Derrick
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inFamous is easily one of the best PS3 exclusives released to date
Players step into the boots of Cole McGrath as he tries to make sense of a massive explosion which decimates his home town; Empire City.
Two weeks after the explosion occurs, Cole wakes up in the center of its blast radius and discovers that a package that he was on his way to deliver exploded causing the subsequent devastation.
He also discovers that upon regaining consciousness he is now capable of channeling electricity which he can fire from his hands. Furthermore he is now capable of withstanding significant physical harm and can scale buildings at a rapid rate.
Apart from the city’s newly acquired post-apocalypse themed aesthetic, it has also been ravaged by a mysterious infection, hostile gang rule as well as super villains that posses their own fair share of amazing abilities.
When word gets out that Cole awoke at the center of the blast radius the city’s remaining population blame him for the catastrophe.
Cole’s first instinct is to fight his way out of the quarantined city, an undertaking that fails but puts Cole in touch with his first important contact, an FBI agent called Moya. So begins an intriguing and compelling plot line which sees Cole interacting with a variety of unique and memorable characters.
The quality of inFamous’ plot and narrative stands head and shoulders above what most games deliver, with outstanding character development and complex relationships playing out as the player is carried towards a satisfying grand finale.
While the overall story line is easily good enough to be made into an above average film, the manner in which it is told is sometimes not as clear as we would have liked with many of its intricacies being easily lost on anyone not paying close attention.
What goes around comes around
As if the story told in inFamous is not detailed and complex enough, the game adds something that is becoming a common feature in many modern games: moral choice.
inFamous makes use of a “Karma” system. At various points throughout the game players are given the option of completing an objective in either a “good” way or an “evil” way. This usually involves an option where innocent bystanders get hurt but the reward is slightly greater and of course an option whereby the least amount of people are hurt but Cole receives no bonus.
This system is further advanced with smaller actions. Hurting and healing innocent bystanders will affect Cole’s Karma standing, and so will the manner in which he chooses to defeat his enemies, whether it be executing them once he takes them down or capturing them alive.
An indicator on the top left of the screen informs players where they stand on the Karma scale. As the game progresses Cole is able to upgrade his powers and learn new ones. Many powers and upgrades require Cole to be of a certain moral standing, so it is in the player’s best interest to stick to one chosen path so as to unlock the best upgrades.
While this offers players added control of their in game personality, it also excludes a good portion of the game’s content depending on which side the player chooses. There is of course the option to play the game again on the opposite side of the karma scale, but the differences in the gameplay and story line are arguably not great enough to justify doing so.
It’s fun. Lots of fun.
inFamous delivers impressively in the fun factor department. The open world city offers a massive sprawling landscape of buildings to scale and having Cole jump from skyscraper to skyscraper is truly exhilarating.
The controls are almost perfect, allowing players to be thoroughly immersed in the experience with minimal frustrations arising from input limitations.
The majority of Cole’s time is spent zapping enemies with bolts of electricity; however, the manner in which players can enter combat situations is open-ended. For instance, players may chose to sneak around their opponents, scaling a building in order to achieve higher ground. From above Cole can attack his unsuspecting prey showering them with devastating shock grenades.
Alternatively Cole can rush his opponents, dodging between cover until getting close enough to use an ability that is reminiscent of Jedi “Force push”, flinging them into the air where they will freefall multiple stories to meet an unfortunate end on the concrete below.
Of course further options extend to sniping from a distance, a melee assault and even using the environment to do the damage, such as blowing up cars and generators.
The options are virtually endless, and every situation is solidly furnished by an excellent physics system and variety of abilities.
One of the highlights of inFamous is the multitude of unlockable abilities, all of which are exciting and effective if used properly. Every time the player starts getting accustomed to an ability a new one is discovered, allowing players to combine different attacks and upgrade them as the game progresses. The results are truly devastating and at the end of the game Cole is incredibly powerful.
The enemies are suitably varied, from garden variety infantry grunts, to kamikaze units that will charge screaming before exploding magnificently. As the game progresses the enemies become more varied and challenging which is just as well because Cole becomes significantly more powerful as he unlocks new abilities.
While being challenging, inFamous is never too difficult and we never got stuck in one place to the point of frustration.
The story line missions are varied and imaginative, from having to take down massive air balloons and airborne drones to the dramatic boss fights which are intense and satisfying.
