The Gunk

Becks and Rani are two poor adventurers and scavengers who scurry around the galaxy in an old battered ship. When they land on a seemingly uninhabited planet, it seems their financial problems are solved as it is apparently bursting with energy. But there wouldn't have been much of a game if they had retrieved this, gone home and solved their problems, now would it?

On the planet's surface there's also a black gunk that's just lying around, both jamming radio communications and seemingly killing anything organic. As Rani goes on an adventure to explore the planet, she encounters one oddity after another. In addition to the black goo there are signs that a civilisation once existed here, and an adventure begins.

In essence, The Gunk, named after the black goo, is a puzzle platformer. Rani runs around a linear world, solving puzzles, finding materials, opening doors and precisely leaping between platforms. Gradually, she explores more and more of the planet, while Becks stays at the ship and acts as a command centre. There's also a simpler upgrade system to gradually gain more abilities that help in different ways.

I fell in love with the delightful adventure right away. There's something inherently enjoyable about sucking away large amounts of dangerous black goo with what resembles a battery-powered vacuum cleaner. Like vacuuming specks of dust from the corners of your home and being able to instantly see with your own eyes how much better it has become. Rani herself remains the same throughout the adventure, but little by little, new types of puzzles or variations on previously introduced game mechanics creep back in to keep the playability varied.

This can involve blowing up rubble using explosive vegetation, rotating bridges or planting seeds that instantly grow into a large plant whose leaves act as platforms. This part of The Gunk is my favourite and as long as I get to tinker with different solutions to the challenges I face, it's a really enjoyable game. The level design is also extremely well thought out and if something seems unreasonably difficult, you're not supposed to do it. Keep looking and you'll soon find a smoother, more intelligent way to approach the problem.

But unfortunately, there are also some shortcomings. For a start, the novelty of sucking up gunk becomes stale after a while. Getting to a new area and immediately starting to walk around sucking up everything ends up being more of a chore than fun, just like how vacuuming usually is in real life.

And although Becks and Rani have comedic banter and light-hearted dialogue, Image & Form has chosen to run with an admittedly subtle, but also melancholic soundtrack. I suppose they want to reinforce the sense of exploring a world that seems to have suffered a tragedy, but it helps to make The Gunk sleepier than it is and often feels a little misplaced. When I already feel as though vacuuming is starting to get stale but also have to listen to this to melancholy music, my overall impression is lowered. I would have much preferred a happier and more lively soundtrack, which would have suited the atmosphere better otherwise.

I also think it's a bit of a shame that the resources I collect in the game have so little significance. Early on, I can buy the most important upgrades, such as the ability to shoot, vacuum more efficiently and be able to run. I'm not asking for a complete level tree with extra everything, but now, unfortunately, upgrading Rani's equipment makes little sense and in most cases I never even need to use my new tools.

Overall, this unfortunately costs a few score points. The Gunk is one of the most beautiful adventures I've played this year and a solid candidate for design of the year. Several times during the adventure, Rani stops and says that the world she's exploring is so incredibly stunning, while also putting into words what I as a player am thinking and feeling. The fact that there's also an unexpectedly good story baked in, that slowly but surely unfolds as the planet's many secrets are revealed, serves as a great motivator for me to continually want to move forward.

Ultimately, The Gunk stays at a score of seven, it's an adventure that doesn't quite live up to its own potential due to some questionable choices. But despite the fact that the pace is sometimes a little too slow, which is enhanced by the melancholy music as well as some minor technical shortcomings, I can still recommend you to download this. If you're looking for a soothing adventure to relax with during the Christmas holidays, this is something that will help you do that while having fun.