Sunset Overdrive
- November 16, 2018
- Blind Squirrel Games
- 10h median play time
Get on Steam"Sunset Overdrive" is an open-world shooter set in a chaotic, post-apocalyptic city. Players take on the role of a hero fighting against mutant creatures and using outrageous weapons and acrobatic moves to navigate the environment. The game features a vibrant, stylized aesthetic and a humor-filled story.
Reviews
- story1,695 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story of *Sunset Overdrive* is characterized by its irreverent humor and self-awareness, often breaking the fourth wall and poking fun at video game tropes. While the narrative is generally straightforward and lacks depth, it serves as a light-hearted backdrop for the game's engaging gameplay and vibrant world. Many players find the missions repetitive, primarily consisting of fetch quests and combat challenges, but the overall comedic tone and quirky characters keep the experience entertaining.
“The story is fun, not very interesting but we don't really care, it's all about gameplay, gunfighting, fun fun fun.”
“The story is silly and meta but in a great way.”
“The story is comedic and doesn't take itself very seriously with quirky voice lines and 4th wall breaks.”
“The story is just nonsensical garbage; I kind of wish they actually did care.”
“The story is where it all falls down for me; too many NPCs that are just there to be there.”
“The story is comedic and doesn't take itself very seriously, with quirky voice lines and fourth wall breaks.”
- gameplay1,206 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Sunset Overdrive" is widely praised for its innovative traversal mechanics, combining elements of parkour, grinding, and shooting in a vibrant open world. Players enjoy the fast-paced, fluid movement that encourages constant action, making exploration and combat feel dynamic and engaging. However, some reviews note that the gameplay can become repetitive over time, and while the humor and style are appreciated, the overall narrative and mission design may not hold the same level of interest.
“The gameplay is fast, fluid, and incredibly fun, and the movement is incredibly satisfying to play around with.”
“The gameplay is super fun once you get the hang of the traversal mechanics and how they tie into combat.”
“The traversal mechanics are fun, the weapons are great, and the game just feels fun to play.”
“I really like the game, no doubt about it, only reason I am giving a negative review is this game lacks variety in overall gameplay.”
“The gameplay is very confusing; they introduce a lot of gameplay mechanics right from the start and never give you time to get used to them, even with the tutorials. The most annoying thing is they force you to play in a specific way, basically you have to be sliding, jumping, bouncing, and doing acrobatics the whole time because if you don’t, the enemies basically destroy you.”
“The gameplay loop comes across somewhat repetitive, but the action is good enough to carry it throughout.”
- humor967 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The humor in "Sunset Overdrive" is a defining feature, characterized by its self-aware, fourth-wall-breaking style that often draws comparisons to the comedic tones of "Deadpool" and "Saints Row." While many players find the humor genuinely funny and engaging, others note that it can be hit-or-miss, with some jokes feeling dated or overly reliant on pop culture references. Overall, the game's quirky characters, absurd situations, and playful dialogue contribute to a lighthearted atmosphere that resonates well with fans of chaotic, comedic gameplay.
“Awesome voice acting and amazingly funny characters that had me laughing like crazy!”
“The humor is ridiculously funny, the game knows what it is and isn't afraid to hide it.”
“The game is hella funny with a very distinct and unique identity, one of the best games I've ever played.”
“It is so painfully unfunny that the quality of the whole is reduced every sentence uttered by the brilliant voice cast.”
“The constant fourth wall breaking is pretentious and unfunny.”
“The stories lack motivation and compelling characters, mixed with the awkward, unfunny, and cringy meta-humor that lacks any punchline or enjoyment, quickly goes from mild irritation to massively annoying.”
- music587 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in "Sunset Overdrive" is widely praised for its energetic punk rock soundtrack, which complements the game's vibrant visuals and fast-paced gameplay. Many players find the soundtrack to be a highlight, enhancing the overall experience, although some note that it can become repetitive over time. Additionally, there are occasional issues with music cutting out during gameplay, which detracts from the immersion.
“The soundtrack alone makes this game worth playing.”
“It's overflowing with charisma, fun colors, and great music.”
“The music is punk rock and fits so perfectly with all the carnage on screen.”
“The biggest issue I actually take with the game is its music; while tonally it lines up with the in-your-face, happy-go-lucky tone, the rock music that plays through the majority of the runtime feels extremely repetitive and uninteresting.”
