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SUNSET OVERDRIVE (XONE)Publisher: Microsoft Studios.
Developer: Insomniac Games. Released: October 2014. Genre: Shoot 'em up; Sandbox. Posted 18th July 2015. By Shane Battams © 2015 |
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The phrase “underrated gem” can get thrown a bit loosely these days. For me, it’s a game which is of notable quality, but always seems to have an air of negativity or under-appreciation surrounding it, generally from the consensus of gamers rather than the mainstream press. Sunset Overdrive seems to be one of those games, which though receiving generally favourable reviews at launch, is looked upon as a disappointment and lacklustre game by a lot of the community. Which is bizarre, because it is one of the most fun, upbeat and silly games I’ve had the pleasure of playing, and is absolutely worth a punt for Xbox One owners.
The general premise behind Sunset Overdrive is that Sunset City has been taken over by an apocalypse, due to a new energy drink called OD. Turning drinkers into ugly monsters, the city has also been overrun by scavengers, meaning no one is safe. So it’s up to you, a custom-created hero, to escape the city by helping any normal individuals you encounter along the way. Simple at heart, the story is bolstered by a barrel of belly laughs, inside jokes and references to other properties. Never for one second do you take the story seriously, but it keeps a smile on your face throughout.
The general premise behind Sunset Overdrive is that Sunset City has been taken over by an apocalypse, due to a new energy drink called OD. Turning drinkers into ugly monsters, the city has also been overrun by scavengers, meaning no one is safe. So it’s up to you, a custom-created hero, to escape the city by helping any normal individuals you encounter along the way. Simple at heart, the story is bolstered by a barrel of belly laughs, inside jokes and references to other properties. Never for one second do you take the story seriously, but it keeps a smile on your face throughout.
Explosive, blatantly non-fire-proofed barrels: there when ya need 'em
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Drug R Us! Without doubt our second favourite toy store
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Think of Sunset Overdrive as a cross between the free-form movement of inFAMOUS and the insane weaponry you’ve come to expect from Insomniac Games, capped off with a scoring system which rewards you for maintaining a combo. It’s as fun as it sounds. It can’t be understated how lovely the movement in Sunset Overdrive is, allowing you to easily and beautifully chain together a variety of moves to traverse the city. You can grind rails, wall-run across flat surfaces, bounce off certain objects and glide across water in order to maintain a combo. Killing enemies then increases it faster, and builds up a special meter which allows you to gain a series of buffs known as Amps, such as leaving a healing trail for allies when you grind. It all comes together beautifully, ensuring that you don’t miss the lack of vehicles any time soon.
And the insane weaponry certainly keeps combat fun. There are a good couple of dozen weapons available, and the range is quite large. Along with a standard pistol, shotgun and AK-Assault rifle, you gain access to some truly ludicrous weapons, such as the TNTeddy, a rocket launcher which shoots explosive plushies, the Acid Sprinkler which shoots deployable rounds that spray acid and The Dude, a charge weapon which fires bowling balls (can you get the reference?). Weapons can be levelled up through use, and you can apply Weapon Amps to these for special buffs, such as a chance to gain ammo when killing enemies. It is incredibly fun to experiment, as weapons prove more effective against certain types of enemies, and a friendly wheel-system allows you to switch between your massive arsenal with ease.
Sunset Overdrive comes packed with a variety of content. There are a little over 30 story missions, which vary in style as you progress between each of the game’s factions. Some of the best missions include those where you defend your Amp-producing machines from OD, one where you get to incinerate pigeons for an ultra-pigeon combo and a hilarious mission featuring a robot dog, though some of the missions can boil down to tedium through collect quests or escort missions. Overall though, it keeps you engaged. There are also side missions to complete for extra rewards, some of which are hilarious. On top of that, there are around 50 challenges to complete, which test your skills at platforming, killing and more. And if you’re a collector, there’s a good 800 collectibles to scour the map for, which is pretty insane, though you can buy maps.
