inFamous 2 Review | VideoGameWriters.com - Video Game Writers

Review: inFAMOUS 2

Written by Samantha Bigger | Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Platforms:	PS3
Publisher(s):	Sony Computer Entertainment America
Developer(s):	Sucker Punch Productions
Genre(s):	Action/Adventure
Release Date:	June 7, 2011
ESRB Rating:	T
Buy It/Rent It/Skip It?:	Buy It

It?s hard to live up to the demands of fans and reviewers when the first game in a series is a hit. Sucker Punch pulled it off with the sequel to 2009?s inFamous. Fans will not disappointed with the continuation of Cole McGrath fight to defeat the Beast that?s threatening his world.

?I like the pretty lights??

The first thing you?ll notice is the improvement Sucker Punch has made aesthetically. ?New Marais is not only prettier, but more alive than Empire City. ?Each section of the city has its own look and vibe, mimicking some of the wards of New Orleans, including Floodtown, a post disaster section where there is more water than ground. ?Character animations have been improved as well, smoothing Cole?s motions as he races and blasts his way through the city. ?Missing the mark is the music or lack thereof. ?At certain points in the game you?ll hear the accompanying soundtrack, but for a majority of the game your ears will be jealous of your eyes. ?I felt that they missed the chance to add in music that would have fit the New Orleans-esque cityscape. ?You?ll also notice some interesting movie names in some of the red light districts (Hey ? Low Reach, Latch It And Skank, and Epic Hickey) adding a sense of humor (and nods to other games) to the story.

Characters, Karma, and Connections

The character of Cole McGrath was an improvement over many other superheroes. ?He balanced the fine line of being all powerful and a lowly human. ?While having Olympian god-like powers, he still is very vulnerable to attacks, has a major weakness, and displays the morality that a person should have. ?inFamous 2 finds Cole more mature ? and comfortable in his role and powers ? than the first game, leading to a deeper connection to him. ?He also gets some new powers and, thanks to Zeke, a better melee mechanic. ?You can now easily bash heads in with the Amp. ?It?s great in close quarters when lightning just won?t cut it. ?As you progress, Cole becomes more powerful, leading to some abilities that we wished were in the first game (like tethers, rockets, and different types of lightning bolts). ?The only complaint about Cole is his voice. ?The voice acting in the game is pretty darn good, but Eric Ladin just didn?t seem to fit the character. ?Sucker Punch explained that the first voice actor didn?t fit the with motion capture and action vibe they wanted.? We?ll let them slide this time.

Grinding, fastest way out of trouble

Back is the karma ?system. ?While this does invest you in the storyline, it does not live up to its full potential. ?Unlike inFamous, there are no gray areas (perhaps the last choice you?ll make could be a bit gray). ?Your actions are either good or bad, the end. ?Even if you accidentally kill the civilians you?re trying to rescue, you did try, so kudos for you, you?re considered good. ?It also unlocks powers for Cole based on your moral standing. ?It is impossible to go both ways in one play through, leaving the game open to a whole new experience the second time around.

Zeke is back in his wise-cracking, but mostly helpful buddy role and the addition of two new characters Agent Kuo and Nix widen the storyline. ?These two help you along the way, but are opposite sides of the moral choices that you make during the game. ?Think of them as the angel and devil on your shoulder. ?One will help make you the hero of New Marais, the other will make you infamous.

Nix, the devil on your shoulder

The Electric Glide

The gameplay hasn?t deviated much between inFamous and inFamous 2, which is a good thing. ?New Marais? expanded and varying wards allow the parkour elements of the game to shine through. ?Whether you?re scaling the buildings to reach that blast shard, zipping between power lines carrying an overcharge, or jumping and gliding through water logged street, the parkour feels natural to the surroundings, not something added in because it is popular. However, there are some elements to the game that can make playing it frustrating. ?The controls are another aspect that Sucker Punch brought over, but it?s not a good thing, especially with the importance of the parkour elements. ?You can get stuck under elements; push the stick one way, but Cole decides that he?d rather go the other, sometimes bringing you into the line of fire. ?Combat is great when lobbing thunderbolts at enemies, but when using the Amp, the camera goes into cinematic view making it hard to aim.

My biggest complaints are with the fights. ?While there is more variety in the baddies (a very good thing), boss level enemies are thrown in with normal level enemies randomly, and sometimes in overwhelming numbers. ?It can lead to a lot of frustratingly quick deaths. ?While harnessing the powers of Zeus, Cole is still fleshy; bullets and rockets tend to rip him apart easily. ?This, coupled with the slow life regeneration system, can make a mission exasperating. ?Like many games, Sucker Punch moved away from the health bar to a screen effect for damage. ?The problem with this is that the graying effect makes it very hard to see and you end up dying from the lack of visuals. ?Not being able to tell where water (water+electricity=dead) or bad guys are can lead to a very short life expectancy for the electric man.

The Electric Glide

Side quests are still a big part of the game. ?While theoretically you could play the game without doing a single one, they add to your experience and karma, which allows you to purchase some pretty awesome powers. ?Side quests are a bit more varied than the first game, but after a while, they get monotonous. ?Perhaps the User-Generated Content (UGC) will help alleviate some of the boredom. ?As of this review, the only UGC in the game were created by Sucker Punch, but there is some real potential for electrifying (pun intended) missions from the community.

For those of you who played the first game, Sucker Punch has added in a bonus. ?You?re able to import the save, which?brings over some of your karma and blast shards. ?This doesn?t affect the gameplay much, so don?t worry if you haven?t played inFamous.

Final Thoughts

Sequels can be scary things for gamers to shell out their hard earned cash for. ?If you loved the first, then there is a huge expectation for that second game. ?Thank you, Sucker Punch, for not totally disappointing us. ?inFamous 2 is a worthy successor to inFamous. ?The storyline, graphics, and overall gameplay more than make up for the control issues and bad visual cues. ?If you?re looking for a game with a great single player campaign, multiple playthroughs, and ever-expanding missions, inFamous 2 should be at the top of your PS3 list.

I've got your pulse right here

Sidenote: inFamous 2 also includes early access to the Uncharted 3 beta, but you shouldn?t just buy it for that. ?It?s worth the money on it?s own.

Editor?s Note: Single Player played to completion on the PS3.? This title was provided for review by Sony.

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About the Author

Samantha Bigger Sam's first gaming experience was with a View-Master Interactive Vision and "Magic on Sesame Street". Realizing this was only a half-assed video game, she moved onto the NES and Game Gear for the "educational" experience. They must've been somewhat educational because you'll mostly find her writing in our Braincandy section, making you think about the games you play.

Source: http://videogamewriters.com/review-infamous-2-13454

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