Hear me out

It's not a new phenomenon for established mainstream musicians to create game soundtracks. Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo fame was largely responsible for The Sims 2 soundtrack; that little-known bloke Paul McCartney did work for Destiny's soundtrack that disappeared into the ether; and who can forget Little Jimmy Urine of Mindless Self Indulgence's contributions to the entirely memorable Lollipop Chainsaw? Having said that, in an ideal world where studios have heaving piles of money to throw at developing their projec?ts, there are a couple of additional musicians I? would like to see turn their attentions and talents to creating an OST.

So, which bands would I pick? And what would these hypothetical games be like? Here are my suggestions,? with handy-dandy ?miniature Spotify playlists for reference. Enjoy!

1. Me First and the Gimme Gimmes – a Sunset Overdrive-style, hyper-violent, colourful open-world game

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are the best band I've seen live. Hands down. And Fat Mike wasn't even there; I went to one of their European tour dates, with Jay Bentley of Bad Religion standing in (needless to say, I now listen to a lot more Bad Religion than I did before). Just like when I saw NOFX at a music festival, their show was ?full of in-jokes, completely tongue-in-cheek the entire way through and entertaining but kinda exhausting to watch. Oh, and they're a covers band. Did I mention they'r?e a covers band?

Me First were my motivation for? putting together this entire list, because if money were no object – and it would have to be, given that hiring Me First would mean more cover versions of popular songs – I would urge an AAA studio to ring up the band's management and get on it.

The band is proof that if you speed up any formulaic popular song and play it louder, it sounds a ton better. They would be perfect for a game in the vein of Sunset Overdrive, maybe with elements of Dead Rising or even Saint's Row. Something that involves lots of gore and gratuitious violence, but retains its sense of humour ??the entire way through.

2. Purity Ring and Jon Hopkins – an EarthBound-style RPG about the end of the world

So, the soundtracks for EarthBound and its spiritual offspring, Undertale and Lisa: The Painful RPG, are top-notch in their own right, striking a nice balance between perky and creepy. I want more of that; I love the Mother style of fighting system to bits. Because I can't go five minutes without bringing up Persona in any conversation, a game needs to smash that together with the end of the world being inevitably nigh, as in Persona 3's final in-game month.

I get really bored of the old video game trope that if you fight hard enough, you can avoid death, which Persona 3 very nicely circumvented. A game where everyone knows the world is ending and various NPCs engage in hare-brained schemes to build bunkers or enjoy their last few weeks on Earth would be grand, if developers could find a way to keep the player invested despite the inevitability of the protagonist's death. Collaborators Purity Ring and Jon Hopkins could do a great job with the soundtrack, since their tracks have an airy quality to them that suggests impending doom without being overly loud and jarring. Their score could help to make death an ever-present figure in ?the background, rather than a Big Bad in the foreground that the protagonist is gearing up to fight.

3. Aphex Twin - a Super Hexagon-style punishathon

It would be so easy to say Aphex Twin should compose for a survival horror game, since he was responsible for or involved in mindfucks such as the "Windowlicker" music video, the "Rubber Johnny" short film and even Die Antwoord's "Ugly Boy" video. Sure, that would be cool, but I don't think he would really fit in well with the Silent Hill or Resident Evil crowds of horror game, since he is way too in-your-face. Maybe an Outlast or a Five Nights at Freddy’s.

No, I think a niftier way of putting Richard D. James to work would be on an action game in the style of Super Hexagon, where the tracks play over and over again due to countless Game Overs and threaten to drive the player doolally. Some of his work is extremely mathematical, so if he composed somethin??g in that style, it would fit in well with a timing- and reflex-based game. Obviously, it would have to be done so as not to throw the player off their rhythm, but if anyone can manage that, Aphex Twin can.

4. Sparks - Metal Gear Survive. Just Metal Gear Survive.

Right, this is sort of a joke entry, but sort of not. A couple of months ago, when playing Metal Gear Solid 5, I came to the realisation that there is a second song that is about battling off against an imposter that was originally released in the 1970s and so could be played over the introductory hospital scene in lieu of "The Man Who Sold the World": Sparks' "This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us". So was born in my head the idea of a NG+ mode for Metal Gear Solid 5 that is backed entirely by farcical, campy music. My head canon is that Venom Snake loved Belinda Carlisle. I tweeted at length about how hilarious this?? was. Nobody laughed. But I will have my day.

