The end of the world doesn’t always have to be depressing.  As it turns out, it can actually be really fun too.  Sunset Overdrive is the Xbox One’s first must-have exclusive, and it is an absolute blast to play.  Insomniac Games, the developers behind popular Playstation franchises Ratchet & Clank and Resistance, created Sunset Overdrive, and it’s almost surprising how good it is considering how average their other games have been.

When you first start the game, you’re given the chance to customize your character any way you see fit.  Since there are so many options to choose from, it’s almost impossible to not make your character look absolutely ridiculous.  Here’s the scenario:  you begin as a janitor at a release for a new energy drink called Overcharge Delirium XT, created by the fictional company Fizzco.  Turns out, the drinks are contaminated, and all of Overcharge’s consumers become mindless zombielike monsters.  Most of the city becomes infected, leaving you and a group of survivors to try to escape the fictitious Sunset City.

The game’s main selling point is its method of traversal.  From grinding on power lines, to bouncing off of cars, to running on walls, Sunset Overdrive wants you to stay airborne, which makes sense, since if you stay on the ground for too long you’ll be swarmed by a horde of “OD,” otherwise known as “Overcharge Drinkers.”  Another fun aspect of Sunset Overdrive is its weapon variety.  They’re all incredibly creative and wacky, with my personal favorite being the “TNTeddy,” a gun that launches teddy bears packed with dynamite.  It’s cute, yet incredibly deadly.  Additionally, you can acquire Amps which can make your character even more powerful.  With all of these features, the gameplay of Sunset Overdrive is incredibly fun to play.

A big part of what makes Sunset Overdrive stand out is its style.  It’s extremely colorful, making it almost look like a Pixar movie.  Also, some of the enemies explode in “onomatopoeias”, meaning that depending on what gun you use and which enemy you kill, they’ll explode with stylized words appearing on the screen.  If you freeze your opponent, a shivering “BRRR” will pop up above the enemy.  If you’re using an explosive gun, “BOOM” will appear out of a mushroom cloud.  It’s pretty original to see, and it isn’t as annoying as you’d expect.

The game’s story isn’t really a main focus, but it involves your character trying to get the multiple factions in the city to bond together in order to escape Sunset City.  These factions include ex-Fizzco workers, tech geeks, Boy Scouts, live action role players, and hospital workers that look like cheerleaders celebrating Dia De Los Muertos.  So yeah, it’s fair to say that Sunset Overdrive’s characters are pretty diverse.  In addition to OD, you’ll also fight Scabs, a gang that has overrun the city, and Fizzco security robots.  Each enemy type is vulnerable to different weapons, so you have to think fast if you want to come out of battles unscathed.

While the majority of Sunset Overdrive is great, it’s far from perfect.  The humor can tend to miss the mark more often than not, and sometimes it can try too hard to be funny when it really isn’t necessary.  And you can only take so many pop culture references before you begin to lose it.  In general, the writing in video games isn’t exactly Oscar-worthy, so it’s still middle of the pack when compared to other games’ writing.

Despite its flaws, Sunset Overdrive is one of the most original and fun games in years.  With its fun gameplay, colorful graphics, and serviceable humor, I’d rate Sunset Overdrive one of the best games of 2014.