I originally was not too hyped for “Infamous,” and I was not a fan of the “Sly Cooper” series, but I trusted Sucker Punch, the developer, to create an interesting experience. I thought I would just play a solid game, but I found an experience that offered much more.
“Infamous” begins 14 days after Cole, a mail courier, is found at the epicenter of an explosion that leaves Empire City quarantined by the U.S. government. The blast gives Cole electrical powers and it’s up to him to save the city from gangs that have taken advantage of the explosion, or to take over the city himself. Cole is also on a mission to escape Empire City, to uncover who gave him the package and to protect his relationship with his girlfriend Trish and best friend Zeke.
“Infamous” features a huge sandbox world with no loading. It’s easy to compare “Infamous” to “Crackdown‘s” superhero gameplay fused with “Assassin’s Creed’s” parkour mechanics. Cole can climb everything from phone booths to sky scrappers with ease. The controls are simple, and pressing X makes Cole jump from object to object. Cole’s body acts similar to a magnet when he jumps from any object to another, but it felt natural and helped me become confident to jump further distances. The mechanics feel very similar to “Sly Cooper,” so the platforming and climbing felt organic and I enjoyed traversing the city.
Cole’s powers are integrated into the city’s power grid so absorbing electricity from nearby power transformers or cars will replenish Cole’s health and energy. Sucker Punch did an awesome job always keeping Cole within range of electricity, and Cole’s “spider sense” is shows nearby electrical sources on screen and on the radar. Some areas of Empire City have not had power restored and are dangerous to venture into early on. Cole gains another power every time he restores electricity to each section of the city.
Cole’s powers develop through karma choices and his rank. Choosing the evil path will make Cole’s powers focus on destruction, while Cole’s good powers allow him to target specific enemies to avoid harming nearby citizens. There are over eight powers in “Infamous” and each have three ranks of upgradeability along with being good or evil. I played through “Infamous” completely evil, and the result was insane.
Karma choices effect Cole’s power development and rank . These moments allow you to decide whether Cole is good or evil. Honestly, the choices do not feel creative until the end of the game, but some earlier choices will effect the storyline. The game pauses and explains the situation and what choice will make you good or evil.
Healing citizens or making the right choice will increase Cole’s karma meter toward good and after an amount of time his rank will increase. The last ranks are infamous and hero. When a new rank is reached, Cole’s good or evil powers are available to upgrade. However, if Cole loses his rank by making too many opposite choices from his current karma, he will lose the ability to use the power level until he increases his rank again.
People pushed Cole and gathered crowds to stone him when I became infamous. While it rewarded them with a shock or two, I had to become cautious of them while fighting against gang members.
I constantly picked fights with gangs and citizens to arc electricity between them and finish someone with a head shot that would create an explosion that would arc to others. If enemies take cover behind cars, blow up every car around them and toss in electric grenades to make if flashy. “Infamous” successfully makes evil feel great, completing stunts keeps combat fresh while introducing creative ways to dispatch enemies.
While the graphics in “Infamous” do not stand out, the story’s presentation and replay value do. The story is shown through digital graphic novel panels that are vibrant and captivating, and interesting broadcasts on television. Cole effectively narrates each panel and I was eager to watch the next one. The city is externalized through television broadcasts. One voice labels Cole a terrorist and negates his good deeds by saying it was other citizens, while the other is a news reporter who disguises Cole’s deeds as the government’s. The 350 blast shards scattered throughout the city are addicting to collect, and the scattered radio messages provide useful background information to the story.
“Infamous’” only negative points are its graphics, the enemies being too accurate and there are some frame rate and collision detection issues after the first part of the city, but it never becomes a problem.
The highest compliment I can pay “Infamous” is that I wanted to keep playing more. Side missions last five minutes or less and are an easy way to receive experience points. Being evil is worth playing because Cole’s powers are more aggressive and enjoyable. Highlights like gigantic gang battles and platforming sections are found throughout the city. “Infamous” is a worthy addition to any PlayStation 3 owner’s library.
Rating: B+
System: PlayStation 3
Price: $59.99
ESRB: T for Teen
Pub: Sony Computer Entertainment
Dev: Sucker Punch
Player: 1
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