The "Retro Game Reviews" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
The year is 2027, the location is Sunset City and FizzCo have launch a new energy drink, Overcharge Delirium XT. Being the Coca-Cola of their time, the launch of this new product is big news and FizzCo hold a launch party to celebrate. Everyone had a great time at the party and since no alcohol was involved, the only form of hangover was people struggling to get to sleep afterwards. At least, that’s what should have happened.
It appears that FizzCo possibly should have put a little information message on the side of the can warning customers that consuming this product will turn them into a mutant. The characteristics of these mutants are a violent temper and an addiction to Overcharge Delirium XT. Since the party goers can’t enough of the drink all hell breaks loose in Sunset City.
Seeing the carnage unfold, FizzCo takes action and locks down the city under the pretence that a virus has broken out. And nobody on the ‘outside’ world seems to really care. The residents of Sunset City consist of 3 main types now. Type 1 is the mutants and judging by their numbers, it seems that most of the city has sampled this new drink. The next type are the scabs. These are the local thugs taking advantage of the situation and plundering the city. They are well armed and like to use their weapons. Last but not least are the humans who simply want to escape the city. These people are bottom of the food chain and need to be wary of both mutants and scabs. The ‘normal’ types are an interesting mixture; they may not have sampled the energy drink but there are a few that will have you wondering just what they have been taking. And if things aren’t bad enough, FizzCo has decided to throw in a variety of robots to clear up the mess and anything that lives and breathes can be classed as mess.
The player controls a character who happened to be working at the party but had to cut the shift short to escape the mutants. You get to create your own character with the various customisation options, starting with gender and build. There are a few options to choose from but the clothing is where the real customisation comes into play. There are a wide range of options in the wardrobe department but why bother with those when you can choose to take on the city in your underwear? Even if do you want your character looking perfectly respectable, you’d best choose those undies with care as on more than one occasion he/she will be stripping down to the under garments.
In trying to escape the city you will meet all manner of people, good and bad. You’ll become an obedient little errand boy/girl and put your escape plans on hold a lot of the time while you dash back and forward collecting all manner of items or performing various tasks that help little with your ultimate goal. Typical gaming chores but all the fun is in the journey.
You can traverse the city on foot but you’ll become overwhelmed by mutants in no time and the game doesn’t really want you simply being a pedestrian. Your character is a rather agile individual and the city is just perfect for that trait. The character can grind railings, train lines, cables and basically anything that forms a line. Grinding uphill isn’t an issue with the boost that comes from… well, it’s not quite clear how he/she boosts but we’ll move on as you’re meant to just ignore these aspects and just enjoy yourself. Skating across the top of water (don’t question how) is much better than swimming. Cars, bins and various other items can be used for a boost jump up to overhead cables to grind along. You can also jump off the highest building and take no damage; don’t question it. Traversing the city takes a bit of time to master and string the various moves together but get it right and it can be rather pleasing. When you do blunder it can be a bit stop, start and a little frustrating.
To survive out and about in town, your character carries a few firearms and a melee weapon. The melee weapon is useful for conserving ammo but a large number of mutants will overwhelm you easily. This is where the firearms come in useful and it is quite an interesting arsenal available. There is no standard issue military weaponry here; what we have instead are weapons cobbled together by items you’d never really consider for weapon use. For instance, rather than a rocket launcher you’ll be firing explosive teddy bears. The weapons all have different strengths and weakness, different fire rates, damage and range. Ammo is not in plentiful supply so you will get to sample all of the weapons you are carrying. Repeated use of a weapon builds up the experience and the weapon becomes more powerful as you level each one up through the 5 levels available. For all their fanciness, the use of the weapons still amounts to the same as standard guns; point at enemy and fire until enemy is dead.
The story is all about trying to escape the city and taking down FizzCo along the way. Story missions are picked up via the characters you meet along the way. Some of the characters will also offer side quests at various times. The missions aren’t the most interesting around and you will spot a fair bit of repetition but the other aspects of the gameplay means it doesn’t become a chore. There are various bases where you will be able to fast travel to in order to save a bit of time. Fast travel seems to involve taking a drink and collapsing before emerging for a portable toilet at your chosen destination; another one of those elements you aren’t meant to question. The bases themselves allow you to buy weapons, ammo and clothing. There are also bonus items to be added to your weapons in the form of amps. These are related to your style meter which builds up by stringing various moves together; it pays to master the moves.
