Sunset Overdrive

Sunset Overdrive

If you love stories in which the protagonist is an unwilling hero thrown into the deep end because of extenuating circumstances beyond his (or her) control, this is the game for you. 

You play a dude who works as a garbage collector at a major party where a new energy drink is being launched.

You have the last laugh when that energy drink turns all the revellers into orange monsters that look like a cross between zombies and a mess of ectoplasm.

As you did not take a swig of the new drink, you are one of a small group who are still human, so you now have to eliminate the monsters and protect the last stronghold of humans from being overwhelmed by the overexuberant orange baddies.

This is no ordinary zombie shooter. Everything explodes in vivid colours. In non-stop action, you surf across railings and ziplines while exterminating the baddies with your huge arsenal of unusual weapons.

Using the medium-range Flaming Compensator, you fire off balls of fire to turn the orange ectoplasm into bright red viscera. Or you use the Nothing But The Hits gun to fire off limited-edition vinyl records which slice right through the ectoplasm.

The variety of weapons is not just for looks. Different monsters have differing vulnerabilities and resistances to the various weapons.

The game punishes you for standing on the ground while firing your guns. You will soon find yourself overwhelmed by mobs of orange. The secret is not to stay still. Bounce off vehicles to get a height advantage and often onto ziplines and railings which you can traverse while unloading your guns on the hapless monsters below.

If you are not screaming in delight while firing on all cylinders, then you are not playing the game right.

As you progress, you will be able to buy new guns and upgrade existing ones to add more firepower.

Like in other open-world shooters, you have a main campaign line to pursue. But you can always leap off the beaten path to complete side missions and farm for ingredients and currency to help you buy and craft your guns and equipment.

If you take life too seriously, this is not the game for you. Expect surprises, plenty of different guns to choose from and plenty of over-the-top action set in a world where everything looks like a confusion of psychedelic colours.

The game can take some time to get used to, but once you get the hang of sliding down a zipline while unleashing death on everything below, you will enjoy the madness which will engulf your screen in comic-style rainbow colours.

ginlee@sph.com.sg

Rating 8.5/10

- $69.90 (Xbox One)

- Shooter


This article was first published on Jan 28, 2015.
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