier Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo), father of Joel Kinnaman’s character from both live-action Suicide Squad films. If you liked how organically Gunn brought together the Guardians of the Galaxy or the hilarious ultra violence and irreverent humor of his previous DC outings you’ll probably love spending time with this crew too.

Ben’s Video Game Pick: Astro Bot – Astro Bot might just be the best platformer I’ve ever played. It’s a vibrant, colorful collectathon with charm for days and the best level design I’ve seen in the genre. Yes, it’s clearly inspired by the past few 3D Mario games, but aside from the music, Astro Bot basically one-ups (heh) the legendary plumber in every aspect. Each level feels totally unique, the power-ups are all fun to use in both combat and puzzle solving, and the boss battles are top notch. It also hits my nostalgia nerve because the game is simultaneously a great platformer and a celebration of 30 years of PlayStation seeing as multiple levels and bots (your comrades/collectibles) are adorable versions of iconic franchises and characters from Sony’s tremendous catalogue. Crash Bandicoot, Ratchet & Clank, Jak & Daxter, Metal Gear Solid, Uncharted, God of War, Horizon, The Last of Us, Shadow of the Colossus, Tomb Raider, Bloodborne, Ghost of Tsushima, the gang’s all here!… Well except for Final Fantasy (despite developer Team Asobi’s best efforts), but if that’s the only real complaint I have about Astro Bot I can’t qualify the game as anything but a smashing success.

So what do you think about these picks? What content did we miss over the past two weeks while we were spending time with these? Be sure to leave a comment below letting us know about everything (both current and simply new to you) you’ve been consuming lately!

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