TEG Blog: The Hopefully Never InFamous Blog Entry!

Hope everyone is well, it looks as if we are in for a good couple of rainy days here in good old Blighty. It's been an odd recent few weeks to be honest. While it's clear that Spring as truly arrived in all it's beauty (along with the many thousands of bugs that get on my nerves), my actual gaming activities have been rather light to a certain degree. That's not to say that I haven't been playing games, I simply haven't been dedicated to one specific game of late. While I'm hopeing to finish off another playthrough of Mass Effect on PC in the next few days, I'm also getting slightly hyped for the up and coming E3 Expo and a couple of games hitting stores within the next few weeks. 

Now I do not wish to talk to much about the E3 Expo in this blog entry, I have though been enjoying some of the early rumours and talk surrounding this ever popular videogame event. Infact, only recently I created my own personal little list of the top games I'm most anticipated to hear or see something off when the Expo starts at the beginning of June. Hopefully there will be more games to be excited about then last years somewhat dull event, though Giantbomb did a fine job of entertaining gamers around the World with their drunk podcasts every night. But let's get onto what I really wanted to discuss today, that being Sucker Punch Productions PS3 exclusive InFamous which hits stores the end of May. 

InFamous Protagonist Cole, Mr Electricity 2009.Now it's fair to say that already, InFamous as become the new battleground for Fanboys and Fangirls around the World. You only have to visit an InFamous related YouTube video to see the discussions and abuse both Xbox 360 and PS3 fans are dishing out to each other. Now I'm happily not a fanboy of any sorts, and I know I'm rather lucky in being able to experience what both the Xbox 360 and PS3 consoles have to offer. I'll also admit to being quite a fan of InFamous for sometime now, while it seems to me that most fanboy discussions end up asking the question 'Prototype or InFamous?' I'd personally answer with 'Why not both?'

If I'm frankly honest with you reader, I'd probably have to place my loyalty with InFamous. That's not to say I'm not excited by what Prototype could bring to the videogame table, it's just my main concerns have not been quashed by the footage or details I've already learnt of Prototype. But back to InFamous for a second, for a good couple of months now the gaming media have been quite high in praise of this new ip from Sly Cooper developers Sucker Punch Productions. Now I have no wish to go over the exact details of the game, there's a chance you probably already know everything that needs to be known right now and to be totally honest, that would be rather dull. But I'm quite happy to see the PS3 get a new exclusive for once, especially when you take a look at what the Xbox 360 as to bring to the table when it comes to exclusives. Let's just say that for the most part, the Xbox 360 blows the PS3 out of the water. 

So it's nice to see the PS3 getting a little something special, and it seems InFamous could indeed be something special. Though it's technically not doing anything that hasn't been done to a certain degree already, it's the way it's being done that gets most PS3 fans excited. You only have to see footage of the game to see that there's a fluidity to InFamous's gameplay. Some folks have compared it to the recent LucasArt's title 'Star Wars: The Force Unleashed' and I can see the likeness, though deep within I believe them to be two very different beasts. InFamous is clearly a super hero sort of tale, Cole himself feels somewhat based around a mix of Batman, Spiderman and maybe even a little bit of Lord Sidious. As the player, you can decide if Cole will do his part for Empire City and help the people in need or take advantage of the situation and be a generally violent kind of guy.

Cole's 'electrifying' powers would surely help with the electrical bills.Meaningful changes in videogames are nothing new, infact they've been about for as long as I can remeber. But there always enjoyable if they are presented with care and signs are that InFamous is looking to make the gamer think before they finally electricute that poor helpless man in the middle of the street. The game will eventually take you down the good or bad paths, with both sides of the coin offering there own advantages and disadvantages. Early reviews have stated that the game as a good length to it, not to mention the many side-missions that scatter Empire City which will surely add some more game time to the mix. InFamous also feels like one of those games where you'll be eager for your second playthrough, of course most gamers will want to see both sides of the tale this PS3 exclusive as to tell anyway. 

If there are still some concerns about the game, a demo is set to hit PSN I believe this week (though I'm not 100% sure). Hopefully that will interest a few more PS3 owners, though I suspect most PS3 owners are already eager to get their hands on this exciting title when it eventually hits retail stores at the end of May around the Globe. There are still one or two concerns of my own, but those concerns are simply not big enough for me to question my preordering of the game. With InFamous electrifying stores at the end of May (I apologise for that joke), the E3 Expo starting up in the beginning of June and The Sims 3 hitting stores on June 5th. Well, let's just say that I'm in for a good few weeks of gaming and cannot wait.

Have any thoughts concerning InFamous or maybe even Prototype yourself? then please leave a comment.

Thanks for Reading,
Joseph Bayliss (TrueEnglishGent)
(Twitter: JosephBayliss)