Konami has pretty much burnt all its bridges at this point with the established fandom of Metal Gear, including when it comes to Metal Gear Survive. It has microtransactions, it's only online, and just doesn't ??look like they're even trying to draw from the source material. What do I think could have convinced the fans to give it a try, given that the damage has already been done and it is just eleven days aw?ay from release?

It would have been better if they had made it as ridiculous, fan-servicey and overdramatic as possible. What could they have done to achieve that? They could have made Swery65 a consultant, loaded up on the sweet memes and looped in Ron and Russell Mael to do something completely overblown and cheesy for the OST. Just made it fun. If you're not going to try to do a serious Metal Gear game, then do a silly Metal Gear game.

5. They Might Be Giants - an Epic Mickey-style educational platformer

Unlike the last, ahem, totally serious entry, this one makes complete sense, if you look at They Might Be Giants' pedigree. They did a cover of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme, have released several albums of educational music, and have worked on many films and TV shows in the past. The leap to composing for a game isn't that big. Especially if the game in question were a platformer aimed at children, such as Epic Mickey, that the adults can have fun with, too.

Listening to "Birdhouse in Your Soul" for the first time when I was 16 was the moment I realised that music could be whimsical but also technically brilliant at the same time. Alongside Sparks and perhaps, to a lesser extent, Beck, They Might Be Giants are an act that dabbles in multiple genres, and has done so for decades, without losing that professional sheen on everything they do. If parents of young kids a?ren't quite hipster enough to put "No!" on during storytime, then sitting down as a family and playing a Switch game together, accompanied by the musical stylings of TMBG in the background, might be a good starting point.

Which musicians would you like to create a game soundtrack? What are your favourite real-life examples of mainstream artists working on video games? Let me know in the comments down below!

The post These bands would make awesome game soundtracks appeared first on Destructoid.

Now $39.99

There's a lot of activity in Sunset City despite the fact that the town is a shell of wh??at it once was. Those over-caffeinated freaks flood the streets, and there's one guy bouncing about like he's the one with 15 too many Red Bulls in him.

If Usher, Little Jon, and Ludacris taught us anything, it's that we don't want our freaks in the streets. So, they're going on the backburner for a bit while robots take over. That all happens in the Dawn of the Rise of the Fallen Machines add-on, which is available today for $9.99.

While we're talkin' money, politics, and religion at the dinner table, Sunset Overdrive is cheaper now than it usually is. It's been discounted permanently to $39.99. Save a Jackson, ride a cowboy. That's what I said once about a $20 price drop on Sunset Overdrive.

The post S?uns??et Overdrive gets a permanent price drop, trades freaks for robots appeared first on Destructoid.

175 point D'awwwwww Achievement added

In honor of Valentine's Day and the loved ones around us, Sunset Overdrive?? has added a new achievement today for 175 points dubbed the D’awwwwww Achievement.

The idea of the achievement is to find 12 drawings by the game director's daughter, Ainsley. If you need help with it, feel free to check out the video above on how to find them??. Though, you're hardcore, you don't need anyone to hold your hand, right?

Once you've found the ??locations, you'll unlock a custom outfit inspired by Ainsley. Unless you're cold and heartless, it should make you say?? "D’awwwwww."

The post Sunset Overdrive gets sentimental appeared first on Destructoid.

This game has a goat-head codpiece in it, 'nuff said

After booting the game up, it's apparent that Sunset Overdrive is the result of Insomniac Games going back to its roots. Before the developer was called upon to release the shades-of-brown-tinted Resistance and Fuse, it was known for the bright and exciting Spyro and Ratchet & Clank franchises, which were among the? PlayStation's finest offerings for gamers of all ages?.

Not only is Sunset&nb?sp;bright and exciting, it's actually a g?ood game too.

Sunset Overdrive (Xbox One)
Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Released: October 28, 2014
MRSP: $59.99

Sunset Overdrive is in your face from the get-go with a punk theme that permeates through its sound and visual style. ??It's immediately obvious from the character creation screen (which offers male and female options) that this is a wacky affair, with comic book style "POPs" and "BAMs" flying through the air as you attempt to make sense of an impending zombie outbreak. No time is wasted as it throws you into the action with a quick and dirty tutorial of its jumping, bouncing, grinding, a??nd shooting basics. The gist is that if you see a rail or siding, you can grind it, and if something looks like you can bounce off of it, you can do that too.

