Insomniac Games has detailed four of the different enemy types players will encounter in Sunset Overdrive when it launches this fall.
When creating the baddies, the developer aimed to make them threatening and to create a wide variety. This wasn’t easy, according to the studio, as the team had to create enemies that would match the player’s quick speeds and verticality.
Here are their descriptions:
OD
These guys have a horde mentality and will wreck you if you’re sticking to the ground. We’re going to throw a lot of them at you all at once and they actually have a lunge that’s both quick and unexpected. So, while they aren’t the toughest to kill – the sheer amount of them makes them dangerous.
Plus, OD are pro at blocking your traversal paths. They climb on grind rails and even block you from bouncing on objects. So, you’ll have to be keep moving and adapt your traversal path and style when facing off against hordes of these.
Blower
These folks are going to attack you at range with messy Overcharge bile that lingers around and damages you if you stay in it. And we’ve worked to make sure the consistence in which they fire is random and doesn’t feel too “patterny.” That plus the fact that Blowers usually position themselves on perches on the outskirts of battle, mean that you’ll have to strategically hone in on them with traversal to get the kill.
Herker
You’re not going to like the Herker. I mean, you will – but repeated bulldozer fists to the face will bruise your friendship with it. On a basic level, the Herker is a tank. He can take a lickin’ and keep on kickin.’ However, he’s also endowed with some speed. One of his attacks is a beeline rush towards the player that will take out a huge chunk of your health if hit. So, the best way to defeat him is to keep your distance and stay above him.
However, he’s not just limited to close-range melee attacks. He can also throw large pieces of concrete or OD at the player, which can both hurt you on impact and force you to now deal with another enemy at close range. So, overall, he’s a versatile enemy that usually becomes your primary target to take out first in a fight. If you don’t, you’ll be the first thing taken out.
Scabs
Scabs are humans, but that doesn’t make them any less threatening than their more mutated brethren. Plus, their presence will actually make you switch up your play style. The normal Scabs fire assault rifles at the player from a distance. This constant ranged damage is a style that the mutants don’t fill. It will force the player to stay in constant movement in order to dodge the barrage of fire – all while trying to line up their own shots to take the Scabs down.
Insomniac will share more Sunset Overdrive enemies in a followup post. It promises more types of OD and Scabs, as well as a variety of other enemies like Fizzco Security Robots.
Sunset Overdrive is due out for Xbox One on October 28.