InFamous came out May 26, 2009. That means a year and a half ago. I only played it now because for some reason, it continually got pushed behind other games. So how does it fair, a year and a half after its release ?
InFamous has you playing as Cole, a bike messenger carrying a package that at the first moment of the game explodes, bringing ruin and destruction to tri-isled Empire City. But that is not all, because this explosion also grants Cole power over electricity. Power that allows him to shoot lightning from his hands, act as a defibrillator, or generate a charge that repels him and have Cole float. Those all sounds like a blast to have, but now gangs are taking over the city, which has been placed under lockdown by the government. So will you stop the gangs and be the hero, or take over to become the ruler of Empire city ?
This is one of the game biggest features: the Karma balance. Do good deeds and become a hero, which grants you certain powers such as grenade like bolt that will pin baddies to the floor. Or, be a villain and get powers that cause massive explosions and destruction.
The gameplay is pretty usual, but done very well. The open world feels good and traveling through it with climbing, skating on wires and train lines, and "flying" has you moving at a quick pace that lets you feel fast and cool, and while this is far from a cover based shooter, you can duck behind things to keep Coles' head attached to his body. Shooting the bad guys on the other hand, is more than just "well done", it's great fun. It's fast and responsive with many tricks and weapons in your arsenal, from the straight forward lightning bolt, to bazooka like shots and ground slams that blow away everything around you. And like all open world games, the mission structure is familiar and safe, with a few story missions for you to choose from, and plenty of side missions to keep you busy and gaining XP.
The place where I'm torn about InFamous, is the story and characters. It's obvious that Naughty Dog has put a lot of effort to make a compelling story, but the characters in it feel bland and often, I found myself not sure who this guy I'm talking to is, or what exactly is the relationship between Cole and this lady is. What I will confess to, is that the ending of the story did catch me off guard and produced a well plotted and surprising twist, that even feels like a great setup for a sequel.
Where I am far from torn about the game, is how a lot of its mechanics are "game mechanic", especially the Karma balance. For start, healing civilians is odd. Coles' method of "healing" is zapping the poor soul, even when it is clear that a shock of electricity isn't the thing that will heal his aching knee that he is visibly gripping in agony. And somehow, Coles' electromagnetic pulse also shows the general direction of a nearby audio pack. I'm no doctor, but...
The Karma balance is way too simplified a method of using a "choice" gameplay. In some instances, you can choose between a "good" act and an "evil" act. The two are blatantly opposite with no option for door number 3, and while choosing "good" in some spots and "evil" in other might feel like the right thing to do, it is obviously the wrong gameplay choice, because gaining higher ranking as "good" or "evil" opens up more powers, and being somewhere in the middle has no benefits. Once I made my first choice, I had no reason to pick the opposite every time, even if I thought "this is what Cole would do".
Beyond that, playing through the game again as "evil" revealed that the outcome of these Karma moments are usually the same, with a slightly different way to get there. You can kill this dude and take his stuff, to help him out. Playing the good guy, I chose to help him. He repaid me with giving me his stuff. Same outcome, different route.