The free-flying movement system is just one facet of this over-the-top experience, as the first gun you get is essentially a cock-and-balls blunderbuss. Although it tends to have that "trying too hard" feel at times (some jokes fall flat, namely one mission that's a big Breaking Bad joke), I genuinely loved the atmosphere from the start. It nails that comic book veneer, but it also manages to deliver a ton of its own signature charm Insomn??iac is known for.

It's present in just about every area of the game, from a gun that shoots records called High Fidelity, to a flaming bowling ball gun called The Dude, and a kangaroo-head codpiece. Weapons even have mini tutorials that explain how they work with full voiceovers, and there's tons of personality present throughout. I particularly love one mission hub that's full of quest givers that communicate entirely through texting (shown on-screen in a style similar to Sherlock).

When you die in Sunset Overdrive, you'll respawn in a nu??mber of different ways, like rising from the grave or getting beamed down from an alien ship. Fast travel is usually represented by drinking a beer, blacking out, and "appearing" at the desired location -- seriously. At no point is this a boring game.

The main drawback to this style though is that it can become a bit much, particularly when it comes to the main story. In fact it's not really so much a story as it is a constant string of jokes and references, which hit more than they miss, but leave you with a feeling that something is missing. Before you know it you're back to grinding and blasting?? like there was no tomorrow, but so?metimes it feels like there's no real point to it.

The free movement system definitely takes some getting used to, but once it becomes second nature it's a blast. As I mentioned, you can bounce and grind on just about anything. But beyond that you can actually "hang" on grind rails from below, run on water, air dash, and much more. It's awkward at first because you have to hit X to grind every time you want to plant on a rail, similar to the Tony Hawk series, and some rails are so short that it's barely worth the effort. The first few hours will feel odd, which is unfortunate, but once you start getting more movement options Sunset opens up.

Eventually, you start to piece together the world like a puzzle, and integrate every trick in the book until you're flying around like a pro. Again, there's also fast travel, but I almost never used it because ?roaming around was too much fun. The "Overdrive" system allows you to pump up a special meter (that decays) for killing enemi??es while grinding or bouncing. It's both intuitive and fun, as it constantly goads you into actively playing.

The amount of customization is insane, and there are a large number of "Amps" to attach to weapons to change their properties, as well as a ton of perks, some of which are really out ??there -- like the "Screw the Fourth Wall" perk that does nothing more than initiate an announcer who talks about how awesome you ar?e. I've played for nearly 20 hours and haven't scratched the surface of the game's Amp and perk system.

Speaking of Sunset's world, the game is broken into three distinct districts, all of which look similar in nature with a slight ??variation in themes (factory, residential, and a mix with some?? Tokyo flavor). It's large but not overly so. You'll come to recognize landmarks and know your way around without a map, but it doesn't feel like you're going to the same few areas over and over.

Sunset plays out like a typical open-world action game, offering a main story that eventually brings the ??narrative full circle, as well as over 100 sidequests ranging from races, to score-attack modes, to tower defense scenarios. The latter is probably the standout bit, as you have the option to set up traps (which are also customizable) while you defend? the objective.

Even the fetch quests try to play it cool with self-referential jokes on the genre, and wacky concepts like? luring a robot dog across a map with an exploding kitten gun. You can also star in a makeshift episode of "Redneck Running Man." Almost everything gives you some form of reward, and during one mission I even "leveled up" by ??way of perk system tokens 10 times (since you get separate rewards for just about every action you do).

The amount of collectibles will also frustrate or excite you to no end, with everything from neon signs to lenses, ?cameras, and sneakers strewn about the sprawling map. If you're completionist, you can buy maps from vendors that show the location of everything on-screen.

While I enjoyed Sunset's single-player experience, online play, titled "Chaos Squad," really surprised me. If you've ever played a game like Need for Speed: Most Wanted you'll have some idea of what to expect. Basically, up to eight players are brought into a single instance of the game, which takes place on the exa??ct same map as the campaign. A mission will randomly pop up at a location, which players will race to, earning bonuses if they're am??ong the first to arrive.