The bases can also be upgraded to provide better amps. The upgrade process involves something which vaguely resembles a tower defence mode. The machines which need upgraded just so happen to need some of this new energy drink everyone is talking about and wouldn’t you just know it, the mutants are drawn towards it. There are various fences which will temporarily hold back the mutants and you can increase the defences by the use of traps. Once you are all set then the carnage is unleashed. This can be quite tricky as the traps and fences don’t hold back the army of mutants for long so you’ll need to get your hands dirty and help out.
The city is a bit of a playground and if you can see it, you can get to it but you may need to take a moment to work out just how to get there. There are many items to collect littered all over town but rather than just collecting for the sake of it, these items can be used at the store to unlock benefits. Hostages and other humans can be rescued for some cash bonuses to spend at the ‘boutique’. There are all manner of challenges which allow you to compare your score to those on your friends list.
Graphically the game is rather nice; bright colours and a general fun look and feel. Fun is the feeling the game is going for with the characters, the looks, the moves and the weapons. The games also pokes fun at itself and other games. It is always nice to see a game not take things seriously but this one is perhaps not quite as amusing as it thinks; the main character could be described as having a bit of ‘attitude’ which may not appeal to all. I found the female version to be less annoying.
The missions aren’t the most interesting but there is plenty of fun to be had in Sunset Overdrive. It might not be as amusing as it would like to be but there is plenty to do and it is a very enjoyable ride; I certainly enjoyed this more than I was expecting.
7
It appears that FizzCo possibly should have put a little information message on the side of the can warning customers that consuming this product will turn them into a mutant. The characteristics of these mutants are a violent temper and an addiction to Overcharge Delirium XT. Since the party goers can’t enough of the drink all hell breaks loose in Sunset City.
Seeing the carnage unfold, FizzCo takes action and locks down the city under the pretence that a virus has broken out. And nobody on the ‘outside’ world seems to really care. The residents of Sunset City consist of 3 main types now. Type 1 is the mutants and judging by their numbers, it seems that most of the city has sampled this new drink. The next type are the scabs. These are the local thugs taking advantage of the situation and plundering the city. They are well armed and like to use their weapons. Last but not least are the humans who simply want to escape the city. These people are bottom of the food chain and need to be wary of both mutants and scabs. The ‘normal’ types are an interesting mixture; they may not have sampled the energy drink but there are a few that will have you wondering just what they have been taking. And if things aren’t bad enough, FizzCo has decided to throw in a variety of robots to clear up the mess and anything that lives and breathes can be classed as mess.
The player controls a character who happened to be working at the party but had to cut the shift short to escape the mutants. You get to create your own character with the various customisation options, starting with gender and build. There are a few options to choose from but the clothing is where the real customisation comes into play. There are a wide range of options in the wardrobe department but why bother with those when you can choose to take on the city in your underwear? Even if do you want your character looking perfectly respectable, you’d best choose those undies with care as on more than one occasion he/she will be stripping down to the under garments.
In trying to escape the city you will meet all manner of people, good and bad. You’ll become an obedient little errand boy/girl and put your escape plans on hold a lot of the time while you dash back and forward collecting all manner of items or performing various tasks that help little with your ultimate goal. Typical gaming chores but all the fun is in the journey.
You can traverse the city on foot but you’ll become overwhelmed by mutants in no time and the game doesn’t really want you simply being a pedestrian. Your character is a rather agile individual and the city is just perfect for that trait. The character can grind railings, train lines, cables and basically anything that forms a line. Grinding uphill isn’t an issue with the boost that comes from… well, it’s not quite clear how he/she boosts but we’ll move on as you’re meant to just ignore these aspects and just enjoy yourself. Skating across the top of water (don’t question how) is much better than swimming. Cars, bins and various other items can be used for a boost jump up to overhead cables to grind along. You can also jump off the highest building and take no damage; don’t question it. Traversing the city takes a bit of time to master and string the various moves together but get it right and it can be rather pleasing. When you do blunder it can be a bit stop, start and a little frustrating.
To survive out and about in town, your character carries a few firearms and a melee weapon. The melee weapon is useful for conserving ammo but a large number of mutants will overwhelm you easily. This is where the firearms come in useful and it is quite an interesting arsenal available. There is no standard issue military weaponry here; what we have instead are weapons cobbled together by items you’d never really consider for weapon use. For instance, rather than a rocket launcher you’ll be firing explosive teddy bears. The weapons all have different strengths and weakness, different fire rates, damage and range. Ammo is not in plentiful supply so you will get to sample all of the weapons you are carrying. Repeated use of a weapon builds up the experience and the weapon becomes more powerful as you level each one up through the 5 levels available. For all their fanciness, the use of the weapons still amounts to the same as standard guns; point at enemy and fire until enemy is dead.
