I’d argue that Sunset Overdrive was the most unique AAA game in 2014. It was self-aware, comical, and knew how to reward players for going fast and having fun. But as with any single-player focused game that falls around the 12 hour campaign mark it’ll be reliant on DLC to keep players invested for any substantial amount of time. Thankfully, nobody has to wait any longer as its first DLC is here.
Also Read: Sunset Overdrive Review – On Rails
Sunset Overdrive‘s first major DLC package called Sunset Overdrive and the Mystery of the Mooil Rig has arrived and it aims to add a new layer for fans of the original campaign to chew on by bolstering it with a new area, weapons, challenges, and more. It has a lot to live up to given the originality of the main campaign. Does it succeed?
Taking to the Ocean
Mystery of the Mooil Rig‘s includes a brand new area, which is an oil platform located on the southeast portion of the map. This new area is moderate in size, has high verticality, and is designed in a way that is perfect for chaining combos together. It provides the optimal layout for taking out the hordes of enemies that dwell in the area, and that means good times head for anyone who has become acquainted with grinding, wall-running, and air dashing.
What Mooil Rig‘s new area does more successfully than anything is take advantage of the protagonist’s jet-ski ability, which is a favorite among fans, but seldom used on the land-dominated original map. This is a water-entrenched location that prefers that you jet-ski over hitting ground rails. The emergency boats to floating debris that surround it help to ensure that you can keep your momentum when visiting nearby locations, such as a boat that becomes an important part of the narrative.
Mooil Rig has its own missions and challenges, as well as roughly two hours of story missions. For the most part, the cutscenes aren’t as memorable as the main campaign. Sadly, what’s here is lacking the wit and comedic value that made Sunset Overdrive such a stand-out game in 2014.
While the narrative content isn’t Mooil Rig‘s strong suit, the gameplay is. You’ll encounter a couple of new gameplay mechanics within the game world, and even spar with a well-designed new boss battle.
Setting OD on Fire
There are two new weapons included in Mooil Rig. While one is a flamethrower, the other fires high-precision electric bolts that create networks of electricity in the vicinity stunning enemies who come near. Although they are fun to toy around with, they are less potent than many of the original weapon offerings. The flamethrower in particular is powerful in cases where combat is in tight spaces, but that doesn’t happen often in Sunset Overdrive‘s open-world environment. Meanwhile, the bolt launcher serves as little more than crowd control.
The new challenges are likely where you will most derive value from the DLC. There are a few of them to dive into, and they’re among the best that Sunset Overdrive has to offer thanks to the stellar layout of the Mooil Rig. There is also a new type of collectible scattered around the platform that you may just devote a chunk of time to collecting for the purpose of unlocking the DLC’s powerful new AMPs.
Conclusion
Sunset Overdrive and the Mystery of the Mooil Rig falls short when it comes to narrative delivery, but provides a fantastic new playground for enjoying Sunset Overdrive‘s exciting gameplay mechanics. Its three hours of new content and new ways to enjoy Sunset Overdrive make it a good pick up for those who crave more from one of this year’s best games.
Jonathan Leack is the Gaming Editor for CraveOnline. You can follow him on Twitter @jleack.
Copy provided by publisher. Sunset Overdrive and the Mystery of the Mooil Rig is exclusive to Xbox One, and requires a copy of Sunset Overdrive to play.
