Beyond Sunset
- November 8, 2023
- Metacorp / Vaporware
- 4h median play time
In Beyond Sunset, you wake up from cryostasis with extraordinary abilities and are recruited by a mysterious woman named Yuri to become a street samurai in Sunset City, a crime-ridden and plague-stricken metropolis. Your mission: use your powers to regain your memories and restore order in this chaotic urban landscape.
Reviews
- The game features a unique and immersive cyberpunk setting, enhanced by a fantastic soundtrack that complements the gameplay.
- Combat is fast-paced and satisfying, with a good mix of melee and ranged options that encourage dynamic playstyles.
- The level design is intricate and filled with secrets, providing a sense of exploration and discovery that keeps players engaged.
- Many players find the maps confusing and lacking clear direction, leading to frustration when trying to progress.
- The health and ammo mechanics can feel punishing, with limited healing options and overwhelming enemy encounters that detract from the overall experience.
- Some players have reported performance issues and bugs, including slow loading times and crashes, which hinder the gameplay experience.
- gameplay28 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of enjoyment and frustration, with many praising the fast-paced combat and exploration reminiscent of classic FPS games like Doom. However, some players criticize specific mechanics, such as health regeneration and level design, which can lead to a less satisfying experience. Overall, while the game features solid mechanics and a nostalgic aesthetic, it also has areas that need refinement, particularly in its early access state.
“The gameplay in Beyond Sunset is reminiscent of classic Doom games, with fast-paced combat and hordes of enemies to take down.”
“Its unique blend of intense gameplay, immersive atmosphere, and memorable soundtrack makes it a true Doom experience like no other.”
“The retro vibe, style, the music, the gameplay, everything's on point.”
“If this singular mechanic persists, my review will stay negative forever.”
“Beyond that, you are constantly gaining negative emotion/data due to the whole health mechanic, which is worse than in most classic 90s FPS.”
“That's something I just verified: you heal a plain 30 per enemy caught inside the area, and again I hate this mechanic; it's terrible.”
- music28 mentions
- 68 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in "Beyond Sunset" is widely praised for its heavy, industrial-inspired soundtrack that perfectly complements the cyberpunk theme, enhancing the immersive atmosphere of the game. Many players appreciate the retro vibe and synthwave elements, noting that the soundtrack elevates the overall experience, even if some feel it can become repetitive over time. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's aesthetic and enjoyment.
“The heavy, industrial-inspired music fits perfectly with the cyberpunk theme and elevates the overall atmosphere of the game.”
“The sound/music is very good and on point for the cyberpunk theme, it greatly enhances the overall game for me.”
“I have no idea where to go and what to do in this game, but I love the music!”
“Together with the synthwave soundtrack, it really evokes that feel of early 80s/90s sci-fi and atmosphere.”
“Good things: amazing aesthetic, fun combat, good movement, cyberspace, lite-RPG mechanics, soundtrack.”
- graphics20 mentions
- 65 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been widely praised for their immersive and artistic quality, effectively capturing a vibrant cyberpunk aesthetic reminiscent of 80s action films and synthwave culture. Reviewers highlight the impressive visuals and atmospheric design, noting that the art style enhances the overall experience, despite some performance issues on lower-end hardware. Overall, the game's graphics are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to its appeal and enjoyment.
“This video game is drenched in aesthetic.”
“It is a prime example of how video games can still be considered as artwork.”
“So there is as much immersive sim as there is in Doom Eternal, while this costs as much as Doom Eternal when comparing sale/key prices. The combat system in Doom Eternal is the best of its kind, and this game barely scores a 3/10, only carried by visuals and sound effects. Since I am primarily focused on maintaining health (which you cannot really), I need to emphasize why it is a bad idea to only be able to heal through limited pickups that are either very scarce inside the levels or dropped by slain enemies. You can clean restart the entire campaign whenever you are low, will get one-shot, and don't have enough available pickups left.”
“Performance-wise, the game runs very well; some parts have a mild chugging, but I'll pass that off more as a GZDoom thing with weaker PCs (I'm running it on a laptop with integrated graphics), but nothing game-breaking so far.”
“The graphics only further enhance this retro-modern take on the cyberpunk genre.”
