One of the best reasons to own an Xbox One has launched today, as Sunset Overdrive is now available for Xbox One at retail and for download via Xbox Live. The “traversal shooter” from Insomniac Games is outstanding, as you can read in our Sunset Overdrive review.
Sunset Overdrive is a perfect next-gen combination of Jet Set Radio Future and Crackdown, both outstanding Xbox-exclusive titles when they released many years ago. However, where Sunset Overdrive really stands out are the areas of weaponry — always an Insomniac calling card — and its massive open world.
Sunset City is a highly stylized world where just about every surface is ripe for grinding. Pay no attention to the fact that your Hero (anti-hero?) doesn’t have rollerblades or a skateboard; just know that he can grind on everything from railroad tracks to building awnings using his or her tennis shoes.
As we said in our review, Sunset Overdrive’s campaign “uses just about every known gameplay mechanic, though it makes fun of every one along the way. Crate busting, lever pulling, escort missions and boss battles are all here, with the game’s anti-hero poking fun at each task along the way. … Had the game been afraid to poke fun at its genre-busting ways, Sunset Overdrive would’ve felt like a convoluted mash-up. Instead, the humor shows Insomniac was acutely aware of what it was doing while adding a polish to each stereotypical task that most ‘focused’ games don’t seem to have.”
If you don’t yet own an Xbox One and are considering getting one for Sunset Overdrive — we recommend you do — you can do so on the cheap if you wait five days. A special edition Sunset Overdrive Xbox One bundle