The story is all about trying to escape the city and taking down FizzCo along the way. Story missions are picked up via the characters you meet along the way. Some of the characters will also offer side quests at various times. The missions aren’t the most interesting around and you will spot a fair bit of repetition but the other aspects of the gameplay means it doesn’t become a chore. There are various bases where you will be able to fast travel to in order to save a bit of time. Fast travel seems to involve taking a drink and collapsing before emerging for a portable toilet at your chosen destination; another one of those elements you aren’t meant to question. The bases themselves allow you to buy weapons, ammo and clothing. There are also bonus items to be added to your weapons in the form of amps. These are related to your style meter which builds up by stringing various moves together; it pays to master the moves.
The bases can also be upgraded to provide better amps. The upgrade process involves something which vaguely resembles a tower defence mode. The machines which need upgraded just so happen to need some of this new energy drink everyone is talking about and wouldn’t you just know it, the mutants are drawn towards it. There are various fences which will temporarily hold back the mutants and you can increase the defences by the use of traps. Once you are all set then the carnage is unleashed. This can be quite tricky as the traps and fences don’t hold back the army of mutants for long so you’ll need to get your hands dirty and help out.
The city is a bit of a playground and if you can see it, you can get to it but you may need to take a moment to work out just how to get there. There are many items to collect littered all over town but rather than just collecting for the sake of it, these items can be used at the store to unlock benefits. Hostages and other humans can be rescued for some cash bonuses to spend at the ‘boutique’. There are all manner of challenges which allow you to compare your score to those on your friends list.
Graphically the game is rather nice; bright colours and a general fun look and feel. Fun is the feeling the game is going for with the characters, the looks, the moves and the weapons. The games also pokes fun at itself and other games. It is always nice to see a game not take things seriously but this one is perhaps not quite as amusing as it thinks; the main character could be described as having a bit of ‘attitude’ which may not appeal to all. I found the female version to be less annoying.
The missions aren’t the most interesting but there is plenty of fun to be had in Sunset Overdrive. It might not be as amusing as it would like to be but there is plenty to do and it is a very enjoyable ride; I certainly enjoyed this more than I was expecting.
7
The year is 2027, the location is Sunset City and FizzCo have launch a new energy drink, Overcharge Delirium XT. Being the Coca-Cola of their time, the launch of this new product is big news and FizzCo hold a launch party to celebrate. Everyone had a great time at the party and since no alcohol was involved, the only form of hangover was people struggling to get to sleep afterwards. At least, that’s what should have happened.
It appears that FizzCo possibly should have put a little information message on the side of the can warning customers that consuming this product will turn them into a mutant. The characteristics of these mutants are a violent temper and an addiction to Overcharge Delirium XT. Since the party goers can’t enough of the drink all hell breaks loose in Sunset City.
Seeing the carnage unfold, FizzCo takes action and locks down the city under the pretence that a virus has broken out. And nobody on the ‘outside’ world seems to really care. The residents of Sunset City consist of 3 main types now. Type 1 is the mutants and judging by their numbers, it seems that most of the city has sampled this new drink. The next type are the scabs. These are the local thugs taking advantage of the situation and plundering the city. They are well armed and like to use their weapons. Last but not least are the humans who simply want to escape the city. These people are bottom of the food chain and need to be wary of both mutants and scabs. The ‘normal’ types are an interesting mixture; they may not have sampled the energy drink but there are a few that will have you wondering just what they have been taking. And if things aren’t bad enough, FizzCo has decided to throw in a variety of robots to clear up the mess and anything that lives and breathes can be classed as mess.
The player controls a character who happened to be working at the party but had to cut the shift short to escape the mutants. You get to create your own character with the various customisation options, starting with gender and build. There are a few options to choose from but the clothing is where the real customisation comes into play. There are a wide range of options in the wardrobe department but why bother with those when you can choose to take on the city in your underwear? Even if do you want your character looking perfectly respectable, you’d best choose those undies with care as on more than one occasion he/she will be stripping down to the under garments.
In trying to escape the city you will meet all manner of people, good and bad. You’ll become an obedient little errand boy/girl and put your escape plans on hold a lot of the time while you dash back and forward collecting all manner of items or performing various tasks that help little with your ultimate goal. Typical gaming chores but all the fun is in the journey.