“The soundtrack gets boring after a while; it has a good amount of tracks, but they feel so similar to each other. Prepare to listen to your own music if you're gonna play this game for 100% completion.”
“The music is okay, but it doesn't seem to have other variety outside of punk rock.”
- graphics543 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of *Sunset Overdrive* are widely praised for their vibrant, cartoonish art style that has aged well since its 2014 release, providing a visually appealing experience with a unique punk aesthetic. While many players appreciate the colorful environments and character designs, some criticize the limited graphical settings and occasional performance issues, such as graphical glitches and stuttering. Overall, the game's visuals are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to its fun and engaging gameplay.
“The game looks great, with beautiful, colorful graphics.”
“The graphics are a sight to behold, with a vibrant color palette that pops on the screen.”
“The art style is beautiful, love the cartoon/comic book feel of it.”
“The graphics settings are a joke, the keybindings are horrible and dumb.”
“The game is locked in 16:9, so being outside of that resolution causes letterboxing. This game lacks even the most basic normal game graphics like model distance, texture resolution or shadow quality, with everything being an on or off for things like film grain, motion blur and ambient occlusion.”
“There are very few graphics options, and the biggest issue is that I can't get G-Sync to work at all.”
- grinding356 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 2 % neutral mentions
- 98 % negative mentions
The grinding mechanics in "Sunset Overdrive" are a central aspect of gameplay, providing a unique and fluid traversal system that combines wall-running, bouncing, and rail-grinding. While many players find the movement exhilarating and integral to combat, some criticize the grinding for becoming repetitive and tedious over time, especially when it comes to farming currency and upgrades. Overall, the game encourages constant motion, making grinding both a fun and necessary element for survival and progression.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The main thing in the game is a lot of grinding and collecting things that are completely useless, because even with the very few things that you unlock by passing the mission, they are enough to pass the game.”
“Going after 100% completion is kinda tedious because of the very slow in-game currency (overcharge) gain.”
“The grinding gets repetitive and boring quickly.”
- optimization154 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 24 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues such as stuttering, frame drops, and bugs, particularly on PC. While some users experienced smooth gameplay at high settings, others noted that the port feels poorly optimized, with limited graphical options and inconsistent performance across different hardware configurations. Overall, while the game can be enjoyable, its optimization problems detract from the experience for many players.
“Steam Deck performance was a solid 60 on max, no dips recorded.”
“The game is pretty well optimized and looks decent while doing it.”
“Despite the PC port being exceedingly glitchy, it's one of the most optimized ports I've played, with some of the shortest loading screens I've ever seen in an open-world game.”
“This game is buggy and unoptimized as shit, but when it works it's so much fun I don't care.”
“Massive stuttering on a boss fight about an hour into the game losing ~10 or better frames every five seconds, making aiming, moving, and therefore playing the game impossible.”
“The optimization is poor though and that's mainly because of the lack of options with the display.”
- stability123 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous users reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly impact gameplay. While some players noted that it runs well on certain platforms like the Steam Deck, many experienced issues such as corrupted save files, audio problems, and mission-breaking glitches. Overall, despite its fun elements, the game is considered poorly optimized and prone to technical issues, making it difficult to recommend without reservations.
“Runs great on the Steam Deck, ignore the unsupported tag.”
“The game runs great throughout, and with lots of enemies on screen, it manages well.”
“Runs great, stable at 60 fps most of the time, except when there are like 50+ enemies and 2 giant enemies on your screen (which rarely happens).”
“It's a fun game, but it's very buggy.”
“The game is terribly buggy.”
“Crashes and glitches galore.”
- atmosphere32 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its vibrant, punk-inspired tone, characterized by a playful and lighthearted spirit that complements its humor and fast-paced gameplay. Players appreciate the energetic soundtrack, which enhances the overall experience, while the game's unique art style and sarcastic writing contribute to a refreshing and engaging environment. Despite some critiques regarding the music's memorability, the overall consensus is that the atmosphere is a standout feature that elevates the game's appeal.
“The game's tongue-in-cheek humor and clever pop culture references create a lighthearted atmosphere that resonates with many players.”
“The punk atmosphere is so refreshing, as I love the punk spirit of freedom that is reflected in this game.”
“Sunset Overdrive's colorful, playful tone and atmosphere sets it apart from other games in the same genre.”
“While the atmosphere and art seem garish and crude, the whole game seems to balance that with equally fun, challenging gameplay and a fast-paced, action-packed parkour system.”
