The original InFamous found its way onto our Playstations in early 2009 where we were treated to a wonderful open-world superhero game that actually worked, and although it may have suffered from a few major faults, InFamous was hailed as the best comic book game ever until a certain Mr Batman arrived. 2 years after its original birth, the world of InFamous is back, but have Sucker Punch created a mega watt experience or is it a broken fuse? Here is my review:The story opens with a heart racing battle against the aptly named 'Beast' from the originals finish. Cole McGrath is faced with his demons and after an intense fight, is forced to flee to the recently flooded city of New Marais, a New Orleans inspired location. Travelling with his trusty friend Zeke, of whom is much less annoying this time, and an FBI agent named Lucy Kuo, Cole lands in New Marais in attempt to strengthen his powers, but instead he is faced with a mutant-hating tyrant and an army of ice soldiers. The whole narrative is structured around Cole finding 6 Blast Cores which will be used to destroy the Beast who is slowly closing down on Cole once again. Whether you choose to be a hero or villain, InFamous 2's story is great and is full of tantalising twists and a heart wrenching finale. The story borders on being too cheesy but strafes into the compelling with a more sympathetic Cole and humbling Zeke. (I will briefly mention that whilst I miss Cole's original voice actor, the newer Cole is a vast improvement on the first).
Sucker Punch have listened to the fans and have improved on what the fans wanted, resulting in a greatly improved sequel. Whilst the gameplay was original and unique in the first, Sucker Punch have charged Cole up in such ways that even after 15 hours of play, the feeling of novelty is still incredibly prevalent. With added variations of Cole's powers and the introduction of a new melee weapon known as the 'Amp', InFamous 2 increases Cole's arsenal 10-fold, resulting in a wider range of tactics and play styles. The powers are unlocked from either gaining XP or reaching a certain Karma level. The new destructive moves such as the Ionic Vortex are incredible and rip through the streets with such beauty that you'll end up you feeling like an actual electricity charged superhero. The 'Amp' is a lot of fun and adds an extra incentive for close combat but the camera can get muddled up sometimes, however, this is only a little niggle.My other 'little niggle' would be the Karma system. After the purely Black and White Karma system in the original, I was hoping for a few more subtle decisions, ones that weren't obvious to either direction, but sadly, the return is a miserable one as the inclusion of Cole's Angel and Demo Nix and Kuo make the Karma system much more laughable. However, saying that, it is still a very fun inclusion and adds an incentive to complete the story twice to see each ending.
The introduction of Nix and Kuo also means that Cole can use some different powers, not just is burning electricity. If you chose Nix, or the evil side, you are granted control over oil, whilst Kuo gives you power of ice. Both are fun combinations and reflect your morale compass very well. And you need this vastly increased power set if you are to defeat the enemies on offer. Long gone are the boring rebels of the first and in their place comes giant swamp creatures, ice titans and weird acid spiting snail things. The boss fights are less frequent now and are replaced with simply larger battles, although when a boss fight does occur, it on ridiculously massive terms!
Whether it be fighting mutants with ice blades or gliding over the ruins of New Marais, the frame rate is constantly smooth and the graphics are amazing.The original was a little bit rough around the edges but Sucker Punch have ironed them out and have made the second look simply mind blowing. The cut scenes are very well acted and voice acting is above average,e but not anything special. Also, the city of New Marais is much more alive than Empire City and each area is very distinct and unique, offering different challenges. It was great to see the city become more alive as the original was a bit dim.
With a single player campaign lasting around 15-20 hours, InFamous 2 is long enough to quench your superhero needs but with many people being urged to complete the game a second time around, the game will be in your disk tray for a while to come. There are still thousands of Blast Shards to be found and Dead Drops to beef up the background meaning that you can never get bored. And, as InFamous 2 is the latest Sony game to include the 'Play Create Share' moto, there is an incredibly deep mission creator, much like LittleBigPlanet, is terrifying at first, but once you tame the beast you will be editing away.
InFamous 2 is a masterpiece. Sucker Punch have tweaked and changed the formula, and as a result have ended up with a wonderful sandbox game that outs you in the shoes of a genuine superhero. Cole is more likeable and powerful this time round, finally tipping him into Sony's roster of mascots this generation. The graphics are gorgeous, the gameplay is fast and fluid and the story will leave will hit you like a 100,000 volt shock. Yes, the game is 'electrifying' and 'shockingly good', but cheesy puns aside, InFamous 2 is a charged up thrill ride that any comic book loving gamer will adore and cherish. Once again, 2011 ushers in another beautiful game. Bring it on Batman, there's a new hero in town!
The introduction of Nix and Kuo also means that Cole can use some different powers, not just is burning electricity. If you chose Nix, or the evil side, you are granted control over oil, whilst Kuo gives you power of ice. Both are fun combinations and reflect your morale compass very well. And you need this vastly increased power set if you are to defeat the enemies on offer. Long gone are the boring rebels of the first and in their place comes giant swamp creatures, ice titans and weird acid spiting snail things. The boss fights are less frequent now and are replaced with simply larger battles, although when a boss fight does occur, it on ridiculously massive terms!
Whether it be fighting mutants with ice blades or gliding over the ruins of New Marais, the frame rate is constantly smooth and the graphics are amazing.The original was a little bit rough around the edges but Sucker Punch have ironed them out and have made the second look simply mind blowing. The cut scenes are very well acted and voice acting is above average,e but not anything special. Also, the city of New Marais is much more alive than Empire City and each area is very distinct and unique, offering different challenges. It was great to see the city become more alive as the original was a bit dim. With a single player campaign lasting around 15-20 hours, InFamous 2 is long enough to quench your superhero needs but with many people being urged to complete the game a second time around, the game will be in your disk tray for a while to come. There are still thousands of Blast Shards to be found and Dead Drops to beef up the background meaning that you can never get bored. And, as InFamous 2 is the latest Sony game to include the 'Play Create Share' moto, there is an incredibly deep mission creator, much like LittleBigPlanet, is terrifying at first, but once you tame the beast you will be editing away.
InFamous 2 is a masterpiece. Sucker Punch have tweaked and changed the formula, and as a result have ended up with a wonderful sandbox game that outs you in the shoes of a genuine superhero. Cole is more likeable and powerful this time round, finally tipping him into Sony's roster of mascots this generation. The graphics are gorgeous, the gameplay is fast and fluid and the story will leave will hit you like a 100,000 volt shock. Yes, the game is 'electrifying' and 'shockingly good', but cheesy puns aside, InFamous 2 is a charged up thrill ride that any comic book loving gamer will adore and cherish. Once again, 2011 ushers in another beautiful game. Bring it on Batman, there's a new hero in town!
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