Sunset
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for Sunset
There are moments of humour (you can, if you so choose, arrange Ortega's record collection by genre and title) and in time both you and your character grow attached to this unseen man whom you serve. The game elegantly communicates a very particular kind of relationship in the period world, in all of its power-dynamics and complexity. Some will inevitably find the lack of formal puzzles, collectibles or many of the other attributes of most contemporary video games off-putting. But Sunset, despite its minimalism, is a rare treat. It tells a story about revolution via the reflection of domesticity, an unusual and thrilling use of the video game medium, and one that expands both its scope and its definition.
Sunset's themes, setting, and plot are plenty interesting, but the player's interaction with them feels incongruous.
The story is fascinating, but the gameplay quickly becomes humdrum and the technical problems are extremely frustrating
Sunset is a creative, powerful story of personal, political, and social conflict.
Sunset puts players in the middle of a war from an entirely unique perspective, trapping players in a beautiful yet tense apartment that they need to clean every day.
The entire world of Sunset is masterfully crafted in every way. The art style is gorgeous, with the apartment bathed in the light of the setting sun every day.
Sunset struggles with pacing, technical performance (movement is a tad wonky and it can run sluggish), and a disconnect between how its lead is written and, occasionally, what she does, player depending. The reduction of work to single click means the year's worth of date title cards, going up the elevator, and going down at sunset feels more monotonous than housekeeping. The music and colors are effective at setting mood, though, and there are instances of emotional resonance, strong writing and voice acting. Shorter, more tightly strung, Sunset's character study set against the revolutionary backdrop would've shone brighter, but as is it still leaves you enough to consider and a calendar to change.
