Sunset Overdrive

About

"Sunset Overdrive" is a comedic open-world game with excellent story and gameplay, offering both single-player and multiplayer modes for up to 2 players. The game features stunning visuals and a spectacular soundtrack, with a variety of grinding and parkour moves to explore the contaminated Sunset City. The Deluxe Edition includes the Season Pass, offering three game add-ons, exclusive outfits, and additional in-game items.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

+12

90%

Audience ScoreBased on 5,098 reviews

story387 positive mentions

grinding334 negative mentions

story
1,488 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
66%
8%
The story of "Sunset Overdrive" is generally described as average and somewhat forgettable, often serving as a backdrop for the game's vibrant gameplay and humor. While it features a light-hearted, self-aware narrative filled with fourth-wall breaks and absurdity, many players find the missions repetitive, primarily consisting of fetch quests and basic objectives. Despite its shortcomings, the quirky characters and comedic elements keep the experience entertaining, making it enjoyable for those who appreciate a fun, chaotic atmosphere over a deep narrative.
- “The story is light-hearted, self-aware, and at times, hilarious.”
- “The story is fun and not too serious, the controls are tight, and the progression and level up system are fun.”
- “The story is pretty ridiculous because it goes something like this: soda company turns people into mutants known as the od.”
- “The story is a little absurd, but that's part of the game's charm.”
- “The story is pretty straightforward, city-wide disaster happens, you survive and somehow gtfo and end up becoming the local hero.”
- “The story is extremely goofy and doesn't take itself seriously in the slightest, and you definitely won't walk away feeling like the title did anything impactful or groundbreaking at all; rather it simply delivers unadulterated, unfettered fun, and for that I think it's a real good time.”
gameplay
1,069 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
46%
4%
The gameplay of *Sunset Overdrive* is widely praised for its fluid and dynamic mechanics, combining fast-paced traversal with engaging combat. Players enjoy the unique parkour elements, such as grinding and wall-running, which enhance the overall experience and encourage constant movement during battles. While some find the gameplay repetitive over time, the combination of humor, vibrant visuals, and a diverse arsenal of weapons keeps the action entertaining and enjoyable.
- “Gameplay is where Sunset Overdrive really shines; it will blow your mind as you progress through the game and unlock a plethora of gameplay opportunities.”
- “The gameplay is incredibly fun, featuring smooth mechanics that allow for a dynamic and engaging experience as you traverse the colorful world.”
- “The gameplay is fast, fluid, and fun, combining elements of parkour and shooting that create a unique and enjoyable experience.”
- “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. 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. This makes the gameplay feel unintuitive, repetitive, sometimes unresponsive, and after some minutes, boring.”
- “Gameplay is way too repetitive and offers no challenge. This is one of those games that's fun for about 20 minutes and then you get bored with it, pick it up again and hope the gameplay adds variety/depth, put it down, and try again until you just lose interest.”
- “The gameplay loop comes across somewhat repetitive, but the action is good enough to carry it throughout. However, the writing fails at communicating the same character that the gameplay and visuals achieve.”
humor
850 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
2%
The humor in "Sunset Overdrive" is a mix of self-aware, fourth-wall-breaking jokes and pop culture references, often drawing comparisons to the comedic styles of "Saints Row" and "Borderlands." While many players find the humor to be genuinely funny and engaging, others feel it can be hit-or-miss, with some jokes landing well while others come off as cringeworthy or forced. Overall, the game's irreverent tone and chaotic humor contribute significantly to its charm, making it a fun experience for those who appreciate its unique comedic approach.
- “The humor is fresh and funny.”
- “The game is a hilarious great time with exciting fighting, intriguing cut scenes, and an amazing story!”
- “The humor is on point, the gameplay is fluid and incredibly satisfying, and the themes and settings are enjoyable through and through.”
- “When it's not subjecting you to a veritable torturer's toolbox of unfunny cutscenes, you'll be treated to a nonstop cavalcade of quips and one-liners.”
- “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.”
music
508 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
54%
5%
The music in "Sunset Overdrive" is predominantly a high-energy punk rock soundtrack that complements the game's vibrant and chaotic atmosphere, enhancing the overall gameplay experience. While many players appreciate the dynamic nature of the music, which adapts to the player's actions, some have noted that the limited variety of tracks can lead to repetitiveness over time. Overall, the soundtrack is widely regarded as a highlight, perfectly fitting the game's irreverent tone and fast-paced action.
- “You'll be surprised at how much fun this game will give you; every stunt, kill, parkour, quest, and side quest is full of dopamine, amazing punk-rock music, and the best fourth-wall-breaking jokes ever!”
