![]() ![]() The character animations perhaps don’t always match the energy of their VA work but that’s a tiny complaint in the scope of everything else. It’s oozing (literally) with personality and polished to perfection, especially on the Xbox Series X where it shines with a sharp and fluid presentation. ![]() In fact one of the game’s best qualities is its bold visual style with a chunky, remarkably tangible look to the 3D visuals that’s seriously impressive for a studio rooted in 2D art. Think Super Mario Sunshine if Mario was vacuuming up the nasty stuff instead of hosing it down, with each section of Gunk removed allowing a corrupted corner of the world to blossom back into its natural state to gorgeous effect. That, and cleaning up the titular “Gunk” using a special tool mounted to an arm that Rani had lost on a previous job. The Gunk’s core gameplay reflects this same simplicity and sense of discovery, as players take Rani through a handful of distinct zones where light, Zelda-like platforming and environmental puzzles are the main order of the day. It all works incredibly well thanks to strong character writing and entertaining dialogue with Fiona Nova and Abigail Turner lending excellent voice work to Rani and Becks, respectively. Meanwhile, Rani and Becks’ relationship grounds everything as the pair discuss their history and attempt to keep each other on track over radio comms with Rani doing the bulk of the exploration. ![]() The ensuing four-hour adventure takes Rani, as the game’s playable protagonist, deep into the planet’s reaches and eventually onto some startling discoveries.Īs simple as it is, The Gunk’s narrative succeeds in imparting that sense of discovery at a pace that makes it easily digestible in a single sitting. The group pretty quickly realises that all is not what it first seemed on the planet when they discover a mysterious toxic substance corrupting the landscape as well as the ruins of an ancient alien civilisation. The Gunk sees interplanetary scavengers Rani and Becks, along with their trusty robot sidekick C-RT (or Curt), land on a presumed-uninhabited planet in search of resources. Now though, it’s breaking the two-dimensional SteamWorld shackles with a 3D adventure set in a brand-new world. From tower defence to mining platformers, tactical strategy and card-based RPGs the studio has tackled a plethora of experiences within that one franchise. Swedish developer Image & Form, now rolled into the Thunderful Group family, has been long-established in the indie video game space with its eclectic and largely fantastic SteamWorld games. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |