History VideoGame / SunsetOverdrive

''Sunset Overdrive'' is an open-world ThirdPersonShooter developed by Creator/InsomniacGames. The game is somewhat a spiritual successor to ''VideoGame/TotalOverdose'', and parodies every video game trope it can, and takes place in Sunset City, a locale that suffers from a mutant outbreak after the nefarious company Fizzco releases their energy drink, Overcharge. You play as a highly customizable character who eventually takes the turn of events in stride, moving around the city and destroying mutants with glee.

Gameplay is reminiscent of ''Total Overdose'', ''VideoGame/BurnoutParadise'', ''VideoGame/{{Crackdown}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'', ''[[VideoGame/{{Infamous}} inFAMOUS]]'', ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'', and ''VideoGame/JetSetRadio'' with ''VideoGame/SaintsRow''-esque [[VirtualPaperDoll character customization]] and LeParkour thrown in for good measure. Referred to as "traversals", you are able, and highly encouraged, to run on walls, grind on rails, and use various objects to hurtle yourself upwards in your quest to escape the city. As you might expect from an Insomniac game, the weapon selection is out there, as your arsenal can consist of a bowling ball launcher, vinyl record gun, toy helicopters with pistols attached to them, and teddy bears strapped with dynamite.

Gameplay is reminiscent of ''Total Overdose, ''VideoGame/BurnoutParadise'', ''VideoGame/{{Crackdown}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'', ''[[VideoGame/{{Infamous}} inFAMOUS]]'', ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'', and ''VideoGame/JetSetRadio'' with ''VideoGame/SaintsRow''-equse [[VirtualPaperDoll character customization]] and LeParkour thrown in for good measure. Referred to as "traversals", you are able, and highly encouraged, to run on walls, grind on rails, and use various objects to hurtle yourself upwards in your quest to escape the city. As you might expect from an Insomniac game, the weapon selection is out there, as your arsenal can consist of a bowling ball launcher, vinyl record gun, toy helicopters with pistols attached to them, and teddy bears strapped with dynamite.

** In the "Smash Crates" challenge, the player may reference ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'' and Creator/InsomniacGames:
---> '''Player:''' A crate-busting challenge, from the people behind Ratchet and Clank. File that one under "not surprised."

[[caption-width-right:350:Welcome to the awesomepocalypse.]]

->''Okay, here's the situation: A contaminated energy drink has turned everyone into mutants. There are survivors, doing whatever they can to get by. And some are dicks, attacking others for their stuff... but it's not all bad. All this place needs is a hero! One who doesn't just survive... but does it with style! Who is this hero? ME!... n-not me? Oh. YOU! Can you survive the many dangers? Can you help others survive? Can you save Sunset City? Can you?! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, CAN YOU?!?!''\\\
''... of course ya can. '''It's a fuckin' video game!'''''

Gameplay is reminiscent of ''VideoGame/TotalOverdose'', ''VideoGame/BurnoutParadise'', ''VideoGame/{{Crackdown}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'', ''[[VideoGame/{{Infamous}} inFAMOUS]]'', ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'', and ''VideoGame/JetSetRadio'' with ''VideoGame/SaintsRow''-equse [[VirtualPaperDoll character customization]] and LeParkour thrown in for good measure. Referred to as "traversals", you are able, and highly encouraged, to run on walls, grind on rails, and use various objects to hurtle yourself upwards in your quest to escape the city. As you might expect from an Insomniac game, the weapon selection is out there, as your arsenal can consist of a bowling ball launcher, vinyl record gun, toy helicopters with pistols attached to them, and teddy bears strapped with dynamite.

* AdjustableCensorship: In the options menu, you can turn on:
** A profanity filter.
** Low gore mode.

Gameplay is reminiscent of ''Total Overdose'', ''VideoGame/BurnoutParadise'', ''VideoGame/{{Crackdown}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Infamous}}'', ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'', and ''VideoGame/JetSetRadio'' with ''VideoGame/SaintsRow''-equse [[VirtualPaperDoll character customization]] and LeParkour thrown in for good measure. Referred to as "traversals", you are able, and highly encouraged, to run on walls, grind on rails, and use various objects to hurtle yourself upwards in your quest to escape the city. As you might expect from an Insomniac game, the weapon selection is out there, as your arsenal can consist of a bowling ball launcher, vinyl record gun, toy helicopters with pistols attached to them, and teddy bears strapped with dynamite.

