Sunday Gold is a unique hybrid game that combines escape room-style puzzles, turn-based combat, and RPG mechanics, all tied together with a dark and cinematic storyline. The game is set in a grim and dystopian future in London, where you play as a ragtag trio of criminals on a mission to hunt down and expose the dark secrets of an evil mega-corporation.
Gameplay
One of the standout features of Sunday Gold is the fantastic mixture of point-and-click adventure and turn-based RPG. The developers have really managed to pull it off, making me wonder why this wasn’t done before. You control three heroes, each with different fighting styles and unique abilities: Frank’s lockpicking, Sally’s strength, and Gavin’s computer skills. Each member of the team comes equipped with their own set of skills and abilities, which give purpose and meaning to the narrative. They also give you, the player, opportunities to explore your own self through them. Their ideals, opinions, struggles, and reflections feel so brutally honest that you can’t help but feel something in response.
The game tries to simulate a real situation where the heroes’ composure state affects their capacity to perform in both aspects of gameplay. Fail to keep people on track and you’ll be in for a rough time. The heroes’ composure state is affected by the events that they experience, which adds another layer of depth to the gameplay. You have action points that are required not only to do actions in battle but also in the field.
If you run out of points in the field, you have to ‘end your turn’ to replenish them. Each turn consists of a preparation phase where you purchase new gear, upgrade skills, and level up your heroes. Then comes the battle phase, where you issue orders to your heroes. Each hero has a number of movement points and action points that determine how much they can do during each turn. Hero abilities are based on what weapons/skills they carry.
The Story
The story is well-scripted with cutscenes/events that provide an excellent mix of humor and plot twists. I don’t know how many times I thought the story was going to end, only to find out that the game had barely even started. Once you play the game, you know exactly what I mean. The story throws you off multiple times, keeping you on your toes.
Graphics, Performance & Sound
The graphics may look simple by today’s standards, but they still get the job done. The profile pictures during conversations really help, as do the animated sequences. The game features stunningly hand-drawn environments, 2D cinematics, and comic book-inspired sequences. The cliffhangers at the end of each chapter will keep you on your toes. It’s a good-looking game with high production values. The textures are sharp, the lighting is good, and the anti-aliasing is better than most games that came before it.
I experienced no issues whatsoever while playing Sunday Gold; everything worked fine. The game runs at 60 FPS and runs flawlessly. I literally haven’t encountered any technical issues so far, and loading and such seems smooth.
The sound in Sunday Gold is perfect for immersing you in the game’s atmosphere. The combat music and background sounds are really great. There are two different tracks of each, meaning that they will loop throughout the entire game, but you won’t get bored of them. I highly recommend playing the game with stereo headphones for the best sound experience.
Summary
To sum up, Sunday Gold is a captivating game that delivers an immersive experience by telling its story from your character’s perspective. The game boasts a highly sophisticated storyline and characters, with well-crafted dialogues that provide a glimpse into their ideals, opinions, struggles, and reflections, which are brutally honest and relatable. The game’s mix of point-and-click adventure and turn-based RPG mechanics creates a gameplay experience that is both engaging and challenging, with each character’s unique abilities and fighting styles adding to the depth of the game.
Furthermore, Sunday Gold’s sound design and music are exceptional, with perfect sound effects and music that create an atmospheric and immersive experience for the player. The game’s stunningly hand-drawn environments, 2D cinematics, and comic book-inspired sequences add to the game’s visual appeal, keeping the player engaged throughout.
Overall, Sunday Gold is a high-quality game that would make an excellent addition to any gamer’s collection. It has no significant flaws, and the production values are top-notch, with sharp textures, good lighting, and smooth performance. Therefore, it deserves a place on your Steam library’s top shelf, and it is highly recommended for anyone looking for a game that combines engaging gameplay, an excellent storyline, and immersive sound design.
