Sunset City and I Am Legend

Now there are two titles we didn’t expect to say in the same sentence. When we think about Sunset Overdrive, the wacky, cheerful shooter coming to the Xbox One, we don’t usually think about a horror classic like I Am Legend. But according to Creative Director Marcus Smith, I Am Legend is just one of the surprising sources of inspiration for Insomniac’s game.

I Am Legend and 28 Days Later both displayed hints of fun, even in desperate, apocalyptic situations. Since Insomniac was interested in an apocalyptic setting that wasn’t as grim as they usually are, those slight “fun” elements gave the developers the idea for a zany, optimistic end-of-the-world. It’s the “Awesomepocalypse,” as Community Manager Brandon Winfrey dubs it in this week’s episode of SunsetTV.

And that takes us to Sunset City.

The structure of Sunset City is just as crazy as the rest of the game it belongs to. You’ll bounce and wall-run your way up multiple levels of the city to get around. Don’t forget, traversal is a key part of Sunset Overdrive.

From the Q&A, we also learned that side quests will provide both story/character information and in-game bonuses like money or items.

Sunset Overdrive looks as crazy as ever, and Winfrey’s awkward comedy style is starting to grow on us. We can’t wait to see more from this game. What about you?