!!''Sunset Overdrive'' provides examples of:

** The game features Auto Aim and there are no enemies that requires hitting a precise spot to kill, which is good considering how fast-paced the fights are.

* AdjustableCensorship: You can turn on a profanity filter or low gore mode in the options menu.

** The lower your health is, the more likely enemies are to drop health when you kill them. Likewise, you'll more likely get ammo pickups for weapons that are close to empty.

* HyperspaceArsenal: Your character can equip eight weapons at any given time and switch between all available weapons at any time. Once, when threatened with a pistol by [[spoiler:Wendy, who wants to escape the city]], they pull out an entire armory from nowhere.

* BenevolentArchitecture: [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by the player character when looking through a set of tourist binoculars to the left of the Radio Tower ZipMode point and opposite the Sunset Medical Center:
--> "It's like Sunset City was built expressly for me to bounce and grind all over it. Funny how that worked out."

* NoNameGiven: The player character is only referred to by their gender or the various nicknames they accrue like "Paladin" from the Fargarthians. In "Fizzie: The Inside Story", the main character admits that [[spoiler:they don't know their own name, since the only time it shows up is during multiplayer, and it's always floating out of their field of view]].

** Also happens when you load the game; the camera starts close, and the character looks back and shoves it away to the normal distance, leading to the cracks near around the MiniMap, HealthMeter, and at the upper right of the screen.

* AchievementSystem: Completing the collection of some types of collectibles, provides some {{Cosmetic Award}}s, like getting the free Camera Hat from destroying all the cameras, and 10 [=OverCharge=] and 10 Money.

* NoticeThis: Security Cameras, High Points binoculars, Eavesdropping satellites, and Grind Rails sparkle in white when close enough.

* TheCameo: Buzz Osborne (King Buzzo) of the Music/{{Melvins}}. This [[WildHair hair mop]] is also an option in the character creator.

** Your character doesn't have levels to speak of and has no use for XP, but that's what King Ignatius offers as a reward for ''The Most Epic Quest for EXP''. By the end of the quest, you have enough XP to reach the level cap at 99 and have been granted the title of Sr. Captain and Commander, which is a meaningless title for the rest of the game.

%%** [=OverCharge=] must have a cap, but it's higher than 100,000.

* HeroicSacrifice:
** [[spoiler:Walter throws you from the plane when he spots the InvisibleWall.]]
** [[spoiler:Subverted in the last mission of the game. It initially plays out like this, with the player crushed under some rubble after riding a giant overcharge bottle into a building, and the credits rolling… and then the player walks out in front, admonishes the developers, and ends the game on a more exciting note.]]

* LetsGetDangerous:
** The Fargarthians, for all of their missions before the final stage of ''The Siege of Wonder Town'', have been shown to be hilariously, catastrophically backwards, necessitating such "authentic" 12th century customs as crossbows, "tree bark soup," and healing with leeches. (For reference, this only works because you gorged them with your overdosed, heavily-medicated blood.) Then, when their leader is struck down — and angrily, loudly, triumphantly comes back up — they proceed to grab [=AK-FUs=] and are now able to properly defend themselves and mount a more thorough, epic offense.
--->'''King Ignatius:''' (after being shot in the chest) Give me a [[PrecisionFStrike fucking]] gun!
** In the final chapter of the game, every faction's base is being assaulted. What do the inhabitants do? Set up traps, grab guns, and ''start shooting.'' Special mention goes to the Oxfords, who are essentially lazy trust-fund kiddies who barely lift a finger to do anything.
** {{Downplayed}} to some extent with every faction, though. Every one of them has been shown to be competent in some respect — the Oxfords ''are'' geniuses (if lazy), your character remarks that Troop Bushido has impressive traps, the Fargarthians do have fully-functional catapults and siege engines that can wipe out hordes of OD, and Las Catrinas are [[NinjaPirateRobotZombie ninja cheerleaders]] and have kept at least the children's ward of a major hospital safe and supplied.