Sunset Overdrive
Sunset Overdrive has ruined my attention span, and honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. During my 30-hour trip through developer Insomniac's insane but endearing depiction of the apocalypse, I strayed off the beaten path more than I have in any other open-world game in recent memory. Despite the mini-map encouraging me to head 400 meters east, I couldn't help but veer off the route at every opportunity.
This isn't due to a lack of interesting things to do, but rather a testament to the abundance of them. Because of Sunset's superb traversal, impeccable comedic writing, and wealth of upgrade paths for my character and weapons, I was more than happy to take the road less traveled. More often than not, it led me someplace that I'm thoroughly glad I visited.
Sunset Overdrive visually pops, like the Easter Bunny on an acid trip. Its bright colors, punk-rock attitude, and nose turned up in the direction of authority all meld together wonderfully. Like the cult-classic Jet Set Radio, Sunset assaulted my senses with a never-ending barrage of stimulus. Monsters explode into an ocean of bright-orange viscera, certain weapons allow you fire off a torrent of blazing fireworks, and freezing enemies will result in the word “BRRRR” appearing in the air above them. I really appreciate that Insomniac has crafted a world that successfully adheres to a strong, unique, and artistic vision.
This distinct style transcends aesthetics, and actually aids in Sunset's most successful and often-used mechanics. Like most any open-world game, the mission structure here has you talking to a character at point A, making your way across the map to point B, and engaging in some activity that usually results in being sent to collect a reward at point C. While that structure might sound monotonous, Sunset makes the very act of traversal a constant joy instead of an obligatory trudge. I rarely found myself using the fast travel system, because this is a game that’s about the journey as much as the destination.
Narrative conceit be damned, your hero or heroine can, using nothing but their own two feet, bounce off anything remotely buoyant, dash through the air, and grind on all manners of power lines, billboards, and anything that presents a right angle -- now all I want is for Insomniac to make a Spider-Man game. In fact all of this is encouraged thanks to a punitively slow regular ground running speed, the rewards of a smart combo system, and an ridiculous abundance of monsters, soldiers, and robots. Seriously, if you find yourself on the ground for more than 10 seconds, deprived of your godly mobility, chances are you’re going to end up dead shortly after that. But Sunset wisely avoids harsh punishments with quick respawns with amusing animations that lovingly pay homage - in clever ways - to dozens of classic works, from Portal to Terminator to Night of the Living Dead.
Sunset Overdrive is big, gorgeous, and a hell of a lot of fun. Never has getting from point A to point B in an open-world game provided so much enjoyment. It provides some of the most fun, frantic, and fantastic gaming I've had on the Xbox One. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to once-again adorn my wolf mask, leap off the highest ledge I can find, and fire an explosive stuffed animal at that group of angry robots.