Continuing my search of games to play on Xbox Game Pass for PC, I found myself in my favorite genre of games: shooters. I came across Sunset Overdrive, which I previously bought for the month I actually had an Xbox One. I had only touched Rare Replay before regretting the purchase of the console, and never really got around to it. So, I thought I’d give the game a go as it saw some optimization for the new platform, as it dropped four years after the original Xbox version.

Drawn in by the chaotic, silly art style, I wondered how the gameplay would fare in a game so dedicated to a culture niche. Then, I remembered Insomniac Games, who are quickly becoming one of my favorite studios, developed this. After a brief introduction, I got a feel for the movement. It was jarring. A far cry from the cover shooter many are accustomed to, Sunset Overdrive has you bouncing, grinding, wall-running, pole-swinging, and more to get around.

Once you get used to it, it feels GREAT! It took several hours for me to master, but I could get from point A to B in a flash while looking stylish the whole time. When I think of games that did movement specially, Mirror’s Edge‘s spectacular first-person parkour and Saints Row IV‘s light-speed running/dashing come to mind. It’s unconventional, and it’s going to be hard to top in any game that dares emulate it or tries something similar.

Now, games are no stranger to breaking the fourth wall and getting meta. Deadpool made a habit of it, preceding the expectations of the player by his reputation. Sunset Overdrive is more subtle and nuanced in its gaffs, genuinely getting some laughs out of me every now and then. I won’t spoil it, but the boss fights in each of the DLC packs that are generously included in the already-cheap title’s package, are hilarious and well-executed. Even when the game isn’t being meta, it’s still funny. For example, fast-travelling sees your character get drunk, pass out, and wake up at your destination.

I suppose if Sunset Overdrive falls flat anywhere, it’s that its serious moments within the plot fall flat due to the other 98% of the game being nonchalant and goofy. It’s also kind of hard to take those fleeting seconds seriously when you can adorn your character in an scene kid/emo getup that juxtaposes the wisecracks, but still looks fly as hell. In addition, I got pretty stuck on one mission that had a paltry two-minute time limit that was tough to beat. I pushed past it because I wanted to keep enjoying the rest of the game.

Overall, Sunset Overdrive is a unique precursor to Sony’s penchant of third-person narrative games that dominated the market later in the PS4’s lifespan (Insomniac’s Spider-Man included). Surprisingly, the topical humor is not outdated, and is even on-par in the ongoing wake of the pandemic. It’s a nice escape from that, and I would easily recommend anyone even remotely interested in Sunset Overdrive to give it a try with Game Pass, or snag it for its sale price of $7.49 when the time comes!

Phenixx Gaming is everywhere you are. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

Also, if you’d like to join the Phenixx Gaming team, check out our recruitment article for details on working with us.

Phenixx Gaming is proud to be a Humble Partner! Purchases made through our affiliate links support our writers and charity!

Sunset Overdrive

19.99

9

Score

9.0/10

Pros

• Divine Movement
• Incredible Aesthetic
• Laugh-out-loud Funny

Cons

• Some Annoying Timed Missions