The side missions are also excellent, although after some time, like most open world games, they begin to recycle the various formats with tiring frequency. There are a handful of side mission types of which we had become all too familiar with by the end of the game.
That said, the side missions provide hours of enjoyment as well as valuable XP which players can use to upgrade Cole’s abilities. These are especially relevant early-game and mid-game, while we suspect many gamers will be eager to get on with the storyline towards the end.
Technically sound
inFamous does not push the boundaries in terms of visuals in gaming, however it is certainly not the ugliest kid at the dance. While there are times when some of the textures look dated, there are also times when players will be awed by the sheer scale and detail that it present in Empire City.
Cole’s animations are particularly fluid and satisfying. The lightening effects that players will become accustomed to deliver an epic sense of magnitude and the overall gloomy artistic direction will suck players in with its uniquely immersive atmosphere.
The sounds are spot on; with satisfying rumbles and excellent voice work which adds to the credibility of each character. Even Cole’s gruff one liners are never cheesy, somehow dodging the bullet that has made its mark on everything that Vin Diesel has ever touched.
The physics engine is brilliant, and the open world sandbox is populated with countless grip-points which Cole can climb or swing from. The environment interaction is impressive as is the manner in which Cole can destroy almost anything, from enemy cover to cars and rails.
What’s wrong with it?
While inFamous is not perfect it comes admirably close.
There are times when the visuals could be slicker, and there are instances where slight frame rate drops become noticeable. However these instances are rare and for the most part inFamous does look the part.
The side missions could have been more varied especially towards the end of the game where performing them seems pointless. However, the depth of the characters and enjoyment that arises from the storyline missions picks up the slack here rendering this point largely mute.
Multiplayer could have been spectacular and was a sad omission from inFamous. We suspect that Sucker Punch may be saving this for the sequel.
Conclusion
inFamous is certainly the best PS3 game we have played this year.
The game easily offers 15-20 hours of gameplay time on its first play through. This can be extended or shortened depending on how many side missions one performs. Of course there is also the option to play through the game a second time around on the opposite Karma scale, effectively doubling up the games long term value proposition.
inFamous’ high production values, excellent story line and characters, compelling and rewarding character progression, enjoyable combat system and fluid navigation make it an absolute must have for PS3 owners.
Players step into the boots of Cole McGrath as he tries to make sense of a massive explosion which decimates his home town; Empire City.
Two weeks after the explosion occurs, Cole wakes up in the center of its blast radius and discovers that a package that he was on his way to deliver exploded causing the subsequent devastation.
He also discovers that upon regaining consciousness he is now capable of channeling electricity which he can fire from his hands. Furthermore he is now capable of withstanding significant physical harm and can scale buildings at a rapid rate.
Apart from the city’s newly acquired post-apocalypse themed aesthetic, it has also been ravaged by a mysterious infection, hostile gang rule as well as super villains that posses their own fair share of amazing abilities.
When word gets out that Cole awoke at the center of the blast radius the city’s remaining population blame him for the catastrophe.
Cole’s first instinct is to fight his way out of the quarantined city, an undertaking that fails but puts Cole in touch with his first important contact, an FBI agent called Moya. So begins an intriguing and compelling plot line which sees Cole interacting with a variety of unique and memorable characters.
The quality of inFamous’ plot and narrative stands head and shoulders above what most games deliver, with outstanding character development and complex relationships playing out as the player is carried towards a satisfying grand finale.
While the overall story line is easily good enough to be made into an above average film, the manner in which it is told is sometimes not as clear as we would have liked with many of its intricacies being easily lost on anyone not paying close attention.
What goes around comes around
As if the story told in inFamous is not detailed and complex enough, the game adds something that is becoming a common feature in many modern games: moral choice.
inFamous makes use of a “Karma” system. At various points throughout the game players are given the option of completing an objective in either a “good” way or an “evil” way. This usually involves an option where innocent bystanders get hurt but the reward is slightly greater and of course an option whereby the least amount of people are hurt but Cole receives no bonus.
This system is further advanced with smaller actions. Hurting and healing innocent bystanders will affect Cole’s Karma standing, and so will the manner in which he chooses to defeat his enemies, whether it be executing them once he takes them down or capturing them alive.
An indicator on the top left of the screen informs players where they stand on the Karma scale. As the game progresses Cole is able to upgrade his powers and learn new ones. Many powers and upgrades require Cole to be of a certain moral standing, so it is in the player’s best interest to stick to one chosen path so as to unlock the best upgrades.
