#THE GUNK REVIEW UPGRADE#

It’s fairly linear in that you can’t so much go wandering off the beaten path, but the world design provides an epic sense of scale while still making it so you can’t easily get lost.

Perhaps the key thing to note about The Gunk is just how satisfying its world is to explore. It’s helpful for getting past barriers and opening up new pathways, and later, a useful tool against the gunk. Another doubles as a bomb which explodes after a few seconds. One particular seed can be planted in a pool of water, instantly blossoming into a giant leafy plant, providing platforms which can be used to access previously unreachable areas. If a plant can’t be mined for its resources, perhaps it might bloom a useful seed that can help Rani as she explores. Some upgrades are critical to the story, others are simply useful in your adventure, such as upgraded health or an extended range for the glove’s abilities.

#THE GUNK REVIEW UPGRADE#

You’ll want to gather up pretty much everything you come across, because resources can be used to upgrade the glove. There are plenty of useful resources around, which Rani can collect – again with that trusty power glove of hers. After all, when you’re stuck on an unknown land, it’s helpful to know what everything around you is or does. Rani’s equipment also allows her to scan the environment, so each new plant or item of interest you discover can be added to a database. Cleanse an area and it’ll return to a state of beauty flora will bloom, greenery will return and you’ll be struck by just how gorgeous your surroundings are. A type of power glove, she can use it to remove the gunk that’s infecting the planet. Rani has a very special weapon attached to her arm. Not that I should be surprised, considering how much I loved Steamworld Dig 2. But it’s a move that the studio has absolutely nailed The Gunk is stunning, and it’s a lot of fun to boot. It’s a bit of a departure, not least considering the move from 2D to 3D. The Gunk is the latest game from Image & Form, the team behind the rather excellent Steamworld Dig games. And it seems you’re not the first intelligent life form to land there. Except… the latest planet you’ve landed on isn’t quite like the others. Together in Becks’ spaceship known as the Dustbunny, you travel from planet to planet, gathering resources that you can harvest and sell. Being here is nothing unusual this is what you do. You’re Rani, and along with your long-time friend Becks, you’ve just landed on an alien planet. I have a slight obsession with cleaning and ‘fixing’ things in video games, and The Gunk absolutely nails it.

The gunk review