Open world gaming has evolved significantly since the days
of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. From far reaching cities infested with
criminals, to your everyday man becoming a daring freedom fighter sometimes it
feels like every concept has been tried. However the developer’s at Sucker
Punch have found a way to breath a sense of fresh air into a stale concept with
InFamous.
Unlike most open world games of the day InFamous does not follow the exploits of a tired gangster who has problems or a cop who is one step away from crossing line, instead the game takes the concept of a superhero origin story. You play as Cole a bike messenger who was at the wrong place at the wrong time during a terrorist attack on his home of Empire City. After somehow barely surviving the blast and subsequent attacks Cole begins to see a change in himself. He can leap off of tall building with ease, taking beating no ordinary human could survive, and most of all he can manipulate electricity. However he is soon labeled a terrorist and must fight to regain his reputation among the citizens of Empire City.
While the beginning plot arc of InFamous is not exactly the most creative concept its one that few videogames have tried to explore a superhero’s origin story, especially in the context of an open world games. While some elements of the games story seems like cookie cutter plot devices filled with betrayal and questions, it at the least keeps the player engaged. The story is also told through a rather creative comic book styling that fits well within the context of a superhero origin story. Without spoiling anything the story arc most definitely takes some turn that you least expect however it is not what make InFamous the great game that it is.
The real star of the game is the action itself. From bounding over the many rooftops of Empire City to calling in a huge lighting storm down from the sky InFamous always has something new to show you. In its simplest terms the combat of the game can be looked at as a 3 person shooter. However unlike many current third person shooters of today InFamous is fast pace and almost frantic in nature. Every fight you engage in is a fight for your life, which is a rather refreshing feeling in games. While you can just run in electro hands a blazing more likely than not you will end up dead, but if your precise and use the element of surprise more likely than not you will find success.
While at times the fighting in the game may seem frantic you will always feel like you the player are in control. The controls are very intuitive and easy to learn (especially if you have ever played any 3 person shooter giving you precision and accuracy or chaos and destruction. Never was there a moment in the game where I felt like I was fighting the controls. Even better many of the core powers are given to you in such a way that you easily begin to understand how to use them for the situation at hand.
The controls are also quite intuitive when it comes to the urban traversal within the game. Leaping from rooftop to rooftop is fun and very simple, getting up on to them however can be a little bit of a chore. As you are ascending the building you sometimes do not know where to jump to next. The game does not really distinguish what Cole can climb up on and what he can’t. While it is frustrating at some points its not game breaking by any means.
One of the other integral parts of the game is the Karma system, dictating how Cole will evolve as a hero. In most missions and even in some side mission you are presented with a choice that is either good or evil, yet unlike most choices in videogames they do not feel tacked on. Good choices tend to lean towards the end of “what is good for all” while bad choice are usually selfish. While at times it can be rather played out every choice in InFamous at the least feels meaningful. Depending on which ideal you choose to lean towards also dictates what Cole’s powers become. The more you lean towards “good”, the more precise your powers become. Conversely the more you lean towards “bad”, the more destructive they become. It’s an interesting way to go about moral choice and also forces the player to commit to one or the other.
In a technical sense Infamous is not groundbreaking only simply comparable too most games in this day and age. While in spots the game is rather colorful most of the environment are quite bland. While this is not a great fault its still something that bothered me throughout the experience. As far as the powers go, they look absolutely awesome. From the explosion of your electric grenade to a giant thunderstorm you can call down InFamous does not disappoint with its powers in any sense.
InFamous is not a completely flawless game by any stretch. The games mission system is rather formulaic and can become somewhat repetitive after awhile. While new powers are thrown at you to spice up the action it just simply not enough to keep you constantly engaged. The second major flaw I had with InFamous was the rather unlikable cast of characters that surrounds Cole. His sidekick Zeke is probably what I would consider one of the most annoying characters in recent history. His rash attitude and chauvinist behavior comes off as rather unlikable and makes you question why Cole is even his friend. Cole’s love interest Trish is also a rather boring character, she feels almost tacked on in some respect. Even worse is Cole’s “handler” Moya, who just comes off as you’re a typical government agent looking for “results”.
Overall InFamous is a great experience from start to finish. While some of the story elements maybe a bit standard the overall gameplay is fun and very exciting. It is also a breath of fresh air from the typical gangster rag’s to riches open world game. With the sequel coming up soon I find myself very anticipated to see what developer Sucker Punch does to improve on an already great game.