Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
UK EditionUK US EditionUS CA EditionCanada AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Total Film
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
Subscribe now
Don't miss these
A crop of the Metroid Prime 4: Beyond key art showing Samus Aran - in her sci-fi style red and yellow power suit armor - on a purple background reaching out her hand to use purple psychic powers while statues of aliens loom in the background
Metroid Metroid Prime 4: Beyond review: "The series' atmosphere has never been better, while being dragged down by a boring overworld and clunky psychic powers"
A header images for the Best Games of 2025, so far, showing images for Keeper, Hades 2, Ghost of Yotei, and Donkey Kong Bananza
Games The best games to play in 2025, so far
Key art for Routine showing an astronaut looking at a CAT scanner with a shadowy robot figure behind them, and the moon behind them both
Survival Horror Games Routine review: "This imperfect but wonderfully atmospheric moon-based horror leaves a strong impression"
Escape from Tarkov review
FPS Games Escape from Tarkov review: "An extraction shooter that will make you truly miserable if you let it, but can offer dizzying highs you won't find elsewhere"
Key art for Marvel Cosmic Invasion showing all the heroes against a space background
Action Games Marvel Cosmic Invasion review: "Excellent '90s-tinged superhero brawling across a punchy campaign falls just short of arcade bliss"
A woman with swords walks through fire in Where Winds Meet
Open World Games Where Winds Meet review: "Sekiro-style combat meets seemingly every videogame idea ever in this bloated but fun open-world martial arts adventure"
Key art showing Constance with a paintbrush on a background of brushstrokes
Action Games Constance review: "If Hollow Knight: Silksong seems too daunting, this wonderful paint powered adventure should do nicely"
A distant flare illuminates the sky in Arc Raiders
Third Person Shooters Arc Raiders review: "The most memorable multiplayer experiences I've had all year – this shooter is tense but wonderfully approachable"
Captain Wayne screenshot showing the titular character
FPS Games This nautical take on the boomer shooter is filled with 90s cartoon absurdity, and it's already one of my favourite games of the year after only playing an hour
Hollow Knight: Silksong still of Hornet dueling a sword wielding bug
Action Games Silksong is way harder than Hollow Knight, and my theory is that Team Cherry became evil masterminds without even realizing it
Action Games 18 years after it owned the Xbox 360 era, Crackdown deserves so much better – and should have one more chance to prove itself
Playing Ghost of Yotei and riding through an autumnal forest with red leaves
Action RPGs Ghost of Yotei review: "One of the first PS5 games to feel truly boundary-pushing, this hyper violent samurai revenge quest truly hooked me"
Arc Raiders
Third Person Shooters "I have to kill them before they kill me": In just one week, Arc Raiders has ruined my ability to trust, and the killer robots aren't even the problem
Key art for Horizon Forbidden West showing Aloy with spear in hand, surrounded by images of the supporting cast and prehistoric-style machine creatures, with the PS5 five year anniversary GamesRadar+ frame along the side
Horizon Three years on, I’m still exploring Horizon Forbidden West’s open world, which remains one of the best on PS5
Claptrap from Borderlands 4 raising his arms in front of a banner that says "Welcom Recurits"
Borderlands Borderlands 4 review: "Undeniably an excellent looter shooter, but one that requires a bit of tunnel vision to fully enjoy"
Trending
  • Fallout Season 2
  • New Games for 2025
  • Gift Guides
  1. Games
  2. Action
  3. Sunset Overdrive

Sunset Overdrive's urban jungle-gym is a blast (until you make a mistake)

News
By David Houghton published 12 August 2014

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Don't mess up!

Don't mess up!

The fun you'll have--or not--with Sunset Overdrive all comes down to how well you use one single control input. X, you see, is fundamentally the game's Awesome-button. A carefully timed press of it activates all of its giddy, skiddy, jungle-gym traversal, from zipline slides, to rollercoaster grinds, to grabs and vaults. It's the core of how you get around in Insomniac's gleefully batshit, platform-shooter, and getting around is the core of the whole damn experience.