You can traverse the city on foot but you’ll become overwhelmed by mutants in no time and the game doesn’t really want you simply being a pedestrian. Your character is a rather agile individual and the city is just perfect for that trait. The character can grind railings, train lines, cables and basically anything that forms a line. Grinding uphill isn’t an issue with the boost that comes from… well, it’s not quite clear how he/she boosts but we’ll move on as you’re meant to just ignore these aspects and just enjoy yourself. Skating across the top of water (don’t question how) is much better than swimming. Cars, bins and various other items can be used for a boost jump up to overhead cables to grind along. You can also jump off the highest building and take no damage; don’t question it. Traversing the city takes a bit of time to master and string the various moves together but get it right and it can be rather pleasing. When you do blunder it can be a bit stop, start and a little frustrating.
To survive out and about in town, your character carries a few firearms and a melee weapon. The melee weapon is useful for conserving ammo but a large number of mutants will overwhelm you easily. This is where the firearms come in useful and it is quite an interesting arsenal available. There is no standard issue military weaponry here; what we have instead are weapons cobbled together by items you’d never really consider for weapon use. For instance, rather than a rocket launcher you’ll be firing explosive teddy bears. The weapons all have different strengths and weakness, different fire rates, damage and range. Ammo is not in plentiful supply so you will get to sample all of the weapons you are carrying. Repeated use of a weapon builds up the experience and the weapon becomes more powerful as you level each one up through the 5 levels available. For all their fanciness, the use of the weapons still amounts to the same as standard guns; point at enemy and fire until enemy is dead.
The story is all about trying to escape the city and taking down FizzCo along the way. Story missions are picked up via the characters you meet along the way. Some of the characters will also offer side quests at various times. The missions aren’t the most interesting around and you will spot a fair bit of repetition but the other aspects of the gameplay means it doesn’t become a chore. There are various bases where you will be able to fast travel to in order to save a bit of time. Fast travel seems to involve taking a drink and collapsing before emerging for a portable toilet at your chosen destination; another one of those elements you aren’t meant to question. The bases themselves allow you to buy weapons, ammo and clothing. There are also bonus items to be added to your weapons in the form of amps. These are related to your style meter which builds up by stringing various moves together; it pays to master the moves.
The bases can also be upgraded to provide better amps. The upgrade process involves something which vaguely resembles a tower defence mode. The machines which need upgraded just so happen to need some of this new energy drink everyone is talking about and wouldn’t you just know it, the mutants are drawn towards it. There are various fences which will temporarily hold back the mutants and you can increase the defences by the use of traps. Once you are all set then the carnage is unleashed. This can be quite tricky as the traps and fences don’t hold back the army of mutants for long so you’ll need to get your hands dirty and help out.
The city is a bit of a playground and if you can see it, you can get to it but you may need to take a moment to work out just how to get there. There are many items to collect littered all over town but rather than just collecting for the sake of it, these items can be used at the store to unlock benefits. Hostages and other humans can be rescued for some cash bonuses to spend at the ‘boutique’. There are all manner of challenges which allow you to compare your score to those on your friends list.
Graphically the game is rather nice; bright colours and a general fun look and feel. Fun is the feeling the game is going for with the characters, the looks, the moves and the weapons. The games also pokes fun at itself and other games. It is always nice to see a game not take things seriously but this one is perhaps not quite as amusing as it thinks; the main character could be described as having a bit of ‘attitude’ which may not appeal to all. I found the female version to be less annoying.
The missions aren’t the most interesting but there is plenty of fun to be had in Sunset Overdrive. It might not be as amusing as it would like to be but there is plenty to do and it is a very enjoyable ride; I certainly enjoyed this more than I was expecting.
7
It appears that FizzCo possibly should have put a little information message on the side of the can warning customers that consuming this product will turn them into a mutant. The characteristics of these mutants are a violent temper and an addiction to Overcharge Delirium XT. Since the party goers can’t enough of the drink all hell breaks loose in Sunset City.
Seeing the carnage unfold, FizzCo takes action and locks down the city under the pretence that a virus has broken out. And nobody on the ‘outside’ world seems to really care. The residents of Sunset City consist of 3 main types now. Type 1 is the mutants and judging by their numbers, it seems that most of the city has sampled this new drink. The next type are the scabs. These are the local thugs taking advantage of the situation and plundering the city. They are well armed and like to use their weapons. Last but not least are the humans who simply want to escape the city. These people are bottom of the food chain and need to be wary of both mutants and scabs. The ‘normal’ types are an interesting mixture; they may not have sampled the energy drink but there are a few that will have you wondering just what they have been taking. And if things aren’t bad enough, FizzCo has decided to throw in a variety of robots to clear up the mess and anything that lives and breathes can be classed as mess.
