Infamous

 

 

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'Infamous' is one of those games that lives up to its hype in more ways than one. Its combat system is wholly unique among games, relying on non-conventional weapons instead of traditional firearms. The ability to wield electricity in many creative and useful ways is just one of the highlights of the game. When coupled with 'Grand Theft Auto'-style open world gameplay and a solid moral pendulum, 'Infamous' is as much about freedom of choice as action and adventure.

The game opens with Cole MacGrath awakening from a blinding explosion that kills thousands in the blink of an eye, and leaves the rest of Empire City a complete disaster. The government has quarantined the city and falsified media reports in an effort to contain the true threat: an organization called the First Sons who have completed a device called the RaySphere which is capable of granting a normal human being immense and unnatural powers. Cole finds that he has the ability to absorb electricity straight into his body, and harness it as a means of attack. His body is also granted superhuman abilities, allowing him to leap off of skyscrapers without harming himself. Cole soon learns that a man named Kessler has been orchestrating events from behind the scenes in an attempt to draw him out and force a confrontation. Cole must learn Kessler's true motives while staying one step ahead of city gangs and the F.B.I., while perfecting his growing powers.

'Infamous' is largely a non-linear affair. In between main missions, Cole can undertake side missions which will not only grant him the experience points necessary to unlock new powers, but also wrest control of the city's 3 main districts from their dominant gangs. This is a vital aspect of the game, as it will force the player to choose between Good or Evil actions which will directly affect Cole's physical appearance and progression, as well as his reputation among the city's residents. A noble and compassionate player will be admired and loved by civilians, while an evil and selfish Cole may be attacked out of hatred and fear. Cole himself does not rely on firearms or melee weapons, but rather the electricity generated from his own body. Long-time action fans may find this a bit jarring at first, but the patient player will grow to greatly admire this sense of independent weaponry which allows Cole to fire lightning bolts from his hands, toss exploding shock grenades, generate energy shields and even use electric currents to hover in mid-air. Similarly, Cole can upgrade said abilities to grind along telephone wires, cables, and electrified train tracks, as well as heal injured civilians, restrain evil foes with energy binders, or suck the life out of either. There's a great freedom of character progression in the game, and each player will utilize his or her specific set of preferred abilities to get the job done. That being said, most combat takes place within city limits and with innocent civilians caught in the crossfire. Depending on the player's particular style, one can either exercise caution so as not to strike and possibly kill these innocents, or simply fire away full barrel without caring who gets hurt. Even these battles can have a direct impact on Cole's morality. Experience points can be generated in numerous ways, from finishing missions that give gigantic XP bonuses, to simply healing people on the street for incremental XP points.

The storyline is a bit of a mixed bag, and a little hard to follow, especially in the middle. Major foes like Sasha and Alden come out of nowhere, with no real explanation as to how Cole knows them or their particular histories. They merely serve as the "bosses" of the first two districts, leaving Kessler as the third and final boss, and the only one who truly matters. Nevertheless, each of the three bosses must be dispatched using very particular methods, and none of them are even remotely alike. By contrast, the Reapers, Dustmen and First Sons enemies who populate each of the three districts are all the same, relying on rifles, grenades and rocket launchers to try and take you down. The First Sons do have a few tricks up their sleeve, but the player won't notice a strong degree of differentiation here. This also goes for the side missions, which are recycled several times throughout the course of the game. I would have enjoyed it more if some degree of imagination had been put into the missions, rather than sending me on pointless errands to rid apartment buildings of surveillance cameras or some other overused concept. By contrast, the game's challenges are rewards in and of themselves. There are several things to do that maintain the game's longevity and replay value. Cole can treasure hunt around Empire City for blast shards which not only unlock more energy slots, but also grant two trophies, and the player can also seek out "dead drops," which are information relays scattered about the city which contain audio recordings of an undercover agent's infiltration into Kessler's secretive First Sons. There are also stunts that can be performed which serve mainly as bragging rights (and another trophy) that involve specific criteria to unlock, such as striking an opponent with a lightning bolt while in mid-air, then thunder-dropping onto the same enemy in one smooth motion.

