Simply put - fantastic!
Take the open-worldness of GTA, add a dash of the powers from Bioshock, sprinkle in some of the exhilaration felt in Mirror's Edge when you jump from rooftop to rooftop and finish it off with the control of Uncharted. Add them all together, and you're somewhere close to what InFamous is like.
I'll skip over the (great) story as this is readily available and other reviewers have touched on it, instead I'll focus on just why I feel this is a 5 star game. For starters, the setting of Empire City is immense - while not as big as Liberty City from GTA, this is made up for by one of the games key features - the ability to scale anything in the landscape, meaning with a few leaps and bounds you can be at the top of a large building. This opens up whole new areas for exploration that you'd need a 'copter to get to in GTA. And, if you need to get down? Just jump! Cole, as a superhero, can handle any fall.
The game is a sandbox game, so the city is yours to explore, and getting about is easy. I won't reveal too much, but throughout the game Cole discovers various new powers as he gets to grips with what has happened to him, and early on you learn how to get about on railway tracks pretty quickly, which is a lot of fun, and makes getting about the city quick and effortless (until you run into some reapers!) As I mentioned, throughout the game you learn new ways of utilising the electricity flowing through Cole, but as I'm sure you know the basic concept of how Cole can shoot electricity, I'll save any more information on what he can do for when you play it!
The reapers are the enemies of the game (to start with...) and run the area of the city you start in. The game itself has a main storyline which you'll find out when you play it, but much like GTA San Andreas, you can take away areas being run by the reapers and make them safe. You do this by completing side missions that also help you gain XP which in turn can be put towards improving your powers. The side missions are presented very well, in such a way that you don't just skim past them in favour of the main story as can happen in games like this. On your hub, side missions are represented by a yellow exlaimation mark (main storyline is blue) and often, when you're on your way to a main mission mark, a yellow one will appear right near you, luring you into attempting it. There are variations in the missions, which brings me onto my next point...
Karma is an important part of the game, other games have utilised this concept to varying degrees and in InFamous it's central to the game. On the note of side missions, some of them are treated as bad missions (starting a riot) or good missions (helping heal people), and this affects your karma. Similarly to Fable, the more good things you do, the better the reaction of others will be to you and vice versa. The karma system is strong enough to warrant you playing through as good/evil, then playing again doing everything else to the opposite extreme. Different powers are opened up depending on your karma rating, further heightening the desire to change your decisions - do you keep doing the good things, or do you mive to the darker side just to get a new power? The choice is up to you and it's a fun one to make.
Graphically, the game is very good, if not excellent. The city looks great and Cole's powers look pretty intense. The cut scenes are presented in a comic book fashion and look fantastic, however some of the scenes that actually take place within the game are sketchy, and the lip sync is static. Dialogue is strong, though for me Cole's voice is a litte tooo much on the side of gruff superhero, but that's just me.
The bottom line of InFamous is that it mixes in many different ideas from other games, and uses them all to full effect. What you're left with is a game that is, above all else, brilliantly fun, something that can often be lacking in open games like this (I mean, did anyone really enjoy having to go on dates in GTAVI?!) It's essentially a TPS meets sandbox meets RPG meets free-running meets superhero game, but only the good bits of each genre.
Basically, buy it, it's fantastic, thoroughly fun, the kind of game you think about when you're not playing it, and when you are playing it, you don't want to stop.
EDIT: Having fully completed the game on being both good and evil, I feel I should also mention the trophies that come with the game. Whether you're a trophy hoarder or a casual gamer, I have to say the Infamous trophies are excellent - some easy, some hard, but unlike many games, all acheivable with a little work and persistence (there are no 'finish the game on super-hard survivor mode whilst not dying or even being shot' trophies here. Aiming for a platinum trophy only increases replay value.
The definition of FUN!
Sucker Punch have created a masterpiece with inFamous. It's extremely enjoyable, and plays like GTA meets Assassins Creed, with a superhero twist. The game opens with an abstract view of the city, pressing Start triggers a massive explosion which rips through the streets. It's a subtle touch, but involves the player from the first button press. Everything feels geared towards fun. Cole can fall from any height, scale any surface, and the controls are intuitive and forgiving. New abilities are unlocked at a generous pace, preventing gameplay from becoming stale. It feels like a breath of fresh air.