The player controls a character who happened to be working at the party but had to cut the shift short to escape the mutants. You get to create your own character with the various customisation options, starting with gender and build. There are a few options to choose from but the clothing is where the real customisation comes into play. There are a wide range of options in the wardrobe department but why bother with those when you can choose to take on the city in your underwear? Even if do you want your character looking perfectly respectable, you’d best choose those undies with care as on more than one occasion he/she will be stripping down to the under garments.
In trying to escape the city you will meet all manner of people, good and bad. You’ll become an obedient little errand boy/girl and put your escape plans on hold a lot of the time while you dash back and forward collecting all manner of items or performing various tasks that help little with your ultimate goal. Typical gaming chores but all the fun is in the journey.
You can traverse the city on foot but you’ll become overwhelmed by mutants in no time and the game doesn’t really want you simply being a pedestrian. Your character is a rather agile individual and the city is just perfect for that trait. The character can grind railings, train lines, cables and basically anything that forms a line. Grinding uphill isn’t an issue with the boost that comes from… well, it’s not quite clear how he/she boosts but we’ll move on as you’re meant to just ignore these aspects and just enjoy yourself. Skating across the top of water (don’t question how) is much better than swimming. Cars, bins and various other items can be used for a boost jump up to overhead cables to grind along. You can also jump off the highest building and take no damage; don’t question it. Traversing the city takes a bit of time to master and string the various moves together but get it right and it can be rather pleasing. When you do blunder it can be a bit stop, start and a little frustrating.
To survive out and about in town, your character carries a few firearms and a melee weapon. The melee weapon is useful for conserving ammo but a large number of mutants will overwhelm you easily. This is where the firearms come in useful and it is quite an interesting arsenal available. There is no standard issue military weaponry here; what we have instead are weapons cobbled together by items you’d never really consider for weapon use. For instance, rather than a rocket launcher you’ll be firing explosive teddy bears. The weapons all have different strengths and weakness, different fire rates, damage and range. Ammo is not in plentiful supply so you will get to sample all of the weapons you are carrying. Repeated use of a weapon builds up the experience and the weapon becomes more powerful as you level each one up through the 5 levels available. For all their fanciness, the use of the weapons still amounts to the same as standard guns; point at enemy and fire until enemy is dead.
The story is all about trying to escape the city and taking down FizzCo along the way. Story missions are picked up via the characters you meet along the way. Some of the characters will also offer side quests at various times. The missions aren’t the most interesting around and you will spot a fair bit of repetition but the other aspects of the gameplay means it doesn’t become a chore. There are various bases where you will be able to fast travel to in order to save a bit of time. Fast travel seems to involve taking a drink and collapsing before emerging for a portable toilet at your chosen destination; another one of those elements you aren’t meant to question. The bases themselves allow you to buy weapons, ammo and clothing. There are also bonus items to be added to your weapons in the form of amps. These are related to your style meter which builds up by stringing various moves together; it pays to master the moves.
The bases can also be upgraded to provide better amps. The upgrade process involves something which vaguely resembles a tower defence mode. The machines which need upgraded just so happen to need some of this new energy drink everyone is talking about and wouldn’t you just know it, the mutants are drawn towards it. There are various fences which will temporarily hold back the mutants and you can increase the defences by the use of traps. Once you are all set then the carnage is unleashed. This can be quite tricky as the traps and fences don’t hold back the army of mutants for long so you’ll need to get your hands dirty and help out.
The city is a bit of a playground and if you can see it, you can get to it but you may need to take a moment to work out just how to get there. There are many items to collect littered all over town but rather than just collecting for the sake of it, these items can be used at the store to unlock benefits. Hostages and other humans can be rescued for some cash bonuses to spend at the ‘boutique’. There are all manner of challenges which allow you to compare your score to those on your friends list.
Graphically the game is rather nice; bright colours and a general fun look and feel. Fun is the feeling the game is going for with the characters, the looks, the moves and the weapons. The games also pokes fun at itself and other games. It is always nice to see a game not take things seriously but this one is perhaps not quite as amusing as it thinks; the main character could be described as having a bit of ‘attitude’ which may not appeal to all. I found the female version to be less annoying.
The missions aren’t the most interesting but there is plenty of fun to be had in Sunset Overdrive. It might not be as amusing as it would like to be but there is plenty to do and it is a very enjoyable ride; I certainly enjoyed this more than I was expecting.
7
Completely agree with this. Got a cheap digital copy and enjoyed it, but it's not the deepest game ever.