Controls are surprisingly intuitive and appreciated. Navigating Cole is a very easy affair, as are performing any of his attacks by utilizing simple button combinations. The default analog stick strength is quite high, so more precise players will no doubt tune it down for finer adjustment during aiming. There is some awkwardness with controls, especially when trying to jump and perform attacks at the same time. Careful timing is needed. The game's jumping and grappling system is well done, but can become burdensome and irritating in the middle of a firefight. The game will naturally align Cole to whatever object is close by while in mid-jump. Although meant as an aid to prevent frustrating falls and make it easier for the player to use the environment to their advantage, it can truly screw up a combat situation when the player wishes to leap from one platform to the other and ends up grabbing onto something completely different, instead. I praise Sucker Punch for going down the route of convenience, but it does have its costs. The game's implementation of enemy NPCs can also be irritating. Enemies populate by quick-spawning, sometimes right before the player's eyes, and can attack from all directions. Even with the use of the shield in the latter part of the game, Cole can find himself overwhelmed with rifle shots that he doesn't have time to find cover against. More often than not, the player will be forced to run down a narrow alleyway and wait for said foes to start funneling down the line to be cooked one by one. Thankfully, most fights are not so cheap, and allow Cole to really unleash some stylish combos and attack patterns.

Graphics are also a mixed bag. Empire City is well-thought out, but it can all look a bit plain and repetitive sometimes. Each of the three districts contains the usual train track, dock area and park locations that are varied up for a bit of difference. Character models are decent, but the real flash is in pryotechnics like Cole's bio-weaponry, car explosions and other bright effects. There's a slight degree of pop-up and a lot of framerate issues, but thankfully neither of these really hamper the gameplay. The game's cutscenes are told via animated comic book panels which add a layer of depth and style onto the already intriguing story. All in all, a great effort, but something that Infamous 2 would easily top. Sound and music are fine, but nothing substantial. Most players won't even notice the music, while sound effects sound very inspired and dynamic. Cole's electricity crackles and surges with each shot, explosions sound intense, and the 5.1 mix rumbles with precise clarity.

What I liked about 'Infamous' was the focus on freedom to tackle situations any way you want, and scour the city for extras even after the game is over. I played through the game twice; the first as a benevolent, compassionate hero who stopped to heal everyone who needed my help, and second as a miserable, selfish, brutally evil bastard. I didn't notice a huge difference in the unveiling of the story between the two. The biggest contrast between the two lies in Cole's relationship with girlfriend Trish, and the end result of beating Kessler in the final act. The only other noticeable area of difference was in regards to the Good and Evil side missions. There are 15 for each side, and accomplishing a Good mission will lock out an Evil mission and vice versa. In the end though, it's roughly the same play through.

'Infamous' deserves points for putting a new spin on a well-tread genre. It's original, smart, creative, and a lot of fun to play. It has its blemishes, but they're largely the result of taking on so much in an attempt to be different. I can't fault Sucker Punch for that. I've played 'Infamous' quite a lot, and I'm still not tired of it.

GRAPHICS: 8/10
SOUND: 10/10
CONTROL: 8/10
REPLAY VALUE: 10/10
FUNFACTOR: 9/10

OVERALL: 9/10

Infamous (or inFamous, or INFAMOUS, whatever you call it, it's the same thing) is a fun little game, that made my thumbs happy the past few weeks. The controls are great; the character is finely tuned and responsive, almost to a fault (e.g. if he falls alongside a building, he naturally "attracts" himself to hanging onto a ledge, which could be annoying sometimes). The controls are similar to FPS games in some ways, namely the aiming system, but it's different overall and it is quick and easy to catch onto the controls. The simple act of firing a lightning bolt, or jumping and landing on some pipe, feels great, and the physics certainly doesn't disappoint, as even though the character has plenty of ways of getting around, there is never a moment where it feels unnatural...even when you land a 100 ft fall.

There are also some rpg elements in there as well, namely the experience system in which you can purchase upgrades and new powers. Since you're always going to be encountering enemies every few minutes are so, you never really feel an acute need to gain xp, usually when upgrades are made available, they can be purchased right there. If not, all it takes are a couple fights and maybe a side mission or two, as your xp racks up fast. Building on that, there are some "stunts" you can use which can add to your xp totals, half of which you will most likely come by accidentally, while the other half can be a frustration to do. You also don't receive your complete set of powers until a few missions before the last, and considering that the enemies rack up in difficulty considerably by that time (it's not a walk in the park when you start, either), you'll still be kept on your toes (depending on what you like, this could be a good or a bad thing).

