I’m in the middle of my Sunset Overdrive review right now. While a final verdict won’t be published until Monday at 12:01AM PST, I thought it’d be a good idea to share my initial thoughts of the game after seeing how curious many gamers are about how the game looks and feels.
These impressions are only based on the first couple hours, though. This is a game that has a main campaign, side missions, challenges, and multiplayer, so this is only a small taste of a much bigger meal. That said, I have a good idea of what the game is all about by now, so these impressions may help you get a clearer picture of what this game is.
Eye Popping Graphics: The first thing I noticed was that Sunset City makes an excellent first impression. It’s colorful and extremely vivid. Made better, I haven’t noticed any frame rate hitching even during the more chaotic scenarios.
In-Game Cutscenes: I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how fantastic the cutscenes look. They appear to be fully mo-capped, facial animations and all. In addition, since they’re rendered in-game, anything my character is wearing before the cutscene starts is shown during the interaction. There are a couple times that I changed clothing on my character to something as silly as possible just to get a good laugh during the next cutscene.
Cohesive Controls 101: I’m a sucker for smooth controls, and so far Sunset Overdrive has knocked it out of the park. Early on, grinding, wall running, and maneuvering around Sunset City has been a smooth, one of a kind experience. Many have compared it to Jet Set Radio, but the grinding is only one part of a large roster of traversal mechanics.
Twitch Shots: One thing I’ve been glad to see is the game’s use of a target mechanic. Basically, when trying to shoot an enemy while zipping by at 20 miles per hour the game will be a little forgiving with aim. There’s a red target reticle that denotes the character’s lock-on of a target. With weapons that have instant travel time, like the Magnum-inspired Dirty Harry, that enemy is sure to be hit. However, weapons like the TNTeddy require a bit of finesse since the enemy can move away while a shot is airborne.
Gender Swap, Please: I started out as a male but wasn’t happy with his jump or run animation, so I decided to try out the larger of the two female body types. I’ve never looked back. The female voice actor is an absolute ace, and she looks great jumping around like a monkey.
Satire Extravaganza: Sunset Overdrive is not a game that takes itself seriously, or at least that’s the impression I’ve gotten so far. It’s aware that it’s a video game, and appears to take that opportunity to focus on being wacky. I’ve heard a lot of satire, and a couple of jokes have made me laugh. At times it reminds me of South Park with thoughtful references to real-life pop culture, and truthfully it’s been a nice break from the many games this year that have been emotionless (*cough* DESTINY *cough*).
This is an in-game cutscene. Yes, it looks fantastic.
Explosions… Everywhere: When I close my eyes and think about my first two hours of Sunset Overdrive, I see massive explosions behind my eyelids.
Insomniac Weapons: This is definitely a game made by Insomniac Games. I’ve used nearly eight weapons during my first couple hours, the bulk of which are creative. For example, I got a weapon called the Acid Sprinkler which fires out a little Fizzco Sprinkler that sprays acid around it. I won’t lie, I enjoy taunting OD and then stringing them through a line of acid. There’s also a weapon called The Duke which fires explosive bowling balls. It has a charge-up time which makes it a handful, but a strike down a city street is worth the risk.
Where’s the Music At?: I’m not sure if this is an issue with the current build of the game, but there are many times where music has stopped playing while I’m swinging around Sunset City. There have been mild stretches of silence during intense situations, which feels a bit awkward. Also, there only seems to be rock and punk music. It fits the theme, but can be repetitive.
Amp-lified: The AMP system was introduced shortly before the completion of my first two hours. These serve as the customization of the game, and appear to do a good job of it given how impactful they are to the combat experience.
Also See: Sunset Overdrive Xbox One Bundle Giveaway
Playing Dress Up: There are so many articles of clothing I’ve seen in Sunset Overdrive already, it’s quite astounding. Not only are there options for accessories, outerwear, and shoes, but there are different styles for most of these items. They aren’t just different colorways, either. I find myself switching things up after every mission.
They Call Me Mr. Errand Runner: So far I haven’t felt there is a large main objective for the protagonist. Instead, missions have mostly been about interactions with NPCs around the game world and performing small objectives. I haven’t met anyone I would consider to be a main antagonist, although the Fizzco corporation as a whole is something I’d like to stomp into the ground.
These Enemies Are No Pushover: During my first few minutes of playing Sunset Overdrive I was under the impression that if I grinded around on a high rail I would be safe from enemies. Boy was I wrong. Depending on the enemy type, I’ve seen them climb up to pull me off the rail, and had them throw objects at me to knock me down. I’m not going to say the game is hard or easy, but the enemy A.I. is definitely up to snuff.
Dying Isn’t So Bad: There have been a couple cases where I’ve died and had to start from the beginning of mission, but for the most part the game has been forgiving. Also, the resurrection animations are awesome to a point where I’ve died intentionally over a dozen times so far just to see them.
Come At Me Bro: There’s a mission type in Sunset Overdrive that is defensively-oriented. Called Night Defense, it incorporates traps and can be intense as enemies try to swarm the objective. It has a distinct feel to it, making it a nice addition to the mission type list. The interesting thing is when playing this game mode the time changes to night, and the city is lit up beautifully. I’m not sure if there’s any other way to trigger sundown in Sunset Overdrive, but it’s a pretty sight.
No Boundaries: Even early on I was able to explore the entirety of the map. It appears to be broken up into four district, the first of which is an industrial district with refineries and factories. There seems to be a good amount of diversity between these districts.
Related: 10 Things You Might Not Know About Sunset Overdrive
Combo Around the City: The city design has fostered an environment where it’s never hard to find an object to grind or jump on. I’ve spent minutes comboing moves together with seamless transitions, including the jet ski maneuver through water which is a personal favorite.
Moving and Collecting: There are over 100 collectible items scattered around the city. All but one of these items are used as currency for purchasing AMPs. It’s a good system that rewards exploration.
Sunset TV: One of the first things I did was watch this week’s Sunset TV video, and I was surprised to see it directly addresses reviewers such as myself. There’s a vote button, but it won’t be put to use until the game is out next week. This system can be a difference maker to Sunset Overdrive‘s longevity given its community-oriented design.
While I can’t share my verdict, and haven’t played Sunset Overdrive enough to really have one, I can say that I’ve been pleasantly surprised. Insomniac focused on making the game fun, and it shows.
I haven’t completed the campaign of Sunset Overdrive, but plan to by this weekend. I also plan to play Chaos Squad, the game’s 8-player online cooperative mode, for several hours tomorrow. You can join me as I stream my multiplayer experience from 7:00PM to 9:00PM PST on our Twitch channel, so be sure to check that out.
