The Gunk Reviews
If someone asks me the question, what is your game of the year for 2021? My answer would be The Gunk.
The Gunk is a satisfying puzzle-adventure game where two down-on-their-luck space scrappers must help save an alien planet from a destructive black goo. The combat in The Gunk does feel frustratingly underbaked, but solid story pacing and excellent puzzle challenges help overshadow the struggle.
The Gunk is an absolute triumph- it looks gorgeous, crafts an addictive and engaging gameplay loop, and tells a story that succeeds on every level.
The Gunk is a great game to introduce children or newbies to the wonderful things gaming can offer. Combat in the game is by far its weakest element; the game feels more like a Captain Planet simulator where you clean up the planet for a beautiful tomorrow. The game’s graphics will pull you in and make you feel like you can make the world a better place. The audio will make you feel sad about how lifeless the world has become and as you revitalize it, make you feel like you are doing good. Overall, The Gunk was sadly too short for how beautiful it is. If you have free time and want to explore a new world, then The Gunk is worth trying out.
I'm happy that The Gunk didn't turn out as a shooter. It's a fun game of easy puzzling and platforming. And that's what makes it fun.
Review in German | Read full review
The Gunk invites us to a world of science fiction, surrounded by adventure, exploration and platforming. It is a sincere game, without great pretensions, which only wants to show its art, world and sensations when playing it.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Overall, The Gunk feels like a weighty, enjoyable adventure that goes to some surprising places with its story. I had a great time clearing up the gunk and living my best adventurer life, and the length of the game seemed just right, ensuring that the gunk didn’t overstay its welcome. To make things even better, The Gunk launches straight into Xbox Game Pass today — so you can’t not give it a go.
Enjoyable, but rather slight, The Gunk is an intriguing journey through an alien planet while vacuuming up goop. There isn't much to it, though, which I found a bit disheartening.
A short, sharp 3D action-adventure that keeps things simple in a gorgeous world and makes a great case for Game Pass as a delivery vehicle for bingeable and low-investment experiences.
Short as it may be, my time with The Gunk has been wonderful. Image & Form’s move into the 3D realm has solidified it as a truly talented developer – and this may just be its best game yet. Beautiful, satisfying and engaging from start to finish, The Gunk is definitely worth getting stuck into.
While it’s not a SteamWorld game, it still has that Image & Form charm we know so well with Thunderful Development. It took me 3.5 hours to see the end of the game, got 14 out of 16 upgrades, and am missing only 5 achievements. It’s very fun to just navigate and explore this world, taking in the sights and sounds It may be short-lived, but it's a highly enjoyable adventure I want more of. The Gunk establishes itself as a unique and memorable journey worth taking.
While not a game swimming in abundant depth; The Gunk was very engaging and kept my attention from start to finish.
Successful adventure with great "Schmodder mechanics", but also a few problems.
Review in German | Read full review
The Gunk is a creative, witty, and charming adventure game, albeit a bit on the short side at only five or six hours in length. Still, the writing, world, and exploration more than make up for the short campaign as players will find themselves immediately immersed in the world and Rani and Becks' friendship. Unfortunately, a few technical problems plague the game, the most blatant of which – getting stuck on various items – becomes frustrating in later platforming sections. Still, The Gunk is an adventure well worth partaking in.
The Gunk is a proposal that goes straight to the point. It is not perfect, far from it, but it knows how to propose something different and with a tempo totally opposite to what we are used to. It is a title that from the first moment enters through the eyes and that catches you with its gameplay that although it is not too complicated, it is effective and, above all, fun.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The Gunk is a difficult game to label, but an easy one to enjoy. Whether you’re sucking up a load of the titular gunk to help bring an alien world back to life, or listening to an engaging back and forth between the game’s main characters, there’s plenty to like here, even if it doesn’t quite live up to its early potential.
Higher profile, bigger budget indies games are here to stay. This is a perfect example of what the format could offer and a showcase of how a short game with a moderate budget can outdo its far larger contemporaries. If you've been playing Halo or Call of Duty and feel burnt out on what games are now, The Gunk is a perfect palette cleanser and an effective gateway to even better games.
The Gunk is a little hidden gem that, despite not feeling innovative or deep, is able to entertain and move the player.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Though it doesn't have all the perks and features of bigger games, The Gunk remains gorgeous and engaging. A short but sweet adventure full of puzzles and fantastic scenery.
Little-big surprise published before the end of the year and great present for Christmas.
Review in Slovak | Read full review