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[John Harker]

I just bounced on fire-spewing spring loaded traps to roast 500 flying pigeons so I could collect enough meat to feed a fat, slumbering man dressed in what appears to be discarded football gear who calls himself the King of a group of LARPing fantastics who think they are elves from the medieval ages. I have to do this because I just played a mini tower defense game where waves of orange monsters high on energy drinks tried to stop my elven friends from harvesting enough tree bark to make a medieval soup for their king that ended up making him vomit - a great loss, because the bard who was singing the heroic deeds of my trial was killed during the battle.

Meanwhile, I'm grinding on wires to collect toilet paper while shooting fireworks out of a hand cannon and exploding teddy bears from what I think is a traffic cone. Oh also my el mariachi guitar shoots ice spikes and lighting bolts every time I ground pound on top of a car, which always amuses me because my Asian heroine is wearing samurai slippers and a batman cape.

Sunset Overdrive is that perfect amount of colorful, controlled chaos you can throw on when you only have twenty minutes and know you'll have a blast. Shame it didn't do better.

 

[Warxard]

Fargarths storyline is absolutely the highest point in the game. And that's pretty tough to top considering it followed another great story arc with the Bushido storyline.

Absolutely the best Xbox One game, best open world game out right now.

 

[RevenWolf]

I'm not sure what there is to misunderstand? By your own description it's not subtle, and that type of humour is bound to run some people the wrong way.

 

[mjc]

The humor pissed some people off, but I bet those same people just LOVE stuff like Deadpool.

 

[Gator86]

I'm not sure what there is to misunderstand? By your own description it's not subtle, and that type of humour is bound to run some people the wrong way.

Yeah, this is less "thing is misunderstood" and more "people should have liked thing." That said, I really wish more people liked thing. Sunset is definitely one of the best games this gen.

 

[Blues1990]

I thought it was a fun game, but not a great fit for the Xbox One crowd.

 

[CHC]

I don't know... your description of it seems to reinforce exactly what I understand the game to be - a "zany" open world game with a sense of humor that doesn't quite align with my own.

 

[John Harker]

I'm not sure what there is to misunderstand? By your own description it's not subtle, and that type of humour is bound to run some people the wrong way.

It didn't sell particularly well as it could have. It's a very strongly designed game with a particular sense of humor that combines more traditional "arcade mechanics" in a modern setting that confused more people than excited them. A bit of a shame really.

People wrote it off because of the aesthetic and humor but the gameplay itself is super tight and refreshing.

 

[TheDanger]

It mentions NeoGAF and it's a great game.

The respawn animations are something truly special, a joy to watch.

 

[Apoleptica]

Sunset overdrive was a system seller for me. The game was an absolute blast, though after completing the main game and all the dlc there is very little replay value. One of the biggest faults the game has, though, is how late into it you get the air dash, I felt like the air dash was a game changer and really opened up the traversal. I wish there was also a new game + mode for this reason because after getting air dash I couldn't go back to not having it.

 

[udivision]

The humor pissed some people off, but I bet those same people just LOVE stuff like Deadpool.

I don't really know what this means. Is the humor the same? Did their taste change between now and then? They would admit to liking one but not the other?

 

[Metalingus5150]

It was an alright game. Not amazing but alright.

 

[doctordoak]

I just couldn't get into it. Should give it another shot.

 

[Figments]

I thought it was a fun game, but not a great fit for the Xbox One crowd.

Huh?

Elaborate.

 

[antitrop]

I would buy it, if I had an Xbox One.

 

[Johndoey]

The humor pissed some people off, but I bet those same people just LOVE stuff like Deadpool.

Okay? The style of humor in Deadpool and Overdrive aren't the exact same. So you're probably right.

 

[Ceadeus]

Awesome game indeed, wich I own since launch. I only wish it was seamless online. But it's almost a perfect new IP. Everything is good and I wish for a even more crazy second entry.

 

[Raide]

One of the best new IP's this gen. Would love to see them use it well for a sequel.

 

[ROUGE_BLOCK]

It was a really fun game, and I enjoyed the hell out of it. Except for some of the bosses, other than that it is a unique gem that should've done way better

 

[starchild excalibur]

The humor and characters in the game are absolutely awful. It's the definition of the perfect game to put on mute while you listen to your own music.

That being said, I still loved the gameplay quite a bit, but I'm also a fan of JSR/JSRF. Sunset Overdrive It was the first game I made sure to get when I got an XBO and I'm happy I did.

 

[ivanthebearable]

That sounds a little too lolrandom for me, sorry.

 

[GamerJM]

It's a good game, but I was never blown away by anything it did. I think writing it off because of the aesthetic/humor is silly because they don't dominate the game, but at the same time if you're just looking at it from a purely gameplay-based perspective it's good but nothing special.

 

[etta]

Damn straight.
Masterpiece of a game.

 

[Hagi]

It'd be cool if it ended up on PC at some because that's likely the only way I'd get to play it.

