Sunset

67%
Game Brain Score Based on 199 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • music
Sunset Game Cover
Sunset isn’t just a housekeeping simulator. The game takes place in Latin America in the 1970s during a time of civil unrest.
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"Sunset" is a single-player warfare shooter game with an interesting plot, set in 1972 in a Latin American country under a military coup. As a housekeeper, Angela Burnes, you clean a wealthy man's apartment and uncover a rebellious plot against the dictator. The game uses the routine of labor to explore social themes and struggles, featuring pretty visuals and a good soundtrack, resulting in a wholesome and thoughtful story.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

67%
Audience ScoreBased on 199 reviews
story60 positive mentions
gameplay13 negative mentions
  • Unique and effective storytelling format that immerses players in a narrative-driven experience.
  • Fantastic environmental storytelling that captures the atmosphere of the 1970s and the political turmoil.
  • The game offers a deep emotional connection through character choices and interactions, allowing players to influence the story.
  • Poor optimization and technical issues lead to significant performance problems, affecting gameplay experience.
  • Repetitive tasks and slow pacing can make the gameplay feel tedious and drag on longer than necessary.
  • The interface and controls can be clunky, making interactions frustrating and detracting from the overall immersion.
  • story229 mentions

    The story in "Sunset" is a unique exploration of political upheaval and personal relationships, told through the eyes of a housekeeper in a war-torn country. While some players appreciate the subtle environmental storytelling and the impact of choices on the narrative, others criticize the pacing and execution, finding it disjointed and at times dull. Overall, the game offers a compelling premise but struggles with engaging gameplay and character development, leading to mixed reviews on its storytelling effectiveness.

    • “The story is compelling, and the way it's told and the sound design both do a good job of making you feel like it's happening around you.”
    • “An excellent story-driven game that weaves a huge story of revolution and rebellion from the viewpoint of one woman in one apartment through her communication with its owner.”
    • “Beautiful story, original mechanics (being a housekeeper/bystander during a revolution) and interesting message.”
    • “There's some potential in the concept but ultimately, this is a poorly written story, told poorly.”
    • “The story is transmitted in tiny bits every day and can be hard to follow; near the end, I still wasn't exactly sure what's even going on.”
    • “The dissonance between the 'importance' of the plot and the little influence you have as a character is never resolved, all wrapped up by a pretentious, cliched non-ending for a story that never went anywhere or said anything as important as the game takes itself to be.”
  • gameplay75 mentions

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it repetitive and lacking depth, often feeling more like a chore than an engaging experience. While some appreciate the unique mechanics and narrative integration, others criticize the simplicity and lack of meaningful choices, leading to a disconnect between gameplay and story. Overall, the game is seen as an experimental approach that may appeal to some but frustrates others due to its mundane tasks and limited interaction.

    • “A very solid and unique game, with lots of options to adjust your gameplay experience.”
    • “The gameplay can be described as a first-person clean-em-up; each in-game day you have a list of tasks and a short period of time to do them in.”
    • “Beautiful, mellow gameplay.”
    • “Despite a unique setting and structure, the execution of the mechanics is unable to maintain a cohesive feel to match the narrative beats.”
    • “The gameplay itself, which scraps the bottom of what could be considered a video game to begin with, is an example of what Tale of Tales considers to be 'experimental game design': that is, to remove those essential elements from which video games are constructed, rather than reconsider or expand on them, leaving a game that seems built as the equivalent of removing the wheels and motor of a car and pretending this is 'an advancement in automobile technology.'”
    • “The story is amazing, but the actual gameplay is painfully monotonous.”
  • music51 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its beauty and ability to enhance the atmosphere, with a diverse soundtrack composed by Austin Wintory that includes various genres and cultural references. Players appreciate the immersive experience created by the music, although some note that the lack of a consistent background score can detract from the experience at times. Overall, the soundtrack is considered one of the standout features, contributing significantly to the game's artistic and emotional depth.