There is also the karma system which is what the game marks himself on, but I think it may actually be the weakest. If you want to ensure that you get to be the strongest you can be, you either have to go completely good or completely evil...if you do a mix of good and evil actions, you won't be able to access certain upgrades and powers. So the game does direct you into an either/or option, and it's a shame there is no middle ground where you can be just as powerful. Additionally, some of the "karmic moments" feel rather forced, and some are actually debatable in what's the good choice and what's the bad one. However, the good side and bad side are markedly different playing styles, and it is fun to play through once and be goody-two-shoes and try to avoid needless killing and helping citizens out, and then playing evil during the second playthrough (yes, it's just as fresh the second time around), and then blasting and killing everything willy-nilly.

The sandbox aspects of the game are great, you start off on one locked area but you're able to move on to the more difficult areas soon enough (which coincide with your increases in power pretty well, not to mention means of travel: the upgrade to grind powerlines and traintracks comes just before your first train mission, for example). At the end of the game, it is fun simply trying to grind powerlines throughout the whole city, trying to find an unbroken path.

Although you will certainly die a lot, the game overall isn't that hard, although i have only played it on medium setting. But whatevs; you get no punishment for dying, and your respawn points are most often reasonable. If you die during a long mission, you wont have to redo the whole thing, just from the last time the game autosaved (usually right before the battle that you died in). One of the character's powers is to suck electricity out of nearby objects, which not only replenishes your energy, but your health as well. So, if you're aware enough and use your radar to find items with electricity, you can ensure a rather uninterrupted playthrough.

Finally, like all sandbox games do, they have little markers spread around the city for you to collect. Now, usually I dislike these, but in this game it is actually quite reasonable, seeing that they can all be found using your radar, and there is enough scattered around that most you will likely come by accidentally anyway. And of course, they serve an actual purpose, in that they increase your capacity for energy. Even if you not actively look for them, you will encounter them enough to fill your gauge to the max, anyway.

Oh, and presentation is well done. The comic scenes are a pleasure to the eyes. The story itself is a bit standard, but nonetheless enjoyable.
If you ever wanted to race across buildings while calling down lightning justice upon unruly hobos, here's your chance.

Sucker Punch, who developed the Sly Cooper games for the PS2, brought a lot of the best from the thieving series to their new IP inFamous; and it turns out the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts.

In inFamous, you play as Cole: a guy that was caught in the wake of an explosion that killed hundreds and ruined a city that spans 3 islands, and in turn gained super powers. These powers all revolve around electricity. There's a various projectiles you can hurl which, for the most part function the same way but come in different levels of strong, stronger and strongest. You'll also get the ability to glide or hover for short distances, project a shield, grind on electrified rails & cables, and more.

Many of the powers are upgradeable. You purchase upgrades with experience points you rack up by completing missions, and performing various tasks.

The powers you get access to are in part dependent on whether you take a path of Good or Evil. And this is where the first downside seems to be. Myself I only played through the game once so far, and took the side of good. It appeared to me that once you make a decision on which path to, you best stick with that path as close as possible. The reason being is that certain upgrades are only available as you move up in the levels of Good and Evil. So if you stay neutral, and do not end up swinging either way, you will have limited upgrades available. Certain decisions you make will not only affect which powers you get but will also change how the story unfolds to encourage multiple play-throughs.

The need for extremes in your decisions is oddly out of place however, considering how much balance is present in the rest of the game. In terms of what there is to do, there seems to be equal parts platforming, exploration, and shooter-style action, and they all compliment each other quite nicely.

The city environments will give you plenty of real estate to crawl, run, and jump through. There's plenty of ledges, scaffolding, windows, fences, and a variety of other items that will let you climb over and around the environment.

The controls and the camera works very well in this respect, particularly when going up. Going down can succumb to the game's attempt at anticipating what you want to do. You may want to fall down very close to the side of a building, but you end up grabbing ledges off to the side impeding an intended fall.

Where the camera did take a little getting used to was when it crept up behind you as you move into shooter-mode. I found it hard at first to zero in on my enemies, find them in a crowd, then keep them in my sights. After a little bit of practice though it came naturally.