 

[starchild excalibur]

Yeah, and lump me into the camp that doesn't get what was "woefully misunderstood" about it. I got pretty much what I expected to get out of it.

 

[Nuke Soda]

I would buy it, if I had an Xbox One.

I mostly bought my Xbox One for it. No regrets.

 

[MavFan619]

I got bored of it pretty quick and thought it was kinda corny. To be fair I didn't play more than 5 hours of it maybe it gets fun and less corny but I wasn't stressing finding out.

 

[Warxard]

It's a good game, but I was never blown away by anything it did. I think writing it off because of the aesthetic/humor is silly because they don't dominate the game, but at the same time if you're just looking at it from a purely gameplay-based perspective it's good but nothing special.

I don't really see many games in the same action (open world action) doing what Sunset Overdrive accomplishes with it's gameplay better.

The gameplay style is wholly unique to Sunset, and that says a lot in a world of 'me-too' Arkham-combat fueled open world extravaganzas.

 

[Shin-chan]

I think by and large you'll be preaching to the choir here. The game looks fantastic and if I had an Xbox one I'd buy it. The humour never appealed to me but as a game it does.

The market at large obviously thought otherwise, though, but then it's not the first time the wider market has ignored strong games unfortunately.

The marketing clearly didn't grab the audience in the way they hoped.

 

[gamz]

Yeah, and lump me into the camp that doesn't get what was "woefully misunderstood" about it. I got pretty much what I expected to get out of it.

Probably should have said unappreciated.

 

[Ghost is Bad]

feels like a bad mix of crackdown and what your dad thinks is funny for the new kids

 

[blame space]

game owns, no two ways about it.

 

[Chris1]

It was a great game, one of the best new IP's this gen but it had it's fair share of issues (air dash not being unlocked until half way through the game and the repetitiveness of the missions being the main ones) then there's the humour might have put people off the game.

It sucks that it didn't sell well because I'd love to see Insomniac take a shot at a sequel, the franchise has a lot of potential in it.

 

[John Harker]

.

The marketing clearly didn't grab the audience in the way they hoped.

I concur there. I never fully understood their strategy with this one.

 

[painey]

fun gameplay, but story and characters came across as bully-wannabe

 

[ThatOneGrunt]

I honestly think that it's only failing was that it was exclusive to Xbox One during a very unpopular time for the console. It is a sensational, chaotic game that surprised me.

 

[NinjamicWZ]

So was this game:

 

[threelights]

Guns killed my interest in this game (well... not really, I still have interest in this game, but then I remember it has guns and that interest goes away).

Like, if it at least didn't have aiming, it would have been so much better to me >.>

Honestly, it's the kind of game that if the mobility is fun, I wouldn't even mind the writing or fetch quests or whatever, I'd just enjoy the mobility. But having to shoot as well just makes me want to stay away from the game.

 

[Strangelove77]

So zany.

 

[Warxard]

feels like a bad mix of crackdown and what your dad thinks is funny for the new kids

Its a good thing it plays nothing like Crackdown either!

 

[Steverulez]

My favourite game this gen, loved it.

 

[Diprosalic]

game blows, no two ways about it.

 

[gamz]

I concur there. I never fully understood their strategy with this one.

What strategy do you suggest? I thought the marketing was great and MS marketed the hell out of it. It was just too quirky to latch on I guess. My guess is years from now it'll be more respected and sought after.

 

[SystemBug]

game blows, no two ways about it.

how does it blow lol?

its great

 

[FaintColt388301]

It was a fun game. I didn't really like the humor very much. The game overall left me feeling a little empty. I'd give it around an 8.

I like the world. I like the gameplay. It took too long to get the air dash which is what ties the mechanics together and makes the game shine. The story was uninteresting to me.

Definitely worth the playthrough. I would like a sequel but the have a lot to improve on.

 

[Nabbis]

As someone who loved Spyro and Ratchet, SO is just crap really. I get it that they have a "theme" going on but it feels like they basically said "fuck it" to everything else and just put the very minimum in game design.

 

[Xeteh]

I would buy it, if I had an Xbox One.

Ditto. It is the one game that reaaaally makes me want an Xbox One. It seems like a game full of stupid fun.

 

[LyleLanley]

I wasn't a big fan of the humor most of the time but this is still probably my favorite game of the generation. Everyone should give it a shot if they can.

 

[Night Hunter]

What's there to misunderstand? It's not like the game is especially subtle.

 

[Warxard]

game owns, no two ways about it.

game blows, no two ways about it.

Hmm🤔.

As someone who loved Spyro and Ratchet, SO is just crap really. I get it that they have a "theme" going on but it feels like they basically said "fuck it" to everything else and just put the very minimum in game design.

Could you elaborate on that? Like core gameplay? Mission structure? accessibility vs depth? 'Game design' is such an all encompassing term.

I'd probabl agree on the mission structure. Outside of the mainline quests and some specific side quests it falls into the trappings of every other open world game in regards to mission design too quickly. I do love the score challenge modes though.