Sunset Overdrive

Sunset Overdrive is set in a modern-day fictional city called Sunset City, where an apocalypse of sorts has occurred. Corporate giant Fizzco is getting ready to release a new energy drink called Overcharge, and they’re giving the residents of Sunset City a chance to taste the beverage before the rest of the world. Unfortunately, it turns out Fizzco has rushed the drink through testing and missed the fact that drinking it causes everyday people to turn into Overcharge-addicted mutants who attack humans on sight. The city has been walled in by Fizzco in an attempt to cover up their egregious error, and the main character (which players design themselves) must team up with other non-drinkers and try to escape the city. You must fight off the mutants, as well as other survivors who have turned hostile in the face of the disaster.

Much of the game's sense of humor comes from frequently poking fun at gaming and other pop culture references. The game also has a light anti-consumerism theme in that players are pitted against a major corporation that's trying to cover evidence of their missteps in releasing the energy drink.

The game frequently autosaves, meaning players can quit a game at any time without losing much, if any, progress.

While there is a bit of a learning curve, the game is not terribly difficult to play once you get the hang of the core mechanics. The game does a pretty good job teaching you how to do everything.

• How fun is it to customize your own character?
• What are some of the ways the game pokes fun at consumerism?
• Which weapon do you think is the funniest?