I love this system because it feels organic and seamlessly integrated into the game without seeming tacked-on or like an afterthought. The racing system will earn you points but it's completely optional, and you can take your time to see the sights and do your own thing as well as join the group. Once you get to the objective, the game will allow?? you to vote on one of two missions, which are similar to the campaign but balanced with more enemies for more players.

It's amazing to see the sheer variety of Sunset online right in front of you, as no two players I ever saw looked or controlled alike. While there were definitely a few shared gun loadouts in games, everyone had their own personal style on display, and seeing the synergy between peop??le using fr?ost and flame guns to change the state of enemies and others working in tandem to destroy or slow them down is a sight to behold.

I played for hours with no signs of repeating the same pattern or seeing similar co-op partners. The end of the session culminates in a tower defense blowout, which is often the most fun, and allows you to rejoin another match with the same people. The best part of Chaos Squad for me is that you can bring back rewards into your core game -- there's no separate solo or multiplayer layouts, and the better you do, the more rewards you get. Sunset also has a set of weekly challen??ges, as well as Sunset TV, an ongoing video series that highlights new aspects of the game at different intervals.

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&nb??sp;Insomniac Games needed.

The post Review: Sunset Overdrive appeared first on Destructoid.

Fewer reasons to head to the stores in 2014

Deal post from the crew at Dealzon. FYI: sales from certain retailers go toward supporting Destructoid. All Sunset Overdrive deals listed below are US-only (sorry everyone else!)

We're less than a week away from Insomniac Games' big release of Sunset Overdrive. If you're looking to pick up the Xbox One exclusive on its October 28 release date next Tuesday, this pre-order comparison ??post will break down the deals.

Sunset Overdrive is annoyingly (in our personal opinion, anyway) one of those titles with in-game items that are exclusive (unique to) different retailers when you pre-order. Thus far, we count five different pre-order bonuses from five different retailers. Which retailer is offering the best incentives? Let's ?take a look.

Sunset Overdrive Pre-Order Comparison

(Listed from best to worst, in our opinion)

• Microsoft Store:
  • Monetary Bonus: $10 Xbox Gift Card or $15 Xbox Rewards
  • Bonus Exclusive: Two melee, Acordes de la Muerte, and The Hangover
  • Shipping: Guaranteed Free Release Day Delivery if ordered by 10/24, 2 pm PDT
• Best Buy:
  • Monetary Bonus: $10 Best Buy Rewards
  • Bonus Exclusive: Fizzco Bot outfit, AK-FOFF (modified AK-47)
  • Shipping: Free Ship or Store Pickup
• Amazon:
  • Monetary Bonus: None.
  • Bonus Exclusive: Wasteland Outfit, Hotty Shotty (modified shotgun)
  • Shipping: Free 5-8 day, or 2 with Prime
• GameStop:
  • Monetary Bonus: Zilch
  • Bonus Exclusive: OD Wannabe Outfit, Head-Banger Gun
  • Shipping: $3.50 for 5-10 day
• Walmart:
  • Monetary Bonus: Noper.
  • Bonus Exclusive: S'more Action Melee Weapon
  • Shipping: Free 5-6 day or store pickup

Two Retailers with Monetary Incentives

Just looking at the list above, you'll see that pre-ordering from the Microsoft Store gets you strong monetary incentives (whereas most retailers are lacking in that department). You'll receive a $10 Xbox Gift Card if you pre-order at the Microsoft Store, and for those who have signed up for a free Xbox Live Rewards membership, you'll gain an additional $5 worth of Xbox Live credit in points. (If you don't have an Xbox Rewards account, signup and reward details can be found here.) 

Tip: Make sure you use the same email address that you have at Xbox Live Rewards when you pre-order Sunset Overdrive at Microsoft Store, and the extra 5,000 points should be credited automatically.

An even better bonus (for those of us who are impatient) from the Microsoft Store is the free guaranteed release day delivery offer -- but if you want that, you'll have to act fas??t?. Pre-ordering at any time will get you the aforementioned rewards, but for free release day delivery, you'll need to pre-order by Friday, October 24 at 2 p.m. Pacific.