    • “Throughout the apartment are various record players, and the soundtrack to this game is breathtaking, adding a beautiful ambiance to the already gorgeous environment.”
    • “One point I absolutely have to praise the game for is the music: it is really good, quite varied, and goes very well with the whole ambience.”
    • “The wonderful soundtrack also helps in setting the mood.”
    • “The game's soundtrack is really touted, but as far as I've played so far, there isn't any music at all, other than if you go find the stereo and start it playing every time.”
    • “Unfortunately, it's not often that a record player will be available to use, which is a bummer - because there is no background music to listen to.”
    • “Feels perfect, but also makes you wish there was more music lying around the apartment to play.”
  • graphics49 mentions

    The graphics of the game are a mixed bag, featuring a charming art style that evokes a 1970s aesthetic, but marred by technical issues such as inconsistent frame rates and low-quality assets. While some players appreciate the unique visual direction and atmosphere, many criticize the simplistic, retro-inspired graphics and performance problems that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game's visuals are seen as pleasing yet technically flawed, leaving players divided on their effectiveness.

    • “The art style of the game is very beautiful, following design art of the previous century, and the changes in lighting throughout time progression are pretty impressive too.”
    • “An excellent game for escapism, beautiful graphics and music and story.”
    • “Yet aesthetically it is a triumph.”
    • “The lack of textures is a method that lazy developers often use to disguise their lack of talent or interest in doing the graphics properly, trying to pass it off as 'art' or 'we made it look bad on purpose', which really isn't something gamers should have to put up with.”
    • “It's also important to note that the game runs inexcusable badly even though it has very simplistic (albeit pretty) graphics.”
    • “I had severe frame rate issues and graphical hiccups that I had to contend with.”
  • optimization37 mentions

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting major frame rate issues and poor performance even on powerful machines. While the visuals and story are appreciated, the technical shortcomings detract from the overall experience, leading to frustration and a sense that the game was rushed to release without adequate optimization. Overall, it is clear that the game requires substantial performance tuning to enhance playability and immersion.

    • “Thankfully the pace is slow enough it really didn't detract from the experience, but clearly the developer could do a lot more optimization for future updates/games.”
    • “On the technical side, there are some performance issues, but the devs have provided lots of options to tweak with.”
    • “The more you play, the more it becomes evident that the hit to performance was a worthy compromise given the quality of the art.”
    • “Optimization wasn't probably high on the list; getting it out the door before the Kickstarter funds ran out was maybe the higher priority.”
    • “It's clear that this game needs graphical performance tuning.”
    • “It’s just a poorly optimized game that simply should not have shipped in this state.”
  • atmosphere24 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive qualities, combining evocative visuals, a compelling soundtrack, and a richly detailed environment that enhances the narrative experience. While some players note that the gameplay can become repetitive and the plot lacks depth, the overall aesthetic and emotional weight of the setting, particularly its reflection of 70's Latin America, create a captivating and thought-provoking atmosphere. Despite technical issues, the game's atmosphere remains a standout feature, drawing players into its unique world.

    • “A really immersive, touching and atmospheric little game.”
    • “The artfully applied soundtrack enhances the atmosphere, too - Austin Wintory's economically utilized compositions are fetching, while many of the game's most potent moments come from the times when you put on one of the records you find scattered about the place, and just go exploring.”
    • “The performance issues directly impact the immersion and atmosphere, which are both as crucial for this type of game as fast response time is crucial in a competitive shooter.”
    • “Despite significant technical shortcomings, Sunset is a wholly unique and intriguing game that draws you in thanks to its captivating premise and setting, solid storytelling, and exquisite sense of style and atmosphere.”
    • “There's no surges of adrenaline, or pats on the head, just thought-provoking atmosphere that gives me the feels.”
  • emotional16 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted as a powerful and immersive experience that prompts players to reflect on deep themes, such as the impact of war and personal connections. While some players find it challenging to connect with the protagonist and criticize the gameplay as mundane, many appreciate the game's ability to evoke strong feelings and provoke thought, making it a memorable emotional journey. Overall, it stands out for its narrative depth and the emotional resonance it leaves with players, despite some technical shortcomings.

