Games have grown upĪt their best, video games have the power to present ideas and reinforce them through smart play. The cleanup mechanic is there to support those themes rather than be a pleasurable but meaningless feature. None of that is subtext or interpretation. She’s in awe the whole time, discovering a natural wonder that she instantly feels compelled to protect. Rani quickly abandons her planet-destroying mission as she simply gets lost in the beauty of the world around her, much to her partner’s annoyance. The Gunk acts as a modern counterpoint, showing just how much that’s changed. You weren’t exactly getting much nuanced, thematic storytelling in 2002. You can extrapolate some larger themes from it, but it would require some stretching. Its brown goo was just part of a traditional Mario plot about the Bowser family trying to kidnap Princess Peach. On its surface, Sunshine was a game about pollution, though one that didn’t really grapple with the idea in a meaningful way. What’s particularly nice about The Gunk is that it’s upfront about its environmental themes, which wasn’t so much the case in Super Mario Sunshine. It’s the same catharsis I got when playing Kena: Bridge of Spirits earlier this year and watching its rotted world instantly transform into lush landscapes in the blink of an eye. More so, it’s rewarding to watch the world spring back to life thanks to my efforts, with dead plants reforming and turning into platforms I can jump on. Just like real life, it just feels good to clean a mess up. The cleaning mechanic is simple, but it triggers a warm feeling in my brain. ![]() It’s still a satisfying gameplay hook nearly 20 years after Sunshine’s release. Much like Super Mario Sunshine, players need to clear the gunk away, though by sucking it up rather than splashing it with water. The planet is covered in patches of black sludge that blocks paths and buries plants. ![]() The mission quickly gets derailed, though, as Rani discovers the game’s titular gunk. Players control Rani, who travels the planet literally sucking flora up with a backpack vacuum. The crew is there to drain it of valuable resources so they can make some cash. The Gunk begins with a spaceship touching down on an alien planet. For more on the new game, check out our beginner's guide for The Gunk. The Gunk launches today on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms including its day-one arrival in the Game Pass library. This marks the team's first foray into a 3D game after a half-dozen SteamWorld games have explored genres such as strategy, RPGs, and tower-defense, among others. The Gunk comes from Image & Form, the team behind the popular genre-bending SteamWorld series. New characters will emerge on your journey, while other familiar faces will be seen in new ways in this intimate story of friendship among the stars. The alien planet has a rich history that you'll unravel throughout the game's story as you push back against the game's titular pollutant extraordinaire. More than anything, what The Gunk does well is in its setting and music. This is a rather straightforward action-platformer with some light combat elements. ![]() There are no alternate endings as best we can tell, nor any side missions. There are four kinds of crafting elements, which you can learn more about in our beginner's guide for The Gunk. Alternate title: How much gunk is in the trunk? You'll want to do this, most likely, as crafting all of the game's 15 upgrades will require you to find just about every last collectible resource on the alien planet across the game's eight chapters. The game is mostly quite linear, though there are some optional paths that you can go down in order to find more crafting resources on your travels. How long is The Gunk?Ī single playthrough of The Gunk will take you about 6-8 hours to complete. If you're wondering how long it takes to beat The Gunk, we've run through all it has to offer and can help prepare you for what's ahead. The Gunk is here to give players on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox (including Game Pass) a brand-new IP to tackle just before the new year. December is usually very quiet on the new release front, and though this year is really no different, the month isn't totally devoid of new games, even now as we cross the halfway point.
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