Last week’s Xbox Games Showcase showed that Microsoft has a sizable lineup ready for the Xbox Series X’s holiday launch. Unfortunately, some fans criticized some of the third party titles on display, and the graphics in Halo Infinite’s segment. However, despite some of the lukewarm reactions, developers are standing by both their work and Microsoft’s next-gen console. In one such instance, the developers behind The Gunk, an Xbox exclusive presented at last week’s event, praised the console’s high quality hardware.
In a recent press release, The Gunk’s developer and publisher, Thunderful, defended the console. Before this announcement, Thunderful was best known for its popular SteamWorld series. While discussing the game’s development process, Thunderful CEO Brjann Sigurgeirsson explained why the company’s Image & Form development team chose to develop the game exclusively for Xbox.
Early in The Gunk’s development process, Image & Form realized the game would need “powerful hardware” to run as intended. As opposed to the two-dimensional SteamWorld games, The Gunk is completely three-dimensional. As opposed to Thunderful’s “lean[er]” titles, Sigurgeirsson described The Gunk as “all bells and whistles about to explode spectacularly.”
Rather than sacrifice the game’s spectacle, the developer turned to Microsoft because of the Xbox Series X’s capabilities. Referencing the developers’ use of Unreal Engine, the statement expressed the company’s excitement to be working on a “new IP… [with] a new development engine and an additional dimension.” Outside of the upcoming exclusive, Thunderful also promised that it was developing new SteamWorld titles.
Considering fan reactions to The Gunk’s showcase trailer, it appears that Thunderful’s choice paid off. While several fans praised the game’s “gorgeous” 3D graphics, others called the game a pleasant surprise. One of the top comments expressed how the community was glad to see Image & Form branch out, and hoped the developer would “get bigger and bigger with each game.”
Despite reports that developers think the PlayStation 5 is easier to develop for, The Gunk is one of the best displays of the Xbox Series X’s merits. Moreover, the highly positive reaction to the game’s announcement is an encouraging sign that fans are willing to engage with at least one of Microsoft’s 22 exclusives - and that the company may have made a smart decision in acquiring several studios.
The Gunk will be available for Xbox Series X, Xbox One and PC in Fall 2021.
Source: Thunderful/Gamasutra