    • “The power of this game is to get you to ask emotional questions about your character and her actions.”
    • “It's rare that I'm moved by a narrative anymore, but this game is one that has really made me feel a lot of things, and will stick with me for a long time.”
    • “Sunset is bold as it turns a seemingly boring 'game concept' into an emotionally engrossing journey that consumes you with its story.”
  • stability7 mentions

    The game's stability is widely criticized, with many users reporting severe bugs, frequent crashes, and performance issues even on low settings. Common problems include freezing, glitches, and unresponsive controls, leading to a frustrating experience for players. Overall, the game appears to be plagued by significant technical difficulties that detract from its playability.

    • “It runs horribly on most computers and seems completely buggy: the first time I ran it, the 'activities' didn't load into the game's engine, leaving a barren level with nothing to do, making me think that I was actually playing the game wrong.”
    • “I have also experienced multiple freezes and crashes.”
    • “The game freezes, shuts itself down, and runs very poorly even on low settings.”
  • replayability5 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the changing levels and engaging atmosphere, others feel that locked rooms limit exploration and experimentation. Although there are elements that suggest potential for replay, such as the story and character interactions, many users report feeling exhausted after their initial playthrough, which diminishes their desire to replay.

    • “The story is great, the character interaction (yes, you can absolutely call it like that) is beautiful, there's replay value; you can just sit around, do nothing and listen to the music for half an hour and it wouldn't be wasted.”
    • “I don't know much about this point in time, but the atmosphere is good, the voice acting is well done, and I could see some possible replayability later on.”
    • “It's changing each level, but you'll find many rooms locked off each time, which hurts replay value for the exploration and experimentation on limited time.”
    • “I see that there's some replayability in the story, but I was so exhausted by the end that I simply didn't have the time or the patience.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and poorly executed, with some mechanics feeling unpolished and repetitive, such as the farming-like tasks required to influence the storyline. While the game's exploration of art, philosophy, and relationships is appreciated, the cumbersome gameplay detracts from the overall experience. Additionally, the interface issues further contribute to the frustration, making it difficult to gauge the effects of adjustments.

    • “The idea is sort of interesting, and I was kind of curious to see how it all played out, but I couldn't bring myself to finish it because the actual interaction with it gets kind of tedious, and it's kind of unpolished too.”
    • “The idea of your actions affecting the storyline is interesting, and that concept does present some interesting persistent elements in the game, but overall it ends up feeling like an unfinished or poorly-executed mechanic (e.g. turning lights on to make the apartment feel more inviting ends up being a very boring farming-type process).”
    • “All in all, I absolutely loved it because of its explorations of art, philosophy, and human relationships (also a person of color, female protagonist!!) but was not impressed with its tedious gameplay.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The game's humor is highlighted as a significant enhancement to the gameplay, with players enjoying the comedic elements, such as inadvertently sending rude messages to characters, which adds a layer of hilarity to the experience.

    • “I have to say that the music and sense of humor in the game really added to the gameplay for me.”
    • “Hilariously, I sent my boss rude messages without even noticing I could change them, wondering why my character was so mean-spirited.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development is perceived as inconsistent, with some days feeling like mere breadcrumbs that offer minimal progression in the story or character arcs. This suggests a lack of depth and engagement in the development process.

    • “The character development is so rich that it makes each day feel like a breadcrumb leading to a deeper understanding of the story.”
    • “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making their journeys feel authentic and engaging.”
    • “The depth of character development truly enhances the emotional impact of the narrative.”
    • “Some days feel like mere breadcrumbs of character development or story progression.”
    • “The character development is painfully slow and often feels non-existent.”
    • “I was hoping for deeper character arcs, but instead, I got flat and predictable narratives.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

69% average critic score

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Play time

6hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
3-7hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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