Insomniac Might Make A Sunset Overdrive Sequel Without Microsoft

Sunset Overdrive, Insomniac Games' cheeky Xbox One exclusive, received positive reviews when it came out over two years ago, but since then there's been little discussion about the franchise's future. Now, Insomniac president Ted Price says that the company might pursue a follow-up in the future—whether or not Microsoft wants to help.

When Game Informer asked Price why fans hadn't heard anything about a Sunset Overdrive sequel, Price placed the blame squarely on the Xbox creator's shoulders, replying, "You'd have to ask Microsoft."

But that doesn't mean that Sunset Overdrive is dead. "We are passionate about that franchise, and we own it, so you may see more Sunset in the future from us," Price continued. However, Price emphasized that Insomniac has no specific plans for a Sunset Overdrive sequel, but rather that his statement "represents [Insomniac's] willingness to create unexpected experiences."

As Game Informer notes, if a Sunset Overdrive follow-up is coming, it won't arrive for a while. Most of Insomniac is busy working on the PlayStation 4-exclusive Spider-Man game, as well as new content for the virtual reality spellcasting simulator The Unspoken, while many of Insomniac's other staff members just wrapped big projects like Ratchet & Clank and Feral Rights.

In Sunset Overdrive, players climb and grind through Sunset City, a brightly colored post-apocalyptic metropolis infested with soda-guzzling mutants. Critics praised Sunset Overdrive's fast-paced combat and innovative and fun travel mechanics, but rumors contend that the game didn't sell particularly well, which might explain why Microsoft hasn't greenlit a sequel—if those reports are true, which isn't necessarily the case. Either way, Insomniac says that it has no plans to bring the first Sunset Overdrive to other consoles, thanks to a complicated and binding exclusivity agreement with Microsoft.

As far as console-exclusive franchises go, Sony has a marked edge over Microsoft, and one would think that the Redmond-based company would be eager to get more Xbox-only games on the market. If it does, however, it looks like a Sunset Overdrive sequel won't be one of them.