Available on PC (Windows, macOS); Consoles (Steam Deck, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S)
As someone who enjoys cleaning games, dark storylines, item upgrade mechanics, and exploration, I just knew that I had to get The Gunk.
In this game, you play as Rani, a space hauler who ends up finding what seems to be a goldmine of energy on a lifeless planet. She, her best friend, Becks, and their robot companion of few-coded words, CuRT, need to figure out the mystery of this planet covered in “the gunk” and find the source of the energy signal they were picking up. Honestly though? I’m not sure if Rani and Becks have something else going on or if they’re just friends/co-workers. Either way, their relationship felt incredibly realistic. It wasn’t just some supporting character added into the game for the sake of aiding the protagonist. These were two people with lives outside of the scope of the game. They had pre-existing problems and adventures, and they had a reason to be on this unknown planet, despite the dangers.
The gameplay itself is simple. It’s a 3D platformer where you mostly use your power glove, Pumpkin, to scan and gather materials, throw, pull, and, most importantly, clean things. Just don’t think about where the hell all those things go after or if there’s a pocket dimension with someone sorting all the things you’re collecting..
There’s also some minimal combat, which may take some time getting used to. I died a couple of times, and I’m not going to lie, there were moments where I felt really frustrated with the lack of things I could do. But you just have to learn to use your surroundings to the best of your abilities. Other than that, and some weird framerate drops near the end of the game, I don’t really have any complaints! But I do wish we got to see more of the fauna. Plenty of plant variety, not so much for animals.
It was so satisfying to gather up all the gunk and watch the world change little by little, and then collect materials after the surroundings were being revitalized, and then use those materials to upgrade Rani’s items. Super cool. I also very much enjoyed how vibrant the world was after every cleanse. Literally breathing life into the place!
But it’s not all sunshine and butterflies. There’s something more sinister going on. You start getting hints of an ancient civilization that existed way before you even got here. Rani begins to question what happened to the planet’s old inhabitants. Did they have to flee because of the gunk? Did the gunk exist only after they were all gone? Did they ever leave?
So many questions! And I honestly started asking myself the same things, started forming my own theories as I played the game.
But, moving on… the art direction for this game! I dig it so much. It’s a nice balance of realism and cartoonish anatomy and design. I absolutely adore it when games pull this off. I love games that aren’t afraid to use color and exaggerate proportions.
And the music! It evokes so much emotion, and it fits the vibe of the game so well. Some moments that are filled with so much tension, and the score definitely helped drive that in for me. There are conversations and some fights between Rani and Becks that hit home, and I genuinely feel more for Rani’s behalf because of the music.
If you like games like Super Mario Sunshine, then this game would be a breeze for you. Think of it like a mix of that and Powerwash Simulator. Plus space. And aliens. All of this is wrapped up neatly into a 5-6 hour game. I bought the game on a discount, and while I can’t say I’d buy it at full price, I still think it’s a good game to check out.