The option to be good or evil works outstandingly. Missions are available for both sides, with completed missions cancelling out the other. Karma also affects appearance, and how civilians react to you. Being a hero causes people to cheer and take photos, evil prompts them to boo and throw rocks. Good and evil options are available during missions, such as an early escape attempt. Cole can either attack the riot cops from within the safety of the crowd, meaning attention would be diverted from himself. This would cause a riot, and lead to innocent people getting hurt. The other option is to attack the riot cops single handedly, and deal with the consequences. The quality of these moral choice holds throughout, meaning it's impossible to see everything on the first play through. Every action (killing enemies, completing missions etc) earns XP points. These are used to upgrade Cole's abilities, giving inFamous a light RPG element.
Dialogue between characters is interesting, and at times genuinely funny. Particularly between Cole and conspiracy theorist Zeke. At one point he snaps:
"Get some rest, and a bath, I've got things to do!" Cole's actions are twisted by opposing news stations, which is also entertaining. Sound effects and music are similarly outstanding.
Additional tasks include locating 350 blast shards, essentially inFamous' hidden packages. Dead drops contain encrypted messages which help piece together what's happened to Empire City. Territory can be reclaimed from the former addicts and junkies, who took control of the city when it was quarantined. This is done by completing side quests. The selection includes 'Counter Surveillance' - destroying camera equipment & 'Satellite Uplink' - a checkpoint race across the rooftops. There is some repetition, but the tasks are all entertaining, and manage to throw up some surprises.
If I had to criticise: the graphics aren't spectacular. There are some nice touches, especially Cole's electrical powers. But a little extra polish would have been nice. However, when inFamous is this playable, and this much fun, it becomes insignificant.
Shockingly Good
If you can excuse the awful pun, I will try to ensure this is a detailed, non-facetious review about what can only be described as an electric game (last time, I promise).
Infamous adds to a list of the ever-proliferating sandbox game genre, yet the addition of superpowers is a trait shared by very few of this mould (Crackdown and Prototype being the only two others of a similar ilk that spring to mind).
During this adventure, you assume the role of Cole McGrath, a humble delivery man whose life is flipped when a package he's delivering provides him with unimaginable powers, whilst, as a minor side-effect, destroying half of the city he inhabits - perhaps not the best start to one's career as a superhero.
The city has been thrown into quarantine; gangs have assumed control; and it is up to you to foil a sinister plot, and ultimately save Empire City.
But then again, the title is quick to highlight `Being a hero is only optional'.
Yes, as is seemingly the mandate in expansive games these days, the moral choice is one of the facets of the game, providing you with the option of shaping your appearance, your powers, and...well...in theory, your destiny - as with nearly all games with this addition, the story line is affected minimally.
Unfortunately with the morale choice, comes the scope for one path to be far superior to the other, and ultimately leave people rightly vexed when they have spent 20-30 hours following one route, only to find the alternative was far more rewarding.
No prizes for guessing which route is superior out of good or evil.
As storytelling goes, there is always an underlying reason for one's evil nature; no-one is so vindictive for no apparent reason. And generally, the reasoning behind one's malevolency is greed and power, and this game provides that incentive.
Personally, I cannot do the evil side of games. `It's just a game' is all I hear when I explain my reasons behind such a move to less sympathetic friends, but when I watch a movie for example, I want to be able to relate to the character. If the protagonist of a film went around burning orphans and kicking puppies, I would not want him to succeed.
If, like me, you are someone that gets engrossed in the story line, and tends to relate to the characters within the game, I'm sure you'll empathise with me when I say it can be hard to force yourself down the evil route. Infamous is so good at sucking you in that for brief moments, you think of it as reality, and, if only for a split-second, it pains me when I see the anguish of those I have left to burn.
So I took the arduous route of doing the morally right, only to find that the flip-side of it was to become twice as powerful.
Well why not do the evil route now? Even if I could get past my unease, the differences in the story are so negligible it doesn't seem worth the bother. And that's one of the problems with the moral choice; you never get total closure concerning the game unless you do both routes, so either you're left unfulfilled, or you spend another 20 hours going through the same process with minor differences.
