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Impression: inFAMOUS on PS3
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Lighting, electric based powers. Choosing to follow a light or dark path. No this is not the latest Star Wars game, but there are many similarities between inFAMOUS on the PlayStation 3 and LucasArts Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Both games star troubled, shaved head, young men with less than stellar personalities, both of which must make tough choices of both light and dark consequences. inFAMOUS as a game stands out in so many ways with a polish most action games take a few sequels to reach. Just how polished is inFAMOUS and what else does it share in common with out Sith buddies, let’s take a look …
Gameplay – Third-person action in a semi sandbox city. The gameplay is not revolutionary but as mentioned above it’s very polished. Controlling main protagonist Cole MacGrath feels very natural, not forced from his leaps down from high buildings to his parkour fluidity. Cole’s main weapon is his lightening based attacks which are unlocked by earning karma points. Good points can unlock good abilities, bad for bad abilities, lots to explore and try. Gamers can concentrate on the main story or they can take on side-quest, which is recommended to unlock new abilities, story points and further increase their karma.
Graphics – The game is very detailed down to the last wire and trashcan scattered about. The colors seem to match a modern day New York to a tee. Where the graphics really stand out is the powers Cole utilizes. Blue or Red, they really pop in contrast to the basic city look and feel. The characters are a mixed bag as Cole is cookie cutter in design while Zeke (his best friend) looks like something out of a mafia flick. The factions of bad guys each have their own look also, but the gameplay is the real star. The use of graphic novel style cutscenes to deliver the story really highlights the superhero aspect of inFAMOUS. This is a game just made to be a comic and where most print to pixel comic ventures don’t go so well, not the case here in the reverse order. A comic series, mini of course, would work with just the cutscenes alone, just great to read and follow.
Sound – Zeke sounds like a mafia movie wanna-be in all the right ways. He drops one liners that don’t sound forced and is delivered nicely. Zeke is the rule as the voice work on the inFAMOUS cast of characters is a strong point of the game. The games soundtrack gets the job done with some catchy tunes, but as with so many games, is not one that will remain with gamers.
Design – Two items mentioned earlier impact the design. First is the semi sand-box city. This is not Grand Theft Auto where gamers can go anywhere, do anything. There are limits on where Cole can venture but the height of the city and ability to scale, climb, and get to anywhere gamers see is very special. The game was well put together but the ultimate goal is to solve they mystery behind the explosion. We’ve touched on some of the characters, so no need to go further there. Sadly Cole is not the most memorably designed character.
Miscellaneous – Good or bad, the choice is yours. Cole feels like a modern day Jedi with the choices he must make as well as his very Sith lighting abilities. He’s stuck in a situation he had a hand in and is called upon to make choices not often in his control. The story continues to shine in addition to Cole being a hero or anti-hero. There are gangs, altered by the explosion also, to deal with. These Reapers are no pushovers nor are the organized homeless Dustmen. The First Sons are the third faction to divide the city and they, as most shadow organizations seem to do, have their own mysteries and powers. Moya, an external FBI agent employs Cole to look for her missing husband John who was investigating these gents. Add in Zeke, best friend, and girlfriend Trish, who lost her sister in the explosion, and the story has many layers that pull Cole in many directions and keep the gamer interested and playing.
Overall, Sucker Punch has moved out of Naughty Dogs shadow by following a similar path. As Naughty Dog moved from Jak & Daxter to Uncharted now Sucker Punch moves from Sly Cooper to inFAMOUS. The power of the PS3 has allowed Sucker Punch to create a very dynamic third-person superhero title that’s original and engaging. The game controls well, sounds good and mixes graphic novel style with great next-gen graphics. Exclusive titles are rare, and this is one that 360 owners should be upset not getting to play inFAMOUS. If you did Prototype then check out inFAMOUS and vice-versa.
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