That is an IGN opinion piece from Ryan McCaffrey, who labored at Official Xbox Journal from 2002-2012 throughout the unique Xbox and Xbox 360 period earlier than becoming a member of IGN, the place he stays “the Xbox man.” In the run-up to Xbox’s twenty fifth anniversary, he’ll be sharing his recollections from the platform’s first quarter-century.
Once I began this Xbox retrospective venture forward of the console’s twenty fifth anniversary this November, I knew it’d skew closely in the direction of unique Xbox and Xbox 360 video games. And whereas the Xbox One period wasn’t all dangerous, it was nonetheless one which quite a bit of Xbox followers could be pleased to fast-forward by means of. Positive, the platform and messaging woes get most of the blame for Xbox’s first failed console (and earlier than the Xbox trustworthy come after me, Nintendo’s had one too: anybody bear in mind the Wii U? And heck, Sony had the Vita), however the lack of first-party video games – not to mention good ones – had as a lot to do with the Xbox One being a tough technology for Xbox as anything.
Nonetheless, there have been diamonds in the tough, and one of them would’ve been a HUGE hit in the Xbox 360 technology, however as a substitute it was launched on the mistaken console at the mistaken time. That recreation is Sunset Overdrive. On paper/in a vacuum, it ought to’ve been an enormous blockbuster hit. Insomniac Video games, not but owned by PlayStation however lengthy an unique associate of Sony’s and makers of hits like Ratchet & Clank, was signing with Microsoft to do an unique open-world recreation for the new Xbox One console that was coming sizzling on the heels of the wildly profitable and beloved Xbox 360.
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Once more, everyone knows what occurred in 2013 with the reveal, the disastrous E3, and then the launch, however for its half, Insomniac held up its finish of the discount. When Sunset Overdrive dropped in the Fall of 2014, it was completely good – a uncommon open-world recreation not made by Rockstar that had fashion and substance. Its cel-shaded artwork fashion was an ideal match for the dystopian, punk vibe (with a wholesome sprint of comedy blended in!) that Sunset Overdrive dropped at the desk.
IGN completely cherished it, and I advocated strongly for it internally in our Sport of the 12 months discussions (talking personally, nothing in opposition to Dragon Age Inquisition however I’m nonetheless salty that it beat out Sunset). However as I discussed, its timing actually couldn’t have been any worse. I’m nonetheless satisfied that if it had both been launched on the Xbox 360 (ignoring the technical impossibility of that) or in an alternate universe it had been a Sony-published recreation on the PS4, it could’ve been an enormous, beloved hit. However these are the breaks generally. Clearly, little or no of Sunset Overdrive’s destiny was in Insomniac’s direct management past the essential half, which was of course making a tremendous recreation (however you’ll be able to examine the way it turned an Xbox One unique in the event you like).
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It was the uncommon open-world recreation the place each quest felt enjoyable in its personal distinctive method. Navigating round the world through the grind rails took an excellent 10-Quarter-hour to regulate to in the very starting, however as soon as you bought in sync with it, you’d zoom round the world, having an superior time whereas doing so. It’s going to without end hang-out me that we by no means obtained a sequel; now-retired Insomniac founder Ted Value informed me at the time that the studio wished to make a sequel. Much more curiously, he additionally informed me that it was initially extra like Fortnite. Who is aware of, possibly that call haunts Insomniac!
However regardless, there’s little question that Insomniac is and ought to all the time be proud of Sunset Overdrive. It grinded rails in order that Spider-Man may web-swing by means of Manhattan. With out Sunset, there most likely isn’t a Spidey – or not less than, Spider-Man wouldn’t have been as unimaginable proper out of the gate because it was. Any of you on the market who did play it – sadly, it by no means obtained ported to PS4 even after Sony acquired the studio, although it did come to PC in 2018 – are most likely nodding your heads in settlement as you learn this piece. In my view, it’s the best Xbox One unique that may’ve stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the best PlayStation 3, 4, or Xbox 360 exclusives.
Ryan McCaffrey
Ryan McCaffrey is the Government Editor of Previews at IGN. He has labored in video games media since 2002, spending the first decade of his profession at Official Xbox Journal earlier than becoming a member of IGN in 2012. He’s the host of Podcast Unlocked in addition to a co-host of Subsequent-Gen Console Watch.
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s government editor of previews and host of IGN’s weekly Xbox present, Podcast Unlocked, and a co-host of Subsequent-Gen Console Watch. He is a North Jersey man, so it is “Taylor ham,” not “pork roll.” Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.