The guaranteed release day delivery off??er extends to only 48 US states, and if you live in an area without overnight service, you're pretty m?uch also out of luck.

The other dollar sign incentive is from Best Buy, granting you $10 in My Best Buy Rewards. Of course, "My Best Buy" is the renamed "Reward Zone" account and is free to sign up online or at any local Best Buy. While BB shipping w??ill not guarantee release day arrival, at least Best Buy gives you the option for free store pickup (which makes sense if you have one near you). Pre-ordering from Best Buy also gets you a physical "Koozie" drink cooler item. Neat.

Pre-Ordering = Day One Edition

Pre-ordering from any of the above retailers gets you the "Day One Edition" of Sunset Overdrive. Th?e Day One marketing moniker basically means you get 3 free bonus digital goodies to enjoy at launch. They break down as follows:

• “Nothin’ but the Hits” gun: An overcharged version of the High Fidelity gun that launches limited edition, priceless, multi-colored vinyls that do increased damage
• “It’s Me! Fizzie!” outfit: Fizzie is more popular than you because he has a great marketing budget. So why not dress up as him and get in on some of that fame?
• “Hardcore! Hammer”: You ponder buying the Day One Edition of Sunset Overdrive. A spot check reveals if you do, you can equip a mighty hammer made from a bat and spiked dumbbells. You buy the Day One Edition of Sunset Overdrive.

Retailer Exclusive Pre-Order Bonus Breakdown

Be it weapons or skins, each major retailer listed above offers its own unique perks. If you're a big fan of extra digital content, you'll want to look into th??ese before choosing who to pre-order from.

Microsoft Store:

• Acordes de la Muerte Melee Weapon: Give me a "K!" Give me an "I!" Give me a "Guitar-with-melting-candles-on-it melee weapon that can bash in the skulls of my vilified enemies!" What's that spell? Errr...
• The Hangover Melee Weapon: Show how much you like to party with this melee weapon made out of beer cans and an electrified pitchfork. One thing led to the other, right?

Best Buy:

• Fizzco Bot Outfit: Your 9-to-5 not making you feel enough like a corporate robot? Well, slap on this Fizzco Bot outfit and feel the joy of automated monotony!
• AK-FOFF: An enhanced version of the AK-FU that features a graffiti'd exterior and inflicts more damage on enemies unfortunate enough to stroll by.

GameStop:

• OD Wannabe Outfit - Be the talk of the town in this gorgeous and bold homage to your mutant enemies. Then kill them in it.
• Head-Banger Gun - Get ahead of the game with this enhanced version of "The Dude". It does more damage and substitutes bowling balls with mutant heads.

Walmart:

• S'more Action Melee Weapon: A campfire massacre isn't complete without your trusty marshmallow on a stick melee weapon to impale hordes of mutants with. 5-second rule!

Amazon:

• Wasteland Outfit: Deck yourself out in post-apocalyptic survival garb. You know, what you'd wear if the apocalypse wasn't freakin' awesome.
• Hotty Shotty: An enchanced version of the Shorty Shotty that features a graffiti'd exterior and inflicts more damage on enemies foolish enough to make fun of your small weapon.

Which retailer has the best pre-order incentive? Truthfully, each has their own unique DLC content, so the answer is ultimately subjective...?? but most would agree that Microsoft Store or Best Buy are on top with both exclusive DLC co??ntent and monetary incentives. Add in release day delivery from the MS Store and it's hard to argue for the rest.

At the end of it, while different exclusives are kind of ann??oying, we suspect most of these item??s will quickly wear out their usage after hours of initial gameplay and if anything are just nice bonus additions that are more cosmetic than not.

The post Sunset Overdrive pre-order deal comparison appeared first on Destructoid.

Season pass details

I'm not in the market for season passes, but I still like to look just to see what DLC is lined up. In the case of Sunset Overdrive, Insomniac plans to ?release two campaign add-ons with "new locations to explore, stories to experience, and bosses to battle" and a weapon pack.

There's also a bonus pack with six outfits, two Amps, and two Traps whi??ch will be available at launch. The ??game's season pass covers all of this content for $19.99, amounting to a standard 20 percent discount versus buying the same stuff individually.

