Say hello to my barefoot heroine in Sunset Overdrive, Hayley Hotfoot!
It's not often that a non-fighting game becomes a total favorite of mine- after all, barefoot female characters often appear best in fighters since these games are very character-centric and by default give nice closeup views of our babes (and their sexy soles and toes). But every so often a non-beat 'em up surprises me. It's happened in some Tomb Raider titles, Skyrim and some others. Now, it has happened again, and with a Next-Gen (well, Now-Gen by now) game at that. I think this may indeed be the first true Next-Gen Barefoot Babe game to have.
The Adventures of Hayley Hotfoot begin here!
The game is, of course, Sunset Overdrive, an exclusive title for the Xbox One. It's an action game, combining fast and all-over-the-place movement with shooting and over-the-top weapons (unsurprising since this is from Insomniac Games, makers of Ratchet and Clank). Happening in a place called Sunset City, the game's story occurs starts after the grand launch of a new energy drink called Over Drive by a company called FizzCo. Soon after the festivities, during 'Horror Night' as it soon gets called, everyone who drank Over Drive transform into the OD, or mutant monsters. The game's protagonist is a former sanitation employee of FizzCo who suddenly finds herself (well, it's a Her in my game) being chased by the mutants but also possessing fantastic powers- like the ability to grind and slide on almost any surface, leap amazing heights and survive falls from pretty much any height. Basically, she becomes Sunset City's superhero, albeit a reluctant and kinda self-serving one (at least at the start). So, to escape the city, she has to go on various adventures, fight the OD and hostile humans, ally herself with various factions in the city and perhaps, along the way, become a true hero.
One of the cool cutscenes from the game.
Anyway, that aside, the game lets you customize your protagonist's appearance, including their clothing. OF COURSE, my heroine always goes barefoot once her adventures begin in earnest- my conceit being of course that no shoe she wears can take the punishment of all her stunts, so she doesn't wear any (and she of course dresses in basically just her swimsuit or undies because it's sexy heheh).
The nice part here is that Sunset Overdrive's character models are pretty awesome- well-detailed and excellent, and I have to say it has some of the nicest bare feet I've seen in-game. But the best part is the wonderful detail of sound- when she walks, her footsteps SOUND bare- even on various surfaces such as metal floors, concrete, gravel- bare footsteps everywhere and it's pretty much perfect. If you love that detail as much as I do (which many games don't get right), you will love this game immediately.
The combination of great character model and sound makes this game a real treat.
Aside from that, the high resolution of the graphics gives a great view of our heroine, and nice sole views often as she runs or swings around for the most part. The camera isn't as able to zoom in like in Skyrim, for example, but it gives a great view more often than not. In any case, I have to say that a game like this, which you will play hours on end, never looks old since the character you see onscreen is such a pleasure to watch. Then there are the cutscenes, some of which give really nice sole views, and reflect what your character is wearing at the time. The story itself is entertaining and will hold your attention at least.
The story is often silly, with lots of breaking the fourth wall. But it's all in good fun.
I have never been a big fan of action games, particularly ones that have you grinding or sliding around like a super-powered Tony Hawk. But the ease of controls, the intuitive and enjoyable way you can move and shoot, the beautiful graphics, the cool character and the vibrantly-colored world you can roam in just worked and got my vote. This has become my favorite game on my Xbox One, and in truth, made me truly happy I got the console. I am fully looking forward to more content as DLC and perhaps a sequel in the future!
For now though, check out the videos I have for Sunset Overdrive on the channel. I am intending to post a LOT (already have five episodes posted), including going through the main campaign/story mode and some other vids. So enjoy the Adventures of my girl, Hayley Hotfoot! I'm sure she'll capture barefoot fans' hearts as she did mine.
But the right to service and massage her feet are mine alone hahaha!