While this offers players added control of their in game personality, it also excludes a good portion of the game’s content depending on which side the player chooses. There is of course the option to play the game again on the opposite side of the karma scale, but the differences in the gameplay and story line are arguably not great enough to justify doing so.
It’s fun. Lots of fun.
inFamous delivers impressively in the fun factor department. The open world city offers a massive sprawling landscape of buildings to scale and having Cole jump from skyscraper to skyscraper is truly exhilarating.
The controls are almost perfect, allowing players to be thoroughly immersed in the experience with minimal frustrations arising from input limitations.
The majority of Cole’s time is spent zapping enemies with bolts of electricity; however, the manner in which players can enter combat situations is open-ended. For instance, players may chose to sneak around their opponents, scaling a building in order to achieve higher ground. From above Cole can attack his unsuspecting prey showering them with devastating shock grenades.
Alternatively Cole can rush his opponents, dodging between cover until getting close enough to use an ability that is reminiscent of Jedi “Force push”, flinging them into the air where they will freefall multiple stories to meet an unfortunate end on the concrete below.
Of course further options extend to sniping from a distance, a melee assault and even using the environment to do the damage, such as blowing up cars and generators.
The options are virtually endless, and every situation is solidly furnished by an excellent physics system and variety of abilities.
One of the highlights of inFamous is the multitude of unlockable abilities, all of which are exciting and effective if used properly. Every time the player starts getting accustomed to an ability a new one is discovered, allowing players to combine different attacks and upgrade them as the game progresses. The results are truly devastating and at the end of the game Cole is incredibly powerful.
The enemies are suitably varied, from garden variety infantry grunts, to kamikaze units that will charge screaming before exploding magnificently. As the game progresses the enemies become more varied and challenging which is just as well because Cole becomes significantly more powerful as he unlocks new abilities.
While being challenging, inFamous is never too difficult and we never got stuck in one place to the point of frustration.
The story line missions are varied and imaginative, from having to take down massive air balloons and airborne drones to the dramatic boss fights which are intense and satisfying.
The side missions are also excellent, although after some time, like most open world games, they begin to recycle the various formats with tiring frequency. There are a handful of side mission types of which we had become all too familiar with by the end of the game.
That said, the side missions provide hours of enjoyment as well as valuable XP which players can use to upgrade Cole’s abilities. These are especially relevant early-game and mid-game, while we suspect many gamers will be eager to get on with the storyline towards the end.
Technically sound
inFamous does not push the boundaries in terms of visuals in gaming, however it is certainly not the ugliest kid at the dance. While there are times when some of the textures look dated, there are also times when players will be awed by the sheer scale and detail that it present in Empire City.
Cole’s animations are particularly fluid and satisfying. The lightening effects that players will become accustomed to deliver an epic sense of magnitude and the overall gloomy artistic direction will suck players in with its uniquely immersive atmosphere.
The sounds are spot on; with satisfying rumbles and excellent voice work which adds to the credibility of each character. Even Cole’s gruff one liners are never cheesy, somehow dodging the bullet that has made its mark on everything that Vin Diesel has ever touched.
The physics engine is brilliant, and the open world sandbox is populated with countless grip-points which Cole can climb or swing from. The environment interaction is impressive as is the manner in which Cole can destroy almost anything, from enemy cover to cars and rails.
What’s wrong with it?
While inFamous is not perfect it comes admirably close.
There are times when the visuals could be slicker, and there are instances where slight frame rate drops become noticeable. However these instances are rare and for the most part inFamous does look the part.
The side missions could have been more varied especially towards the end of the game where performing them seems pointless. However, the depth of the characters and enjoyment that arises from the storyline missions picks up the slack here rendering this point largely mute.
Multiplayer could have been spectacular and was a sad omission from inFamous. We suspect that Sucker Punch may be saving this for the sequel.
Conclusion
inFamous is certainly the best PS3 game we have played this year.
The game easily offers 15-20 hours of gameplay time on its first play through. This can be extended or shortened depending on how many side missions one performs. Of course there is also the option to play through the game a second time around on the opposite Karma scale, effectively doubling up the games long term value proposition.
inFamous’ high production values, excellent story line and characters, compelling and rewarding character progression, enjoyable combat system and fluid navigation make it an absolute must have for PS3 owners.