Also, if you haven't been keeping up with Sunset -- I hadn't been looking too closely -- here's a refresher: Amps are special character abilities and Traps are meant for defense missions, like those found in Chaos Squad, the title's e?ight-player online co-op ?mode. Hope that helps.

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In a way that's definitely not at all grating

If you're new to this or simply need a refresher course, this Sunset Overdrive video should get yo?u up to speed on all the points that Insomniac Games is looking to hit with its quirky, open-world shooter. Constant movement? Check. Be who you want to be? Yep. "Awesomepocalypse?" Unfortunately, yes.

The one thing the video neglects to mention is how alcohol-fueled benders are the basis for Sunset Overdrive's fast-travel system. That's too ba??d because it's obviously the best part.

The post Sunse??t Overdrive behind the scenes video tells us what w??e already know appeared first on Destructoid.

Strap one on, it's time to jam!

For San Diego Comic-Con, Insomniac Games is talking up character customization in Sunset Overdrive and the clothing options range from "traditional" to "out the??re" -- way, way out there.

Interestingly, these vanity items don't have stat bonuses or anything of the sort attached to them in an effort to let players be who?? they want to be, worry free. I appreciate that.

Sunset Overdrive is out October 28 exclusively on Xbox One. So many damn games tha??t month!

The post You can wea??r a kangaroo codpiece in Sunset Overdrive appeared first on Destructoid.

You might say it's in Insomniac's creed...also, traps

I enjoyed messing with Sunset Overdrive's multiplayer mode at E3, partly because you could play as a beefy Middle Eastern man in a skirt or a tiny woman with bunny ears. Anyone other than Sunset's 'in your face' punk protagonist. 

The latest Sunset TV talks about the cool traps you can set in its tower defense-ish mode, and then talks a little bit about character customization, with a not so subtle dig at Assassin's Creed Unity with a woman in a ??gender neutral white cloak. Cheeky?. I like it. 

The post In a show of unity, Sunse?t Overdrive lets you be a female assassin appeared first on Destructoid.

Not so much loving its 'in your face' lead

As much as I like Sunset Overdrive's mix of Jet Set and Ratchet and Clank, I'm less ??in love with the insufferable punk aesthetic its sl??eeveless jean jacket wearing lead puts forth. Just because you pin cloth to your jean jacket doesn't make you punk, punk.

Thankfully Sunset Overdrive has eight player co-op and character customization so you can play as a beefy middle eastern man with ?bunny ears or something. I tried out i??ts Night Defense mode, which is a horde/tower defense sort of deal with you and your friends protecting vats of goop.

In my first go at Sunset Overdrive, I've yet to get full hang of bouncing and grinding around, so I focused? a bit more on eviscerating incoming  monsters. Maybe everyone else playing was trying to board slide because I carried our team to victory despite a last minute scare that saw our vats under attack from all sides.

The Insomniac style is alive in Sunset Overdrive's weaponry. The gun that shoots vinyls, which can ricochet, was great for dicing up crowds of incoming enemies. It's Ratchet and Clank's Buzz Blades, but with more character.

That's all th??e weapons, really. Familiar. Things that act as shotguns, things that act as grenade launchers. But? with an interesting character and a lot more color. My favorite exploded into plumes of green dragon fireworks. There's also a melee, which feels pretty killer. A freeze bomb with a decent area of effect was also good at nullifying incoming hordes and leaving your team to smash up the frozen bodies.

You can also set traps that look like spinning propellers at strategic spots, like the wooden barricades the monsters try to wreck to get further into the level, though I'm actually hoping that aspect is a little more involved, or evolves. Having the one trap per match left me missing Gears' set??ting up between waves. But these waves were only coming from two sides and it didn't seem like the most challenging difficulty the mode will offer.

Co-op will always give a game legs because even a junk game can be fun with friends. There wasn't anything too new on display, but with the?? emphasis on movement and grinding on wires stretched across stages, this could provide a freer feeling alternative to?? all those "hunker down" sort of horde and tower defense modes.

The post I’m loving Sunset Overdrive’s mutant killing arsenal appeared first on Destructoid.

