The right kind of crazy

I don’t think anyone knew what to make of Sunset Overdrive’s debut when Microsoft lifted the curtain on the new property back at E3 2013.

It was a tough trailer to process, one that ultimately left more questions on the table. Where did those monsters come from? Why can everyone grind on everything? What’s happened to this world? For me, these questions were met with apathy. It just seemed like more of the same kind of junk I’d seen and done so many times in a video game before.

At the time I figured if there was any silver lining, it was that the game was coming from veteran developer Insomniac Games, a studio mostly recognized for two mega franchises: the Ratchet and Clank and Resistance series.

Check out GameSpot’s coverage of Sunset Overdrive

It was only until a month ago did my impression of Sunset Overdrive first start to metamorphosize from eye-roll to intrigue. I played a late build of the game for an hour and started to wrap my head around what the Sunset Overdrive universe was all about. And now having played through the campaign it’s become clear: Sunset Overdrive’s biggest issue is outside perception. Once I permeated through that outer shell I realized it’s a finely tuned adventure with a specific vision — one that doesn’t take itself seriously but is endlessly fun to experience.

At times Sunset Overdrive reveals hints of its maker’s ancestry, but simultaneously stands out with a polished sense of humor, smartly executed atmosphere and razor-sharp presentation. This is a game made by people who love video games — and that passion shines through every sound byte, line of dialogue and art direction decision.

Sunset Overdrive draws inspiration from a colorful set of source materials. It’s a familiar aesthetic to anyone who has played Dead Rising, Jet Grind Radio, Infamous and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater or who has flipped through the pages of a Scott Pilgrim or Deadpool comic book. You’re likely to sniff out your favorite moments from all these works in Overdrive — and you’ll instantly realize it’s a game that is well aware of a fourth wall. In fact, Sunset Overdrive wraps that wall in dynamite and then lets you throw and flaming bowling ball through it.

The backstory in Sunset Overdrive works to set a tone for what is an over-the-top, tremendously silly narrative that all you can do is just laugh at. A company called Fizzco has debuted a new energy drink in the city and it’s turning people into hideous orange mutants that crave blood and, well, more of the drink.

This exposition is complemented by the game’s stylized open world, Sunset City, which is a playground for parkour, grinding, wall-riding and trampolining. Maneuvering through the city provides an infinite number of lines to choose, and after a few hours of playing with the set of traversal tricks your character is given it’s likely you’ll cross great distances without once touching the ground. In Sunset Overdrive that’s actually a good thing.

Aside from your character, the star of Sunset Overdrive is the unconventional roster of weapons you’ll use to obliterate mutants, radical faction members and Fizzco robots. Your style meter works as an Amp unlocker meaning the more stylish your attack, the more Amps will activate during combat. It’s a microsystem that’s challenging to manage, mostly because you’re busy concentrating on the enemies at hand.

Each weapon is uniquely crafted with some sort of frankensteinian ingenuity. There’s a Roman Candle firing machine gun, a TNT teddy bear bazooka, a bowling ball launcher called “The Dude,” and many more.