Contrition about my choice aside though, I found playing through the game to be an enjoyable experience.
When you think of electricity as a power, you think lightning bolts, and not much else, right? Wrong - apparently electricity can be used to make you fly (well, more of a glide), tie people down, bring people back to life, and much more. I'm no scientist, but some of these powers don't seem entirely feasible (as opposed to all of those other realistic superheroes ;)).
To be fair, bringing people back to life has some credibility to it - after all, you could be a human...err...one of those zappy things doctors use to restore someone's heart-beat (hey, I said I'm no scientist) - but then again, it loses some merit when you can accidentally (or not if you chose the heartless option) electrocute someone, only to give a healthy dose of electricity to bring them back to life.
But to be honest, that didn't hinder my enjoyment of the game in the slightest.
For me, the combination of powers and parkour (which your character conveniently expertises in) allows you to roam the city with great freedom, both exploring and destroying the environment if you so choose.
Furthermore, powers haven't just been added for the sake of additional powers; each power has visibly different uses and effects (as opposed to the sort of game where you have 5 attacks which do largely the same).
On top of this, the fact that there are not too many powers means that there is no need to have to interrupt play to select your next power of choice; you simply have different buttons assigned to each one.
As well as excellent destructive fun, I found the storyline to be very captivating, and leaves the game open for a sequel, whilst the characters within the text all have their own charm; meaning if you can't find yourself relating to the more serious, less easy-going love of your life Trish, for example, you may find that you are increasingly amused by the more vibrant Zeke (your best friend).
There are also a number of side-missions for you to involve yourself in, which not only provide you with additional experience and enjoyment, but also help you recapture the city, by forcing the gangs out of each section you complete a side-quest in.
Admittedly, they tend to get a touch banal and repetitive in the end (many of them are the same concept just with different enemies and settings), yet overall, they helped improve the longevity of the game greatly.
Would I recommend this game? In spite of some minor qualms with it, I feel this game is incredibly fun. The sandbox setting is well used; the fighting side of the game is in-depth, yet smooth; and the storyline is engrossing.
I would definitely urge you to buy it; in fact, I would suggest you rush down to the store like lightning for it...sorry :(
About inFamous (PS3) detail
- Amazon Sales Rank: #83 in Computer & Video Games
- Brand: Sony
- Released on: 2009-05-29
- Rating: To Be Announced
- Platform: PLAYSTATION 3
- Format: Unknown format
- Dimensions: .26 pounds
inFamous (PS3) Description
Cole, an everyday guy, sets out to deliver a package in the downtown area of Empire City. Present at the scene of a devastating explosion that rocks Empire City, he barely manages to survive the event. As riots erupt in the aftermath, the city collapses into chaos and becomes overrun by powerful criminals. The city is quarantined from the mainland, and television broadcasts link Cole to the scene of the crime. Cole is now a wanted man, but he's also wielding extraordinary powers as a result of the explosion. As an evolving mystery unfolds, Cole must learn how to grasp his newfound super powers as he searches for the real culprits behind the blast in an attempt to rescue Empire City from complete anarchy.
- Be a Hero: Take on the role of Cole, an everyday guy and urban explorer, who develops a wide range of electricity-based powers. Learn how to adapt to Cole's evolving powers in an attempt to save Empire City and its people.
- Super Powers: Feel what it is like to discover, grow and use a wide range of electricity-based super powers (good or bad), and grasp the responsibility that comes from being so powerful.
- Epic Battles: Experience what it is like to be a true hero, taking responsibility for every action, as players battle against powerful iconic villains.
- Open Dynamic World: Coupling rich powers with a reactive environment and population, experience complete freedom to explore a deep, open interactive city. Players will be challenged to decide if they choose to save or destroy Empire City.
- Urban Exploration: Scale the cityscape to discover new vantage points and employ a vertical combat system. Utilise Cole's climbing skills to go where most people can not, opening up a variety of offensive and defensive combat options.
- Organic, City Ecology: Watch the citizens and city react and evolve depending on players' actions. Events will unfold b