Be The Hero! Again

They gotcha, right? "Oh no, another cover-based shooter!" Nope, it's Sunset Overdrive which seems to be the antithesis of the dull drab shooters we're sadly used to. Presented by Ted Price, founder and CEO of Insomniac games, Sunset Overdrive looks like some pure, straightforward action thrills. ????;

Arri??ving on O??ctober 28, I'm already looking forward to the eight-player co-op mode, especially with the ability to customize my character. Hopefully the game has the same sense of fun as its cheeky trailer. 

The post Yep, Sunset Overdrive still looks some ove??r the top fun appeared first on Destructoid.

Hope you have friends

Sunset Overdrive is one of the titles that Microsoft is depending on to bring an injection of charisma and zaniness to Xbox One later this year. Insomniac's colorful open-world shooter looks as if it hinges upon being able to provide a constantly fun and enjoyable experience for players. To better the chances of that happening, anyone that plays will be able to get a lot of friends in on t??he action.

A keen eye at Gamers 4 Xbox found an early reveal on Xbox's Sunset Overdrive product page that outed the inclusion of eight-player cooperative play. The page has since been ??modified to omit this leak, but a screencap confir??ms its existence.

Given that?? we're mere minutes away from Xbox's press conference, there's a good chance we'll hear more about this in the very near future. But, as always, we know ahead of time a tad more than they'd like us to.

Sunset Overdrive 8 Player Co-op Confirmed [Gamers 4 Xbox]

The post Sunset Overdrive’s getting crazy with eight-player co-op appeared first on Destructoid.

Plus some new footage

E3 is next week and we're finally going to get our hands all over Insomniac's Sunset Overdrive. The latest episode of the Sunset TV show focuses on the early stages of the game, detailing how an internal game jam helped?? give ??their new concept some originality.

The press won't be the only people who can see Sunset Overdrive in person by the way. Those of you in the Los ?Angeles area can head to Century City Microsoft store on Wednesday to play the game!

The post Internal game jam helped make Sunset Overdri??ve not bori??ng appeared first on Destructoid.

You can also win a ticket into the press conference

In addition to the usual show floor booths and Day 0 press conference, Microsoft will be holding a series of events to allow the general public a chance to be a part of the action. You can get a full list here, but the mor?e interesting events are as follows.

It all starts on Sunday with a fan event at the Century City Microsoft store, where fans can get a look at Microsoft's E3 line-up. Most of all though, you can enter a raffle to get a seat at the Monday press conference. There will be 100 seats up for grabs, so chances of winning could actually be pretty good. If you don't manage to win a ticket into&nbs?p;the press conference though, fans can still participate in a pre-show event.  

Fast forward to Wednesday, and it's back to the Century City Microsoft store for hands on time with Sunset Overdrive. There will even be free Over??charge Delirium XT. I'm predicting it will be made of orange juice and Red Bull. So like a mimosa, but with a lot more tweaking. Please folks, tweak responsibly.  

If getting to the greater LA area is not doable, you can watch most of ?the proceedings on Microsoft's Twitch channel, including live demos, developer interviews, and the press conference. There will even be fan Q&A via Twitch chat and Twitter throughout their stream.

Here's how to join Xbox at E3 2014 [Major Nelson Blog]

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Please be good please be good please be good

So I probably was the only one on this planet that wasn't hyped on Insomniac's Sunset Overdrive. Last time I got excited for one of their games, well, you know what happened.

Of course it's obvious Insomniac learned from their mistakes, and Sunset Overdrive seems to channel the creativity that the studio has been known for. Still, if there's one thing I've learned doing this job for almost a decade now, it's that I need to keep my feelings in ??check until I actually get my hands on the game itself.

Thi?s new video doesn't have much in the way of new info, but it's nice to hear some stories from the developers behind the game including Ted Price.

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Campaign not playable with others

Sunset Overdrive is coming later this y??ear on the Xbox One, and we've been getting a ton of details in the past week. Insomniac Games has spilled the beans on multiplayer, noting that although the campaign will not be playable with other players, there will be online co-op.

Insomniac also says that there will be lots more content to unlock, and tons of updates are planned. I'm loving that this game basically sounds like the polar opposite of Fuse.

Insomniac Games [Twitter]

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And it's all the better for it

This week was the big blowout for Sunset Overdrive, the next game from Ratchet & Clank developer Insomniac and one of the major Xbox One exclusives at this point in time. Given Sunset's colorful nature and the studio's collaboration with artist Olly Moss on the Resistance 3 cover, it shouldn't be surprising to find out the new game's box art is similarly atyp??ical.