The developers were also kind enough to forgo quick time events. The only thing reminiscent of pointless button presses was the 2 times I recall have to repeatedly mash the X button to make something happen. But even something this simple was improved by giving you something else to do while tiring the thumb on your right hand. You also had to line up the characters hand over a certain area of the screen with the left analog stick, so even this task didn't feel useless like it does in other titles.

Another helping fulcrum can be found between the difficulty level and the mission check points. There are some challenging actions to pull off, but the game makes it easy to get the practice you need by not sending you back too far or wiping out the progress you made on key events.

When taking into consideration both the main story missions and side missions, you could find yourself having to take part in raids, escorting prisoners, protecting transports, infiltrating bases, retrieving packages, completing races, defending key locations, and more!

Some missions will have you crawling through the sewers and fixing electrical stations to restore power to sections of the city above. Although the sewers are rather bare, the lighting effects in the dark tunnels added some nice atmosphere. And when you've completed these missions, there's a little more life brought back to the city. Combine this with the fact that as your clear areas the enemies thin out you really feel like the city is improving in stature as you progress.

It sounds like there's a lot to do but when you break it down, really all the missions are about climbing, running and shooting a lot. The goals are different, but the road to the end is relatively the same. In addition to that, I felt there was little variety in the enemies. Yes, they had different models, but for the most part it's just guys with gun (with a few of exceptions).

These items should be a bad thing, however despite the only minor differences in mission types and most of your foes, it's still a lot of fun. It's fun to do the basics. It's fun to find the right vantage points, and climb the city, and despite the relatively small differences in your powers for offence, it's fun taking out the bad guys. It's fun to take them out while riding a rail, falling through the air, or by making a car explode on top of them.

It has action that never feels drawn out or tedious. It has options and choices to make, but they're not overwhelming. It has some depth, but you won't find yourself drowning. Sucker Punch did what they do best: taking the old concept of 'simple and straightforward is fun' while adding all the flare and style of our current age of gaming to deliver a highly enjoyable game.

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4.0 out of 5 stars My inFAMOUS thoughts
This game took a little getting used to, the controls were sometimes awkward but with a little practice everything comes naturally. Read more

Published on Jan 5 2010 by Robert Chapman

5.0 out of 5 stars My type of game!
Open worlds are hit and miss - this one is a sandbox type that is pretty simple to maneuver around (like Assassin's Creed). Read more

Published on Aug 20 2009 by William J. Serson

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly addictive, fun and always something new
I'm very glad I didn't base my purchase on the demo. This game is great. Highly entertaining, challenging, always changing open world game. Get it, it's well worth the money.

Published on Aug 18 2009 by Piero N. Rocca

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Game
One of the better exclusives for the PS3. Awesome free-roaming sandbox game (and cool powers to boot). Love it. Play it at least twice to get the most out of it.

Published on Jun 22 2009 by David Robertson

4.0 out of 5 stars Great game
although this game isn't perfect (some framerate issues) its still a game that you keep coming back to.

Published on Jun 20 2009 by S. Vos

5.0 out of 5 stars inFamous Review
inFamous is a great game. I loved the demo and bought the game. If you do all the side missions, collect the blast shards and get the dead drops it takes a long time. Read more

Published on Jun 11 2009 by Rudyjuly2

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Game. The price WTF!
I've played the demo and it gives you a taste of the variety of missions in the game so yes its good. You should get the game but WAIT.

Problem is the price. Read more

Published on May 27 2009 by ZaCloud

3.0 out of 5 stars Too expensive
Checked amazon to see if they had a decent price on this after some good luck with world at war and little big planet, but $66.99 is no deal. Read more

Published on May 20 2009 by Joxer

1.0 out of 5 stars Redonkulous I tell you!!
First off, this is not a review of the game just my opinion on the price point and the number of stars I have given it reflect that opinion. Read more

Published on May 13 2009 by Roland Deschain

5.0 out of 5 stars overpriced
this game is GREAT!! u should go pre-order this game now! i got an early access to the game and its AMAZING!! just too bad that in canada the price is $69.99 and in the U.S. Read more

Published on April 14 2009 by I. Abramov

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