Insomniac Games is one of Sony's top first-party developers. The studio is responsible for two of  the PlayStation's biggest franchises, Marvel's Spider-Man and Ratchet & Clank. Recent moves by Sony have made it possible that the next Insomniac PlayStation release could be Sunset Overdrive, Insomniac's previously Xbox-exclusive project.

Sony gained ownership of Sunset Overdrive in 2019, following the completion of its purchase of Insomniac. Sony showed no indication that it had plans for the franchise. Outside of a Tweet from Insomniac's official account, there was not even a mention of the game at all from either party. However that could change soon, as Sony has filed a trademark for Sunset Overdrive. This patent was discovered by industry insider Nibel, who Tweeted it out on May 4. While Nibel was quick to point out that this isn't confirmation of anything, it's hard to believe Sony doesn't have plans to do something with this cult hit from one of its top developers.

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The easy move for Sony and Insomniac would be to port the original game to the PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5. The PC version would be a good candidate for a PS5 port, as it allowed the game to run at 60 frames per second and up to 4K resolution, which would be a marked improvement over the Xbox One version.

Sunset Overdrive still showing man riding rails and shooting weapon

A PS4 version wouldn't live up those performance standards. It wouldn't be an upgrade over the Xbox One game, which anyone who owns both consoles can play, and might already have access to if they're a Game Pass subscriber. Still, it would at least give PS4 owners who skipped the Xbox last generation, and don't game on PC, a chance to play it. A port to either console would be smart to follow the PC version's $19.99 price tag.

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In spite of being nearly seven years old, Sunset Overdrive is worth the wait for PlayStation partisans. There's still nothing quite like it on any gaming platform. Its takes cues from cult classics like Jet Grind Radio, with movement through its open world done best by grinding rails. Its irreverent tone best resembles the Saints Row games, going gleefully over-the-top in presenting its story of soda-spawned zombies.

Sunset Overdrive's tone would make it particularly unique in Sony's stable of exclusives. While the first-party has perfected the third-person action game, its entries into the genre tend to be on the serious side. The Last of Us games are particularly grim, but even lighthearted characters like Spider-Man and Uncharted's Nathan Drake gets put through the ringer in Sony's biggest exclusives. A game that only cares about having a good time, while being a different kind of playable cartoon than the Ratchet & Clank games, would be a good counterpoint to Sony's dour tendencies.

Sunset overdrive Xbox One exclusive

Sunset Overdrive would also hold interest for Insomniac fans due to the way it combines elements from the team's two big Sony franchises. Its emphasis on weapons is similar to Ratchet & Clank. Some of its guns are even similar in design. Sunset Overdrive puts a hipster spin on Ratchet's Disc Blade Gun, for example, with High Fidelity, a weapon that shoots vinyl records.

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While it features rail-grinding in place of web-swinging, its open world city is reminiscent of Insomniac's Spider-Man games. While not as exhilarating as swinging around New York, finding the best route through Sunset City is enjoyable in its own right.  Its young every-man (or woman; the game features a customizable protagonist) hero caught in an extraordinary situation gives it something in common with Spider-Man too. However, the lead in Sunset Overdrive has very little interest in monologues about responsibility or sincerity in general. If nothing else, a Sunset Overdrive port would be a good way to pass the time while waiting for a new Spider-Man game for players who have already completed Miles Morales' adventure.

A Sunset Overdrive port would serve as a good way of gauging interest in a sequel also. The potential for Insomniac returning to Sunset City in a game made for new hardware is worth getting excited about. Even if the studio has too much on its plate to develop a Sunset Overdrive follow-up, another Sony studio that knows its way around a shooter, like Housemarque, could work wonders within the setting. Sunset Overdrive could be a great addition to Sony's stable no matter what form its first PlayStation appearance takes.

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