2021 has been a massive year for Xbox Game Pass; Microsoft’s gaming subscription service first launched in 2017 and has become the home of first and third-party Xbox games spanning all generations. While there have been huge titles likeHalo InfiniteandForza Horizon 5drawing new fans to the service in the holiday months of the year, it’s indie games that have keptXbox Game Passfeeling lively throughout the year, offering short but sweet experiences. Rounding out 2021 is Image & Form’sThe Gunk, an Xbox console exclusive game available now through Game Pass.
The Gunkis a third-person adventure game from Image & Form, developer of the belovedSteamWorldindie series, that consists of games such asSteamWorld DigandSteamWorld Heist. The game is the developer’s first 3D project, as theSteamWorldtitles were 2D side-scrolling adventures, and is the studio’s first game to be created using Unreal Engine 4, the Epic Games-developed engine known for powering many major games released today.
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How Long is The Gunk?
The Gunkfollows a young scavenger named Rani, who is tasked with cleaning an alien parasite called “The Gunk” off of a mysterious planet. The game is heavily narrative-based, featuring full voice acting from the likes of G4TV host Fiona Nova. Given that this is Image & Form’s first 3D game, it’s easy to see whyThe Gunkisn’t overly ambitious in its pacing, which results in thegame clocking in between four to six hours, but this makes the game perfect for a one-sitting Game Pass experience.
As for when or if Image & Form’s other titles will make their way to Xbox Game Pass, not much is known yet, although it does seem thatThe Gunkis only a timed exclusive for Xbox consoles, so the game will likely make its way to PlayStation consoles and Nintendo Switch in the new year, where it will join theSteamWorldseries.
The Gunkis available now, exclusively on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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