- “The best part of this game is the original soundtrack consisting of rock punk artists. It plays into the gameplay with the style meter, building up and making the music better depending on your playstyle.”
- “The music is great and fits the nature of the game perfectly, very punk and 'rebellious' rock.”
- “The soundtrack would actually be a highlight if it had more range, but if you've heard one track, you've pretty much heard them all.”
- “The music is okay, but it doesn't seem to have other variety outside of punk rock.”
- “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.”
graphics
478 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
56%
5%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their vibrant, cartoonish art style that effectively captures a punk aesthetic, making it visually appealing and timeless. However, many users express frustration over the limited graphics settings and occasional performance issues, such as graphical glitches and low-resolution textures. Overall, while the visuals are considered a highlight, the lack of customization options detracts from the experience for some players.
- “The game's graphics are a sight to behold, with a vibrant color palette that pops on the screen.”
- “The character design is unique and quirky, with a mix of punk rock and cartoon aesthetics that make the game a visual delight.”
- “The graphics still look great today, really colorful, with a variety of weapons.”
- “No meaningful graphics settings; the LOD scale makes the game look awful at times. The lack of anti-aliasing and poor resolution support is driving me away.”
- “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.”
- “The graphics settings in this game are very basic; the anti-aliasing, for example, was not well-executed, and the in-game world can feel blurry at times.”
grinding
338 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
99%
The grinding mechanics in the game are a central aspect of gameplay, providing a fluid and enjoyable traversal system that combines parkour with combat. While many players find the constant movement exhilarating and reminiscent of classic titles like Tony Hawk and Jet Set Radio, some express frustration with the repetitive nature of grinding for upgrades and collectibles, which can feel tedious over time. Overall, the game successfully integrates grinding into its fast-paced action, though it may become monotonous for those seeking a more varied experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “I did every quest and bought less than 10 weapons on top of the ones that are given; there are dozens more weapons that I can't afford without significant grinding/replaying quests, which is lame. Why would you replay a single story quest as if it's an MMO daily?”
- “The grinding gets repetitive and boring quickly.”
- “The constant grinding is frustrating and frequently gets in the way of combat, but it is absolutely necessary or you'll be dead in seconds.”
optimization
154 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
51%
25%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players experiencing significant performance issues such as stuttering, frame drops, and bugs, particularly on PC. While some users report smooth gameplay on lower-end systems, others highlight the lack of graphical options and persistent glitches that hinder the experience. Overall, the game is seen as a poorly optimized port, with recommendations to consider console versions for better performance.
- “It's also optimized incredibly well; I don't meet the minimum specs and have no problems.”
- “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.”
- “The game is pretty well optimized and looks decent while doing it.”
- “The game is buggy and unoptimized as shit, but when it works it's so much fun I don't care.”
- “This game has been released for years now and I think any hope of performance improvements have long since passed; my advice would be to save your money and buy Yakuza 0 instead.”
- “My system is above the recommended specs and I tried it on two hard drives, first my regular gaming SSD then an HDD, and the game was unplayable both times due to constant stuttering, even after turning off many of the (limited) graphics options.”
stability
116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
81%
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, particularly in its PC port, which is described as "phenomenally buggy" with numerous glitches, crashes, and save file corruption issues. While some players report that the game can be enjoyable despite these problems, many express frustration over game-breaking bugs and performance inconsistencies, suggesting that it may be better to purchase the game on other platforms like the Xbox app. Overall, the game's stability issues significantly detract from the experience, making it difficult to recommend in its current state.
- “The game runs great throughout, and with lots of enemies on screen, it manages well.”
- “Runs great, plays great with a controller, unlocked fps, and the game is fun.”
- “Overall amazing port, runs great.”
- “There are game-breaking bugs which will straight up halt progression, random graphical glitches, performance drops.”
- “This game is to buggy and will always corrupt my saved files.”
- “Worst fking port I ever seen, it crashes like mad full of graphical glitches, don't buy this shit.”
replayability
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
67%
17%