The design, viewable in full below, was handled by ilovedust. There's a lot to take in -- it's a packed composition, to be sure -- but I like it. I? like it substantially more than the usual art which prominently features the main character(s) and little else of substance. Insomniac has a blog post up about its intentions with the cover and other relevant details. Worth a look.

Sunset Overdrive Box Art by ilovedust [Insomniac Games]

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Gimme now

Confused as to what Sunset Overdrive's about? You wouldn't be alone. Up until now, all we've gotte?n is a stylish teaser at E3 and a slow trickle of nebu??lous marketing materials.

But, this video finally gives us something concrete. It sheds some light on the story, different factions around the city, some enemies, the respawn system, and introduces a few of the weapons. Most importantly, it shows the game in action. It's crazy how excited I'll get for a game if it's co??lorful and actuall??y looks cool. Take note, developers!

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Not another Fuse, that's for sure

Insomniac Games has properly revealed its Xbox One parkour zombie shooter Sunset Overdrive and, as much as I was into the original E3 2013 teaser for the game, the real ??thing looks considerably better. The studio captured that vision and didn't stop chargin?g forward.

It may be the apocalypse again, but it's full of color, over-the-top weapons as you'd expect from Insomniac, and ridiculous traversal that immediately looks quick and fun. So long hiding behind cover, hello running (and grinding!) out in the open like an utter maniac. A number of outlets were invited to the studio for a hands-on showing, so take your pick and read up on the game.

Sunset Overdrive looks lik??e a compelling reason to want an Xbox One, and? we could always use more of those. I'm now sufficiently stoked for E3 next month. Bring on the current-gen-only titles!

If you're wanting to make a snap decision about whether or not Sunset Overdrive might be right for you and you've only got, oh, 15 seconds, get a load of these .gifs (via NeoGAF):

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That's Insomniac's intent, anyway

While we've only really seen a conceptual trailer for the eye-catching Sunset Overdrive, I'm hopeful this will be a return to form for developer Insomniac Games. It's post-apocalyptic, but not in the usual drab way. Speaking to Game Informer, CEO Ted Price described the world as a "playground" or, in more ?creative terms, an "awesomepocalypse??."

An Xbox One exclusive, Sunset Overdrive will make use of cloud computing. "Some of the hardcore data collection, correlation, and translation that we expect to do is difficult and takes a lot of horsepower, and that is one aspect of the cloud that is attractive to us," Price said. But before you start worrying: "Our intent? is that you will be able to play the single-player without an online connection. The game will be updated with content we expect that all players will want. You won't?? be able to access that without an online connect."

According to Price, "The trailer we presented was a vision of the game. But it represent??s very much who Insomniac is in terms of its style and tone and it shows of a w?orld we are building right now that has been subjected to a catastrophe." I can't cross my fingers any harder.

Ted Price Talks Su??nset Overdrive, The Cloud And Xbox One Policy [Game Informer]

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The cloud strikes again

In retrospect, if there was one game I would've liked to hear more about at E3, it was Insomniac's Sunset Overdrive. The vibrant open-world shooter was a standout title at Microsoft's press conference early last week and, unfortunately for th??ose of us who aren't getting an Xbox One, it's not coming to any other platforms. Insomniac CEO Ted Price explains:

"When we first began discussing this idea with Microsoft, we were initially hesitant to shift back into an exclusive arrangement," writes Price. "But as the Microsoft team began introducing us to the abilities and philosophies driving the development of Xbox One, we knew that Sunset Overdrive was a perfect fit. The Xbox One and Xbox Live will support our ambitions to create an ongoing two-way dialogue with our community. It will also allow us to ha?ve quicker production cycles, enabling timely content updates for new weapons, characters, storylines and even pop culture-relevant content like memes based on social commentary."

Without knowing the specifics, it's hard to comment on this, but it sounds to me like Insomniac could bring Overdrive to, say, PC, if it really wanted to -- that the barriers wouldn't be impossible to overcome. Of course, it's Microsoft, and given where public opinion on the Xbox One is right now, it's obviously whee??lbarrows full of cash that resulted in the deal. Obviously.

[Via Game Informer]

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