Because unless you are mantling, grinding, wall-jumping and trampolining your way around the city's skyline, the core shooting can feel a little pedestrian. Of course, it's blown up to ludicrous cartoon heights by a typically goofy Insomniac arsenal--comprising everything from propane-tank launchers, to incendiary shotguns, to weaponised vinyl records--but at ground level, the swarming, multiplying grunt AI tends to make for a rather impenetrable slog. Of course, it's designed that way to incentivise high-flying escapades, but the punishment for a slip or a mistimed rail surf remains a rather instant pull of the fun brakes. This is a game that excels when it feels like a low-gravity, Jet Set Radio with guns. When it feels like you're trying to punch your way out of a pit of angry pigs, less so.

But when it does work, when you're in the zone, spotting each new stepping stone and grinding route several moves in advance, and nailing your stabs of the awesome-button with perfect timing, it's rather a big old hoot. Imagine Crackdown's high-flying, platform carnage crossed with SSX's improvisational, environmental stunting. How much longevity Insomniac can squeeze out of those core mechanics is currently anybody's guess. Mission design and city architecture will have have to work hard to maximise the potential. But if they can, this Sunset Overdrive could be quite the rollercoaster.

Click through the following slides for additional Sunset Overdrive screenshots and information.

Page 1 of 6
Page 1 of 6
This is how it all started. Don't drink Fizzco's Overcharge Delerium XT or you'll end up like...

This is how it all started. Don't drink Fizzco's Overcharge Delerium XT or you'll end up like...

Page 2 of 6
Page 2 of 6
...this crazy monster with a leaf blower for an arm.

...this crazy monster with a leaf blower for an arm.

Page 3 of 6
Page 3 of 6
Check out that flair. You can customize your avatar from hairstyles and accessories to body types and tattoos.

Check out that flair. You can customize your avatar from hairstyles and accessories to body types and tattoos.

Page 4 of 6
Page 4 of 6
Find epic amps and unlock special attacks, like this lightning storm.

Find epic amps and unlock special attacks, like this lightning storm.

Page 5 of 6
Page 5 of 6
Various mutants lurk through the city, they are called the OD'd

Various mutants lurk through the city, they are called the OD'd

Page 6 of 6
Page 6 of 6
CATEGORIES
Xbox One Platforms Xbox
David Houghton
David Houghton
Long-time GR+ writer Dave has been gaming with immense dedication ever since he failed dismally at some '80s arcade racer on a childhood day at the seaside (due to being too small to reach the controls without help). These days he's an enigmatic blend of beard-stroking narrative discussion and hard-hitting Psycho Crushers.
Read more
Motorslice screenshot of blue haired girl P
I endured physical pain to keep playing this Shadow of the Colossus meets Mirror's Edge action-platformer in Steam Next Fest, which is about the highest praise I can give
 
 
A screenshot of the upcoming Switch 2 game, Skate Story
I kickflipped so hard I destroyed a moon in the demonic Skate Story, which is already my favorite skater of 2025
 
 
Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon promotional image
The new Assassin's Creed Mirage DLC will have to wait, because I can finally play the Far Cry 3 expansion I missed out on 13 years ago
 
 
Ball x Pit
Ball x Pit review: "Vampire Survivors and Breakout collide in this brilliant roguelike ball basher that struggles with repetition"
 
 
Captain Wayne screenshot showing the titular character
This nautical take on the boomer shooter is filled with 90s cartoon absurdity, and it's already one of my favourite games of the year after only playing an hour
 
 
Dying Light: The Beast screenshot of Kyle Crane punching a Biter using the knuckle dusters, with a GamesRadar On The Radar overlay
Dying Light: The Beast feels like Action Man: The Game, and I can't get enough of Kyle Crane's badass skull-smashing moves
 
 
Latest in Action
Samus does the Akira slide in Metroid Prime 4
Metroid Prime 4 continues an unfortunate trend of locking major features behind amiibo, with the new $30 Samus figure a requirement if you want a radio for your bike
 
 
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond screenshot showing Samus' returning Power Armor in detail. A mysterious figure is reflected in her visor
The Doom Slayer voice actor is in Metroid Prime 4, and he's down for a Samus crossover: "I wouldn't be mad at that pairing. Neither one of us say much"
 
