It?s hard to compare Sunset Overdrive to any single game already out there. It certainly borrows elements from other popular series, you?ll see an inFamous influence, along with Insomniac Games own Ratchet & Clank series. But by and large Sunset Overdrive is a pretty unique take on the open-world genre, providing ample amounts of mayhem and humor that?ll keep you entertained throughout the campaign and optional side-content.
Sunset Overdrive kicks off with an apocalyptic event within the titular Sunset City, wherein residents are transformed into mutant monsters dubbed ?The OD?, after consuming copious amounts of the Fizzco produced energy drink OverCharge. You?ll create a custom character (with a large number of customizable options) and attempt to escape Sunset City with the aid of other, very eclectic, survivors. The majority of the story is presented as a very tongue-in-cheek, 4th wall breaking experience. Loads of pop culture references, nods to common video game mechanics, and some general crudeness abound. I found the humor to be pretty hit or miss, with equal amounts of groaning mixed in with legitimate laughs. Sunset Overdrive isn?t going to win any awards in regards to plot, but the story isn?t attempting to be the star here either.
To go along with your unique modes of transportation, Sunset Overdrive features a variety of weapon types to mix up combat with. This is where you?ll get that Ratchet & Clank feeling, as the weapons featured are comprised of unique and odd mechanics. A bowling ball gun, hairspray explosive rockets that split into multiple smaller rockets when launched, a record launcher, and lots, lots more are featured here. I really, really loved the weapon variety, to the point that I had multiple favorites throughout, but still enjoyed checking out new weapons as they became available. And the pace at which these weapons are doled out is perfectly matched with your progress through the campaign, to the point that I still have new weapons to purchase after finishing the main story.
I also found that Sunset Overdrive does a pretty solid job when it comes to mission and side-mission variety. This is aided by the optional challenges that unlock as you progress, featuring timed events with a number of different goals. These challenges award cash, used to purchase cosmetic items, and OverCharge, used to purchase additional weapons and map unlocks. Challenges also feature online leaderboards to compare against friends and the rest of the world. One aspect that I really enjoyed in regards to Challenges, is that once unlocked, you can instantly teleport to any open challenge via the menu screen. Also, restarting failed challenges is a breeze, and loading is kept to a minimum, making it easy enough to retry a challenge until you get it right.
Visually, Sunset Overdrive is a cornucopia of color, something I?m sure you?re already well aware of. It certainly prides itself in its unique look, and this more than makes up for the generic mess that became Fuse. Sunset Overdrive runs smoothly, looks great, and has nary a technical hiccup to speak of. The action doesn?t slow down regardless of how busy or bombastic things get, which can honestly be pretty impressive considering the decent draw distance being displayed and the number of enemies you can engage at once. Toss in multiple explosions and other mayhem, and I think you?ll be suitably impressed with how great Sunset Overdrive looks without sacrificing technical prowess.
I certainly found myself very impressed by Sunset Overdrive, and I think you will be too. Outside of a sluggish opening hour, wherein you might struggle a bit getting used to the controls and traveling mechanics, this is one hell of a console exclusive. It?s bright, loud, and occasionally funny, but more importantly Sunset Overdrive is a ton of fun to play.
Bubble Bobble, Rainbow Islands, Cadash, Rastan Saga, Champion Wrestler, Dead Connection and more are coming…
Virballs promises Ratchet and Clank meets Kirby. But can it deliver that?
Learn the sad tale of the second generation Grimm’s Nikke in the game’s 2nd anniversary…
Atari takes on Mattel's Intellivision in the next drop of content heading to this unique…
Get an extended, flat look at the Metro 2033 prequel before it launches next week.
There's a lot to unpack and configure in the latest entry in the MechWarrior series.
This website uses cookies.