Life is all about choice, isn’t it? The gaming industry has not always given the player the opportunity to exercise some form of choice whilst playing a game. Open world (sandbox) games have given the player the freedom to choose which mission they would like to do and in what order. But was it enough? Enter Infamous. Will this PS3 exclusive give gamers the freedom they have always longed for?
Infamous is a mix and match of a number different gaming genres. To begin, it is a third-person open world shooter, platformer, and brawler. Quite a mouthful isn’t it? The events in the game take place in ‘Empire City’ following a massive explosion that has torn apart the city. You will play as Cole McGrath, a courier who wakes up after the blast and discovers that he has gained a power to create and control electricity. Your mission is then to discover the reason and person behind the explosion and the restore the city back to normal, But……. do you really want to? (we’ll turn back to this in a second).
The story is quite original and well thought out. It carries a lot of depth and will keep the player very interested as they play through the game. Interestingly the game does not have any CG cut scenes. These have been replaced by graphic novel-like drawings which are narrated by Cole. Even though they are drawings, slides and cuts are used to convey a sense of movement and superhero antics. This is a original way of story-telling and it works very well. It also boasts some good voice acting that avoids the cliches experienced in some ‘super-hero’ games and it manages to make inFamous believable and immersing.
As mentioned Infamous combines several genres in one. With Cole’s newly found powers you will have to blast through hoards of enemies, try and maneuver your way up building as you attempt to complete the main missions as well as the side missions in the game. The main missions will allow for the story to progress but you are encouraged to do the side missions as they give you much needed experience points and they link in with the events of the story. One of the greatest aspects of Infamous is that you are given the opportunity to play the game in two different ways. The game works on a karma system and so at different moments in the game you enter a karma moment where you will have to choose between a good and an evil action. In short you have the choice whether you would like to become the Hero or whether you want to be Infamous.
The two versions of the campaign are very similar in terms of story, with the exception of a few in game cutscenes. However they do offer the player a different experience of the game because certain powers are only available to specific karmas as well as certain side missions. The karma system works very well in the game and keeps the game interesting as the choices can be quite tough at times. This offers a great deal of replay value as it will ensure you play the game at least once more to experience the other side. Cole’s powers can also be upgraded using XP that is earned by performing certain tasks or completing missions. The controls in Infamous are very slick and user friendly. There is no auto-lock aim and you will have to hold in the R1 and aim for yourself. This works well and offers more of a challenge to the player.
From the word go you will notice the outstanding graphics that inFamous has to offer. Graphically it sets a new standard for open world games of this magnitude. Overall the graphics make good use of the PS3’s capability and really add to the already awesome inFamous experience. The character modeling is executed very well and a lot of attention has been paid in the details of the characters, (especially Cole) from facial expressions to items of clothing. With competent lip syncing and Cole’s ability to maneuver with ease, the character movements are very fluid and well animated.
The open world in inFamous is of a large magnitude and it will take you a great deal of time to cover every area of the map in search of in game collectables. Even though Sucker Punch has created such a large area, it has still managed to offer a great looking level design. Empire city has many different buildings as well as good looking sewer areas. The amount of detail in the city is impressive with trash and rubble strewn all over the city. The innocent people in the city have also been well made and interact with Cole and his enemies. One can clearly see that the developers have spent a lot of time refining the game.
Overall Infamous offers the player a new perspective in the open-world. It gives you the chance to feel like Lara Croft as you make your way up buildings, it makes you feel like a solider with your ability to aim to use your powers, and it makes you feel like you have control of your fate by choosing the actions that you want to. It offers great gameplay in conjunction with excellent graphics and everything from story to minor details gives the impression of a very polished game. What it all comes down to in the end is… are you a Hero? Or are you Infamous… For now, inFamous is the hero around these parts.
[starreviewmulti id=1 tpl=20]
