The creators of the well-loved SteamWorld series is set to release an Xbox exclusive title, The Gunk, as seen in last week’s games showcase.
One of the takeaways from Microsoft‘s digital event is that many AAA titles will be an Xbox exclusive. Some are timed, while others may stick with Xbox alone. This includes The Gunk.
Far from the shadows of SteamWorld
Image & Forms and Thunderful, popularly known for their SteamWorld game series, recently explained why the devs chose to limit their platform availability to Xbox. In the past, the devs and its publisher usually offer their games for multi-platform availability.
In fact, three of the SteamWorld titles—SteamWorld Dig 1 & 2 and SteamWorld Heist—are made available to the PC, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation platforms, aside from the Xbox. Although, its latest title, SteamWorld Quest, didn’t have any console ports.
However, SteamWorld is far from The Gunk. While many enjoy the former’s 2D game concept, the latter is set to be devs’ entry for a 3D game. Which lead to the decision of achieving their 3D fantasy with Xbox, including its next-gen console, the Xbox Series X.
Why the Xbox exclusivity?
The games’ publisher, Thunderful, recently explained in a press release, regarding its exclusivity with Microsoft’s gaming arm. An excerpt of the press release from Thunderful CEO Brjann Sigurgeirsson, per Gamasutra, reads:
“A bit into the development process it became obvious that The Gunk would be very hardware-demanding. We’ve always managed to keep our games lean, but The Gunk is all bells and whistles about to explode spectacularly. We had to make a choice: either we quiet it down considerably, or we go talk to the guys with the most powerful hardware. We decided to go talk to the guys with the most powerful hardware.”
Sigurgeirsson also admitted being new to the “full 3D” concept. In an official Xbox announcement, he mentioned:
“The Gunk we would need real power. And so, we decided to talk to Microsoft and ask about this new hardware they were tinkering with. And now, dear reader… here we are: The Gunk will come out exclusively on Xbox Series X and Xbox One.”
The comparison between the two next-gen consoles has made headlines in the past. Although, we already know that both will be running on Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5. Therefore, promising a very “photorealistic result” for upcoming games.
Gamerant notes that “developers think the PlayStation 5 is easier to develop for.” Nevertheless, The Gunk on an Xbox platform displayed in 4K resolution did justice to the devs’ decision.
The Gunk release date is still slated in the Fall of 2021.
Featured image courtesy of Xbox