 
Hi-Fi Rush
Controversial anti-cheat software Denuvo is being removed from Hi-Fi Rush to "provide a more stable and efficient service environment," but Krafton's anti-tamper features remain
 
 
A screenshot shows Samus Aran's glowing pink fist
Metroid Prime 4 recasts Samus as a Hades 2 and Dispatch actor replaces Mass Effect's Jennifer Hale, continuing the Nintendo Switch 2 era's trend of introducing new talent
 
 
Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 is "slightly more novelistic" than GTA 5 because Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser "binged on Victorian novels" for inspiration
 
 
GTA 4
Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser says GTA games are "not as good as" Charles Dickens books, "but they are similar" in their world-building
 
 
Latest in News
The DDR5 slots on the ASRock H610M COMBO motherboard
This new motherboard has DDR4 and DDR5 RAM support, and it took an AI-pricing surge for that to finally become a thing
 
 
Sigourney Weaver as Kiri in Avatar: Fire and Ash
Avatar: Fire and Ash star Sigourney Weaver says she's glad to work with James Cameron "again and again and again," even if they "didn't really have fun" on Aliens: "But that wasn't our fault"
 
 
Avatar Fire and Ash
James Cameron says the Avatar films are "always trying to deal with very, very human, relatable themes"
 
 
Screenshot from the Fallout 4 next-gen update.
Fallout 5 could take a lesson from Starfield and its ship-building says former Fallout 4 dev, who really wants Bethesda to push power armor and settlement customization in the next RPG
 
 
Hytale
Hytale owner calls Minecraft "one of the greatest" games of all time, but his own sandbox is going in a "different direction" with crafting more like Terraria
 
 
Owen Cooper in Adolescence
Hideo Kojima has picked his favorite TV show of 2025, and it's a surprise hit Netflix limited series
 
 
  1. Art from Octopath Traveler 0 showing the hero being haunted by the images of those who burned his hometown, with ghostly images of the three surrounding an image of a town on fire behind him as he walks forward
    1
    Octopath Traveler 0 review: "The strongest entry in this retro-styled JRPG series yet, I love the greater focus on tactical battles"
  2. 2
    Sleep Awake review: "An all-timer horror premise is let down by tired stealth that I feel like I'm sleepwalking through"
  3. 3
    Metroid Prime 4: Beyond review: "The series' atmosphere has never been better, while being dragged down by a boring overworld and clunky psychic powers"
  4. 4
    Routine review: "This imperfect but wonderfully atmospheric moon-based horror leaves a strong impression"
  5. 5
    Marvel Cosmic Invasion review: "Excellent '90s-tinged superhero brawling across a punchy campaign falls just short of arcade bliss"
  1. Freddy Fazbear in Five Nights at Freddy's 2
    1
    Five Nights at Freddy's 2 review: "We have waited two years for a Five Nights at Freddy's 1.5"
  2. 2
    Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery review: "Brings Knives Out back to its roots for a sequel that's almost on a par with the original"
  3. 3
    Wicked: For Good review: "Builds to an incredibly cathartic conclusion, but isn't quite as captivating as Part 1"
  4. 4
    The Running Man review: "Some fun action and Glen Powell's star power aren't enough to energize this disappointing Stephen King adaptation"
  5. 5
    Predator: Badlands review: "Die-hard fans may be disappointed, but as a blockbuster action-adventure, Badlands kills it"
  1. Noah Schnapp as Will Byers and Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna in Stranger Things season 5
    1
    Stranger Things season 5 volume 1 review: “Can the Duffer brothers stick the landing? It’s sure looking like they will”
  2. 2
    Pluribus season 1 review: "Easily one of the year's best dramas"
  3. 3
    The Witcher season 4 review: "The Henry Cavill-less fourth season is the best yet"
  4. 4
    IT: Welcome to Derry review: "A supremely confident step back into the history of Stephen King's cursed town and killer clown"
  5. 5
    Splinter Cell: Deathwatch review: "A pale imitation of the long-dormant stealth franchise"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...