“While it does fit the atmosphere very well, the music itself is pretty forgettable and doesn't really go anywhere.”
“This probably isn’t such a big deal for some people, but for me it handicaps the game’s atmosphere in a big way.”
- emotional27 mentions
- 93 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
Overall, the emotional aspect of the game is largely viewed as lacking depth, with many players noting that the story is simple and not particularly resonant. While some moments elicit laughter and nostalgia, the game is primarily appreciated for its engaging gameplay mechanics rather than an emotionally charged narrative. Players are advised not to expect a profound emotional experience, as the focus is more on fun traversal and combat rather than storytelling.
“For me, it's intensely heartbreaking that this timelessly fantastic game won't get the sequel it had been setting up.”
“Yes, yes, yes, this game has made me cry and laugh way too many times.”
“All in all, Sunset Overdrive is pretty great as long as you don't take it too seriously or expect an emotionally charged experience.”
“It has fun combat, but the story is kind of boring.”
“Boring story”
- replayability25 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is highly praised, with many reviewers highlighting the fun combat, variety of missions, and collectibles that enhance the experience. While some users noted a lack of replay value, the majority found the game to be infinitely replayable, offering engaging challenges and a light-hearted atmosphere that encourages multiple playthroughs. The ease of starting new playthroughs in the port version further contributes to its replayability appeal.
“10/10 game, I'd recommend this game to anyone; it's such a fun experience and has good replayability.”
“Really, really good game in my opinion, great replayability and getting a 100% doesn't get tedious but is still challenging.”
“It has excellent replay value, great visuals, and it offers a unique and incredibly fun experience that you won't find in any other game.”
“It has no replay value.”
“Absolutely no replay value.”
“-has little to no replay value”
- monetization19 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 37 % negative mentions
The monetization model of the game is praised for its absence of microtransactions, allowing players to enjoy a complete experience for a one-time purchase without the pressure of additional costs or cosmetic purchases. Reviewers appreciate the focus on gameplay and creativity over profit-driven strategies, highlighting the game's value and quality in contrast to the prevalent trend of monetization in the industry. Overall, the game is recommended for its straightforward pricing and rich content, free from the pitfalls of predatory monetization practices.
“Because this game is $20, has no microtransactions, and is packed with content - it's a recommended instant buy.”
“Fun for the sake of fun, built just before the era of microtransactions were shoved down the throat of every game that offered a single player experience.”
“Not something that was designed to be a cash cow that would produce tons of microtransactions first, with gameplay taking the backseat of their focus.”
“With games like Sunset Overdrive, consumers do not have to be convinced into understanding why a game needs to steal more money from them in the form of predatory monetization price gouging because the quality content is already here for a one-time flat price - sans marketing spin or PR vomit spewing 'poor us we're suffering with our billions in profits.'”
“I'm happy that I never had microtransactions forced down my throat or anything like that.”
- character development16 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is generally viewed as lacking depth, with many players noting that the protagonist feels like a blank slate and that significant story events do not lead to meaningful changes in character. However, the unique and quirky character designs, along with humorous dialogue and customization options, contribute positively to the overall experience. Some missions, like "Fizzie: The Inside Story," do showcase moments of character growth, but these are exceptions rather than the rule.
“My favorite mission (in terms of character development) is 'Fizzie: The Inside Story,' which showcases Fizzie's psycho personality, but also shows that it is possible for him to feel guilt.”
“I can't tell you how much I love the dialogues and character development.”
“The self-referential humor, the constant 4th wall breaks, the outstanding character design, and awesome parkour make for a really incredible experience.”
“No co-op, unappealing character designs, unskippable cutscenes, a very hand-holding tutorial that goes on too long, another open world with icons on the map and fast travel, music that is sometimes playing and sometimes just completely silent, the controls are a bit overwhelming, and eye-rolling irreverent self-aware Borderlands/Marvel dialogue that makes you want the characters to shut up forever.”
“The character is basically a blank slate, but because of how short the story is, character development is not really needed. Instead, your character is just a threatening, quippy idiot, which adds a lot to the story, as well as the mass amount of customization, allowing you to become a lucha libre or a space engineer ninja. This really adds quite a lot of enjoyment as you pick your outfit to slaughter the population of oversaturated gooey monsters.”
“The game still has many positives if you are a casual player with a smooth parkour system and some creative weapons that can change the flow of gameplay. However, it lacks character development, so when something significant happens in the story, nothing really changes.”
