Quick Info:
Overall Rating: 9.5
ESRB: T for Teen
Genre: Action, open world
Ride The Lightning...
While delivering a secret package, Cole McGrath gets an order to open it. As he does the device known as the Ray Sphere activates and wipes out Empire City. Followed by a plague, this triggers the government to quarantine the city so no one gets in, but worse, no one gets out. You are probably confused, but so was Cole. No one really knows what's going on, but something is happening and city needs to learn to cope with the situation. Along the way Cole is introduced with a power. The power to control lightning and electricity. This power will help Cole find the answers he seeks along with trying to save Empire City.
Lock-down
So, you probably get the picture that Cole is a courier of Empire City and opens a package that happens to explode and wipe out most of the city leaving few to survive. But how does Cole McGrath get these amazing powers? The Ray Sphere. Even though Cole doesn't know exactly what it does, the Ray Sphere affects Cole in a way that makes him biologically able to control lightning. The powers don't really get to flourish as the City is quarantined and put into a state of lock-down. In the first few minutes you will experience Cole gaining this ability. You will also meet your best friend Zeke. Zeke is a funny character that tags along with Cole sometimes and always wants to help out. Finally, without spoiling too much, you will notice that people in the city don't take a very strong liking to you because you were closest to the blast and survived it. Overall, the beginning of the game is done well, and the beginning really sets you up for the insane future of the game. It's compelling.
Empire City
Infamous is a open world game. The open world spans across three districts of Empire City: Neon, Warren, and Historical Districts. As you progress through the game, you will find yourself getting to each island multiple times. While in Empire City there is not much to do other than missions. You can do main missions, missions to change your karma (see next), or help some of the locals. Other than that you can kill the various gangs, destroy things like cars, and you can drain energy from various sources like lamps or generators. The city has some things to do, but it can get pretty boring. There are plenty of open world games that have much more exciting settings.
Karma
The karma system in the game is what makes the super-hero part most exciting. Certain missions will give you the choice to be good or evil, and I have had a lot of fun choosing which to be. You can do good things like putting yourself at risk to help others. Or you can leave citizens to rot while you do your mission while putting others at risk. Making these decisions don't only affect how people view you, but it affects your powers and appearance as well. If you are extremely good in the game you will be Hero status. People will like you. Along with the Hero, status you get a bright aura around you along with blue lightning. However, if you want to be evil, you can turn Infamous. This will result in the city hating you. Your powers will be red and your clothes go black and grey. You can make karma decisions through the entire game. The choice is yours.
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| Infamous Cole playing with lightning |
Drunk on power(s)
Whether you decide to be good or evil, there are still tons of powers to choose from. XP in the game will allow you purchase powers and eventually upgrade them. XP can be earned from anything. You can get XP from healing or killing strangers. However, your main income of XP will be from missions. Certain powers are only available to one karma status.
Playing as Cole
The gameplay in the game is well done. There isn't anything I would really change about the controller or the way the game is played. There are tons of powers to choose from by the end of the game, but the PS3 controller still makes sure that every single one has a button or combination that is still comfortable. Running around in Empire City is also a relief from time to time. It doesn't take ages to get somewhere, but there is no fast traveling. You can either walk, jump from building to building, or ride the train tracks with an ability that you can unlock. Cole's life has no meter, and can be recovered over time. The game Infamous uses the basic system of dieing once the screen gets all blurry, but your health recovers after running from combat. Cole is a fun character to manipulate, and he is even more fun to watch when making a karma decisions.
Comic cut-scenes
Infamous is pretty straight forward when it comes to graphics. however, the cut-scenes of the game are different. They are in a motion comic art form that appears to be drawn. Cut-scenes let you dive into Cole's mind as the narrative is done by Cole. They were fun to watch, and they never got old.
The Wrap
Infamous is a fun game. Although there is not much to do in the city Cole lives in, there is still a decent amount of play. The game is not a role-playing game, but it does offer a balanced XP system along with a karma system. Throughout the game you can expect some serious twists that only makes the game more enticing. It's fun to manipulate Cole to make good or evil choices to make an ever-lasting changes in the gameplay. Infamous is one of the best games of 2009 if not the best. It's an amazing game with amazing ideas that pull together to make a great gaming experience.
| Plot | 10 | The game has a in depth story that will keep you playing until the end to find the same answers that Cole seeks |
| Gameplay | 8.5 | Not much to do, but the rest of the game is compelling. |
| Graphics | <><>9 | <><>Standard graphics. The comic art cut-scenes were quite enjoyable. | <><>
| Controls | <><>9.5 | <><>The layout didn’t have much frustration, but it took some getting used to. Every power has a button or combination. | <><>
| Replay Value | <><>9 | <><>The game has replay value. The fact that there is two paths to take might make you want to play through the game more than once, and a second journey is just as fun. | <><>
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