Sunset Overdrive
An open-world action game about traversing a city by grinding and bouncing.
Where Sunset Overdrive comes up2 episodes and tests
Gcreator of Game Maker's Toolkit testHow to Turn Movement into a Game Mechanic
Gcreator of Game Maker's Toolkit testDoes Spidey's Web-Swinging 'Make You Feel Like Spider-Man'?Sunset Overdrive kept its hero's own moves simple (run, jump, roll) and put the real moveset in the city: rails, awnings, walls and poles. It rewarded staying airborne with style points, zombie safety and a combo system linking traversal to combat. The lesson: build the environment for continuous flow and reward the movement you want. The sources give no sales or player numbers.
- 1Hero runs, jumps, rollsBase moves stay simple
- 2Terrain adds the restWalls, awnings, rails and poles supply movement
- 3Bounce object to objectLevel design keeps you from slowing down
- 4Stay above groundEarn style points and zombie safety
- 5Push traversal skillRewards give players a reason to
From Game design notes on Sunset Overdrive (Insomniac, 2014)
What was said about Sunset Overdrive
Sunset Overdrive turns walls, awnings, rails and poles into the hero's moveset. The hero only runs, jumps and rolls, and the environment supplies the rest of the movement. Clever use of the terrain gives a huge edge over enemies.
Ghostrunner and Ori, which bash off enemies and projectiles, are cited as related cases. Quote: "Clever use of the environment will put you at a huge advantage over the enemies."
Sunset Overdrive's level design lets players keep moving without stopping. Flow comes from bouncing from one object to the next, moving through the level without stopping or slowing much. It depends as much on level design as on the base movement mechanics.
Ghostrunner is named alongside it as another environment-bouncing game. Quote: "you fluidly move through a level without stopping or slowing down too much."
Sunset Overdrive rewards staying above ground with style points and zombie safety. The game (Insomniac, 2014) gives style points and safety from zombies for staying above ground. These rewards give players a reason to push their traversal skill.
Marvel's Spider-Man, by comparison, has no reward for staying airborne or for getting close to buildings. Superflight (2017) raises your score while you stay near a wall. Sunset Overdrive also has a combo system linking traversal with combat.
How to Turn Movement into a Game Mechanic
The hero only runs, jumps and rolls, while walls, awnings, rails and poles do the rest. Clever use of terrain gives a huge edge over enemies.
Sunset Overdrive turns walls, awnings, rails and poles into the hero's moveset. The hero only runs, jumps and rolls, and the environment supplies the rest of the movement. Clever use of the terrain gives a huge edge over enemies.
Ghostrunner and Ori, which bash off enemies and projectiles, are cited as related cases. Quote: "Clever use of the environment will put you at a huge advantage over the enemies."
Sunset Overdrive's level design lets players keep moving without stopping. Flow comes from bouncing from one object to the next, moving through the level without stopping or slowing much. It depends as much on level design as on the base movement mechanics.
Ghostrunner is named alongside it as another environment-bouncing game. Quote: "you fluidly move through a level without stopping or slowing down too much."
Does Spidey's Web-Swinging 'Make You Feel Like Spider-Man'?
It gives style points and safety from zombies for staying above ground, and has a combo system linking traversal with combat.
Sunset Overdrive rewards staying above ground with style points and zombie safety. The game (Insomniac, 2014) gives style points and safety from zombies for staying above ground. These rewards give players a reason to push their traversal skill.
Marvel's Spider-Man, by comparison, has no reward for staying airborne or for getting close to buildings. Superflight (2017) raises your score while you stay near a wall. Sunset Overdrive also has a combo system linking traversal with combat.
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