Sunset Overdrive

Sunset Overdrive provides some of the most fun, frantic, and fantastic gaming I've had on the Xbox One.

Sunset Overdrive doesn't take itself too seriously, and it's bursting at the seams with colorful action and creativity.

If you wanted to be uncharitable, you could voice the suspicion that a great many baseball caps were turned backwards in the echoing board room where this project was greenlit, but with the campaign done and the city freshly filled with challenges, I don't really feel like being uncharitable. Beneath the glorious tech, and once the writing relaxes a little, Sunset Overdrive's wonderfully lurid and heartfelt - a bit like playing an old 4AD album sleeve. If you get that reference, you'll probably get this, too.

Sunset Overdrive is contagiously enthusiastic

You've never explored an open world quite like this. Sunset Overdrive's iffy gunplay and inconsistent missions are redeemed by absolutely amazing mobility and an infectious enthusiasm for mayhem.

Mission variety is lacking, but it didn't stop me from enjoying almost every second of play for 20-plus hours

Despite these creative flourishes, Sunset Overdrive never quite surpasses the chaotic physics of Just Cause, the coherent style of Blood Dragon or the assured sense of place of GTAV – nor does it manage to draw its story and systems toward a coherent, impactful point.

Sunset Overdrive may have a few flaws inherent to many open-world games and lacks an engaging narrative, but it's an incredibly fun, vibrant game that's a nice break from the overly gritty tone we see far too often in today's market. After Fuse, this is exactly what Insomniac Games needed.

An interesting combo of shooting and skateboarding that's sadly buried beneat a grating tone and gross aesthetic.

Want to know how to make a truly great game? Provide players with a liberating and energetic method of traversal, create an eye-popping urban environment that serves as a massive playground, and do everything you can to promote uninhibited fun within that space. That's the essence of Sunset Overdrive, and it's why we think this is arguably the best new IP so far this console generation.