- story18 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's story has evolved from a linear mission in the demo to a more open-ended, RPG-like experience in the full version, where players navigate a city, engage with NPCs, and complete side quests. While some players appreciate the depth and cinematic sequences, others feel the story is minimal and overshadowed by combat, with a desire for more narrative engagement. Overall, the transition to a more expansive and interactive storytelling approach has garnered mixed reactions, with excitement for future developments in the narrative.
“I love the cinematic sequences; this really stands out to me because so many of these retro/90s inspired shooters have literally zero storytelling whatsoever.”
“What has been delivered is a masterfully crafted FPS adventure with quests and revisiting areas as your progress unlocks progression paths.”
“I kind of miss the 'wake up/escape' prologue of the demo though; the early access package seems to be entirely different/new content. 'Episode 1' is more of an impressive open-ended Deus Ex-style romp through a large complex city broken into some loading zones. You have a main objective, but it's not a simple affair to get to it, so you're just left to your own devices, walking the streets, talking to NPCs, finding information and side quests to gain access to new places which ultimately lead you to the main quest and ending of Episode 1.”
“The story aspect seems minimal, as the main focus is combat.”
“Though when the combat is so... meh, it makes me wish it had more of a story element.”
“I kind of miss the 'wake up/escape' prologue of the demo; the early access package seems to be entirely different/new content. 'Episode 1' is more of an impressive open-ended Deus Ex-style romp through a large complex city broken into some loading zones. You have a main objective, but it's not a simple affair to get to it, so you're just left to your own devices, walking the streets, talking to NPCs, finding information and side quests to gain access to new places which ultimately lead you to the main quest and ending of Episode 1.”
- atmosphere7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is heavily praised for its immersive blend of industrial-inspired music and striking visuals that effectively capture the essence of a cyberpunk setting, reminiscent of early sci-fi aesthetics. While some reviewers note a lack of sound design that could enhance the experience, many agree that the overall ambiance, combined with a memorable synthwave soundtrack, creates a cohesive and engaging environment that elevates gameplay.
“Its unique blend of intense gameplay, immersive atmosphere, and memorable soundtrack makes it a true doom experience like no other.”
“The heavy, industrial-inspired music fits perfectly with the cyberpunk theme and elevates the overall atmosphere of the game.”
“Together with the synthwave soundtrack, it really evokes that feel of early 80s/90s sci-fi and atmosphere.”
“The lack of sound design detracts from the atmosphere; both the atmosphere and combat would be improved tenfold with more attention to different audio feedback.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed reviews. While some players report that it runs well with only minor performance dips, others experience significant issues, particularly on lower-end systems with integrated graphics, leading to crashes and frustrating gameplay.
“Performance-wise, the game runs very well. Some parts have a mild chugging, but I'll attribute that more to GZDoom's compatibility with weaker PCs. I'm running it on a laptop with integrated graphics, but nothing game-breaking so far.”
“The game has some performance issues on my laptop, where I really wanted to play it. However, it crashes due to a long-standing issue with GZDoom not working well with integrated Intel GPUs.”
“Some of my biggest complaints are that performance is awful, there are no hints sometimes on where to go, and the overall combat design of tougher enemies.”
“The one complaint I do have, however, is the performance.”
“The game also has some performance issues on my laptop where I really wanted to play the game, plus it crashes because of a long-standing issue with GZDoom not boding too well with integrated Intel GPUs.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the game offers significant replayability due to its densely packed action and multiple episodes, with many feeling that the length of each episode enhances the overall experience. Despite the time investment, the engaging gameplay encourages players to revisit levels.
“Each level is densely packed with action, and the game makes up for its length with its replayability.”
“It looks like three out of five episodes are playable, and after an hour in the first episode, I'm not even close to the end yet.”
“It looks like 3 out of 5 episodes are playable, and after an hour in the first episode, I'm not even close to the end yet.”
“However, each level is densely packed with action, and the game makes up for its length with its replayability.”
- stability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users report that the game runs smoothly and is easy to set up on the Steam Deck, indicating a high level of stability on that platform.
“I was able to get this up and running on my Steam Deck very easily, and it runs great there.”