User Review : inFamous 2

A true to form sequel

Sucker Punch Productions pulled a rabbit out of a hat when they released inFAMOUS back in 2009; a rather ambitious sandbox game about a hero/villain who can control electricity at his own leisure. Their last game was Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves way back when Microsoft was just about ready to launch their next generation console. What could have possibly been expected of Sucker Punch when they released the original inFAMOUS?

A 4-year long hiatus proved to be just the recipe as Infamous garnered rave reviews and multiple Game of the Year awards. Some called it the superhero version of GTA, others said it was the open-world game they've all been waiting for; nonetheless, Infamous had become a hit, and another solid IP added to Sucker Punch's credentials.

On June 4th 2010...inFAMOUS 2 was announced.

A year later it launched.

The beast is here.

For those that haven't played the original inFAMOUS, (though you should) the story revolves around bike-courier Cole MacGrath and the fateful day that led to his mysterious powers when he was instructed by an anonymous customer to deliver a package to a location in the Historic District in Empire city; a fictional city that spans three islands. He is also instructed to open the package once he is at the secret location.
To keep it brief, the package somehow violently detonates and completely decimates over six city blocks. A blast radius so wide that everything in it's path is reduced to crumbling landscapes and climactic destruction. Cole, luckily, survives the blast, but also obtains new-found powers; the power to emit and control electricity through his body. To avoid any plot spoilers, Cole's destiny was no accident and the truth behind why it happened to him opens up as you play the game.

Back to inFAMOUS 2!

Many key components that made the original game special have returned, and some in more ways than you would have imagined. The karma system is vastly improved, you still hurt your good karma if you carelessly throw a car at someone or electrify them to death and there are countless side missions to really get your karma appetite satisfied. One thing you might notice is your two Karma representatives; acting like a devil and angel on your shoulders.

You are introduced to Quo who is the angel, persay, if you do what she says then your karma increases positively. Nix is her counterpart and of course whatever you do to please her will increase your bad karma. The two have a lasting impression on you as they both compete for your attention, trying to sway you to their point of view. This works really well since their both pretty persuasive and you almost feel guilty not appeasing to both of them at least once.

Graphics are downright mind-blowing when you consider the evolutionary graphical leap it took from the first game; motion capture is awesome!
Cole has some personality in his face now, you can tell when he's confused, angry, sad, or happy which is really impressive compared to Cole's old static, unchanged expressions in the original. Zeke returns as obnoxious as ever but a bit more matured and he actually looks human now, albeit a bootlegged Elvis but it gets the job done.
Overall, the entire look of the game just screams out polish and the new city, New Marais, is breath-taking from the swampy outskirts of town to the shimmering night-life that is buzzing with life and street performers.

inFAMOUS 2 has a really diverse soundtrack; one moment it can get really eerie with nothing but dark tones fading in and out as your exploring a part of the city and then it can get really energetic and climatic as your chasing and fighting your way through a blockade of ice soldiers. It's not amazing but it definitely sets the mood right when it needs to be. As for the sound mix, it's breath-taking. Cole's electrical powers are loud and potent and can really test your speakers as cars blow up in Michael-bay-fashion and the constant draining of electricity really is enjoyable. Voice acting is superb, some of the AI voice work is a bit annoying, repetitive and generic but understandably so since their only role is to get blown the f*** up!

Gameplay is what you come to expect from this series. It's fast, fluid and amazingly responsive. Some people may not like Cole's somewhat floaty approach to climbing but it's never a game-breaker and it's quite fun once you get used to it. New powers later on enhance the way you climb and get to certain places faster like at some point you'll get this lightening tether that functions as a grappling hook that propels you from point a to point b and other abilities that facilitate your mobility in this vast world.

New to the series is the User-Generated Content feature which allows other players to build and upload their own missions using some very intricate tools that Sucker Punch provides. With variety spanning from chase missions, survivial missions, escort missions, defend missions and a plethora of others, this is one of the many things that keeps inFAMOUS 2 on the replayable list. Borrowing many concepts from Media Molecule (LBP) users can now relish in their own creations, you can rate, favorite and even remix missions in case you felt something was missing. Nobody asked for UGC but guess what? It's a welcome addition and a high-five to Sucker Punch for strengthening the user community.

inFAMOUS 2 isn't perfect though. You will run into the occasional bug and awkward camera angles when performing special melee combos. There are some texture-pop ins as the game attempts to load the map as fast as possible but this is to be expected of all sandbox games; still, it can be a bit disconnecting seeing things pop up in the distance as you near them. All of these negatives are manageable and probably won't break the game for you. The game has phenomenal loading times; they are virtually non-existent and you'll be back in the action before you know it!

Despite it's technical flaws, the game has some very memorable moments. One of them is right after your done fighting a fitting opponent and an army of bad guys, the sun is coming down, you go up to Zeke's "penthouse" and sit on the couch beside him. TV is on. Zeke hands you a beer, no words, both of you sit back and enjoy the television. Phone rings for Cole and as he's reaching for it, Zeke gives him a scolding smirk as he shakes his head. Cole puts the phone down. Zeke's phone starts to ring and Cole shakes his head. Both ignore calls, both take a sip from their beers and lay back. It was such a "guys" moment between them, very humane yet simple. It was impacting, showing us that Cole is still a dude and so is Zeke, despite his plight to take down the Beast, their still buds at heart. It was one of the most memorable scenes in the game. Kudos to Sucker Punch.

Decisions play a big role in this game, characters are betrayed, characters die, it really is a cinematic experience playing through this game. This game is a true to form sequel, improving on virtually everything and raising the bar once again for the series.

inFAMOUS 2 is a Game of the Year contender; a very competitive contender at that.

Boasting a 20+ hour campaign, hundreds of possibilities with the UGC community, Blast shards collectibles, dead drops, side missions, exploration, karma situations, this game is jam-packed with content. Be sure to pick it up, this near-perfect sequel is an example of how you do sequels right. The future looks very bright for this series. Let's see where it goes from here.