And the insane weaponry certainly keeps combat fun. There are a good couple of dozen weapons available, and the range is quite large. Along with a standard pistol, shotgun and AK-Assault rifle, you gain access to some truly ludicrous weapons, such as the TNTeddy, a rocket launcher which shoots explosive plushies, the Acid Sprinkler which shoots deployable rounds that spray acid and The Dude, a charge weapon which fires bowling balls (can you get the reference?). Weapons can be levelled up through use, and you can apply Weapon Amps to these for special buffs, such as a chance to gain ammo when killing enemies. It is incredibly fun to experiment, as weapons prove more effective against certain types of enemies, and a friendly wheel-system allows you to switch between your massive arsenal with ease.
Sunset Overdrive comes packed with a variety of content. There are a little over 30 story missions, which vary in style as you progress between each of the game’s factions. Some of the best missions include those where you defend your Amp-producing machines from OD, one where you get to incinerate pigeons for an ultra-pigeon combo and a hilarious mission featuring a robot dog, though some of the missions can boil down to tedium through collect quests or escort missions. Overall though, it keeps you engaged. There are also side missions to complete for extra rewards, some of which are hilarious. On top of that, there are around 50 challenges to complete, which test your skills at platforming, killing and more. And if you’re a collector, there’s a good 800 collectibles to scour the map for, which is pretty insane, though you can buy maps.
The Village People's grip on popular culture continues unabated
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I'm pretty sure this dude isn't on the guest list. And no I.D. either
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That being said, it’s a shame that Sunset Overdrive is so fast-paced. It feels like there’s a great deal of content, but in actuality, you could complete all missions, challenges and collectibles within about 30 hours. Not short by any means, but it leaves you wanting a bit more. There is an 8-player co-op mode to partake in though, dubbed Chaos Squad. Here, it is up to you to complete a series of challenges in a certain segment of the city. Completing them adds Chaos to the final defence mission, and the higher your chaos, the better your rewards will be. Players can vote between challenges, allowing you to either opt for easier missions with less chaos or risk failing by choosing the more difficult challenges. The mode is not too bad, though it’s a shame you can’t fully explore the sandbox city of Sunset Overdrive in co-op.
Sunset Overdrive is a treat on the senses. Sunset City looks gorgeous, benefitting from bright colours, excellent lighting and decent detail. But it’s the way that it is designed which is more impressive, as the logistical structure of Sunset City makes grinding, jumping and wall-running a joy. It’s almost like a Tony Hawk game in design, making it fun to pull off combos. Characters are modestly detailed, but the fast-paced action and explosive combat stands out more visually. The audio is pretty stellar too, particularly the fitting punk soundtrack, retro sound effects and hilarious jokes and dialogue.
It’s a shame that Sunset Overdrive seemingly got swept under the rug in 2014, because it is absolutely a game worth your attention. It’s just one of those games that is pure fun, refreshingly straightforward and colourful. Though it has some minor flaws, it never drags the game down enough to consider it skippable. And whether it’s the free-form movement, satisfying combat or hilarious humour, there’s something you’re bound to love. Unless you’re allergic to fun, Sunset Overdrive is an Xbox One exclusive worth owning.
Sunset Overdrive is a treat on the senses. Sunset City looks gorgeous, benefitting from bright colours, excellent lighting and decent detail. But it’s the way that it is designed which is more impressive, as the logistical structure of Sunset City makes grinding, jumping and wall-running a joy. It’s almost like a Tony Hawk game in design, making it fun to pull off combos. Characters are modestly detailed, but the fast-paced action and explosive combat stands out more visually. The audio is pretty stellar too, particularly the fitting punk soundtrack, retro sound effects and hilarious jokes and dialogue.
It’s a shame that Sunset Overdrive seemingly got swept under the rug in 2014, because it is absolutely a game worth your attention. It’s just one of those games that is pure fun, refreshingly straightforward and colourful. Though it has some minor flaws, it never drags the game down enough to consider it skippable. And whether it’s the free-form movement, satisfying combat or hilarious humour, there’s something you’re bound to love. Unless you’re allergic to fun, Sunset Overdrive is an Xbox One exclusive worth owning.
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