2
0
I’ll admit, I was taken back when I discovered that Sunset Overdrive is not the title of an arcade style racing game (which I would have been fine with). Instead, it’s an open world action-adventure game with lots of shooting and a very unique traversal system. Released in 2014 for Xbox One – later ported to Windows in 2016, the game was developed by Insomniac Games and published by Microsoft Studios – a strange pairing considering Sony’s close ties with Insomniac dating back to 1996’s Spyro the Dragon.
Sunset Overdrive‘s story and over all presentation are drenched in over the top humor. It follows a customizable protagonist as they help get to the bottom of mutant outbreak in the fictional Sunset City. The company FizzCo has launched a energy drink, OverCharge Delirium XT, that is turning consumers into mutants. With an unusually lively spin on a post-apocalyptic setting, the game’s art style favors charm over realism.
Gameplay is fast-paced and immediately enjoyable. It serves as an excellent example of Insomniac really nailing the concept of making it fun to just to move around an open world, an art they’ve continued to perfect with their Spider-Man games. In Sunset Overdrive, exaggerated and compellingly fun physics allow the player to quickly run, jump, or grind while blasting enemies away with unique weapons. The inclusion of a style meter rewards players for completing missions in an aesthetically pleasing manner. A cooperative multiplayer mode called Chaos Squad is also offered – in which eight players are tasked with completing specific missions, all while competing for style points and earning items that can be used in the single-player mode.
The title was well-received upon release, earning it a number of accolades including three Best Original Game awards. It’s unlikely we’ll see a sequel – at least not one that’s led by the same team considering Sony acquired Insomniac in 2019. It’s not a terribly long game – the story takes about 10-12 hours to complete, which I personally don’t see as a downside. If you find the time, I feel they would be hours well spent!