The reviews on replayability are mixed, with some players finding the game offers significant replay value through collectibles, varied missions, and enjoyable gameplay, while others criticize it for lacking meaningful replay options. Notably, the humor and self-aware design enhance replayability for some, but others feel the game could benefit from improvements to its save system and overall replay incentives. Overall, the game presents a blend of replayable elements and limitations, resulting in a varied experience for players.
- “Aged well with great replayability.”
- “A must play if you're looking for an open world game that's actually fun, replayable, has great music, and never takes itself seriously.”
- “Really, really good game in my opinion, great replayability and getting a 100% doesn't get tedious but is still challenging.”
- “Replayability is kinda meh.”
- “It has no replay value.”
- “Absolutely no replay value.”
atmosphere
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
48%
13%
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a vibrant punk spirit, enhanced by an energetic soundtrack that complements the fast-paced gameplay. Players appreciate the colorful, playful tone and the humorous elements, which create a refreshing and fun experience. While some find the music memorable and fitting, others feel it lacks depth, but overall, the game's unique art style and lively ambiance stand out positively.
- “The punk atmosphere is so refreshing, as I love the punk spirit of freedom that is reflected in this game.”
- “What intrigued me to this game was the soundtrack; punk garage rock goes really well with the atmosphere, and some missions that utilize the OST are some of the best highlights of this game.”
- “Sunset Overdrive is full of cool punk rock music that perfectly fits the atmosphere and boosts you with energy.”
- “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.”
- “Had the gameplay gripped me I suspect the cheery punk-rock cartoon atmosphere would have eventually grown on me.”
emotional
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
95%
14%
Overall, the emotional aspect of the game is largely underwhelming, with many players noting that the story is simple, not deeply engaging, and lacks emotional depth. While the gameplay offers exciting mechanics and a fun traversal system, it does not evoke strong emotional responses or connections to characters, making it more of a lighthearted experience rather than an emotionally charged one. Players are advised not to expect a profound narrative or emotional performances, as the focus is primarily on gameplay and movement.
- “Many people really like these games as they offer emotional rollercoasters of stories, engaging characters, and other elements.”
- “All in all, Sunset Overdrive is pretty great as long as you don't take it too seriously or expect an emotionally charged experience.”
- “The movement system is so satisfying once you've gotten the hang of it, with the city pretty much designed for you to go from one end to another without touching the ground, building a flow in your movement and being essentially a hyperactive skater without the skateboard.”
- “The story felt incredibly dull and failed to evoke any emotional response.”
- “I found the narrative to be unengaging, lacking the depth needed to connect with the characters.”
- “The emotional moments fell flat, leaving me feeling indifferent rather than moved.”
monetization
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
44%
39%
The monetization aspect of the game is highly praised, with users appreciating the absence of microtransactions and cosmetic purchases, which they believe enhances the overall quality and enjoyment of the game. Many reviewers express a preference for the one-time purchase model, highlighting that the game offers substantial content without the predatory pricing often associated with modern monetization practices. Overall, the game's approach to monetization is seen as a refreshing contrast to the prevalent cash-grab strategies in the industry.
- “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.”
- “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.' Fanatics and paid community managers can try to justify microtransaction scams all they want; microtransactions are stealth price gouging through and through and destroy quality.”
- “I'm happy that I never had microtransactions forced down my throat or anything like that.”
- “Perfect game for ads people like me.”
character development
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
38%
23%
Character development in the game is generally viewed as minimal, with characters often serving as quirky, customizable avatars rather than deeply fleshed-out individuals. While the unique and creative character designs, along with humorous dialogues and self-referential elements, enhance the experience, the short story and lack of significant character growth mean that players may not feel a strong emotional connection to the characters. Overall, the focus on customization and visual appeal compensates for the limited character development.
- “The character design is unique and quirky, with a mix of punk rock and cartoon aesthetics that make the game a visual delight.”
- “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.”
- “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. The mass amount of customization, allowing you to become a lucha libre or a space engineer ninja, 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.”
- “The character development is not the greatest, but it's there and it rocks.”