The Heroic inFamous Review

When I was younger I used to day dream all the time, any chance I’d get I’d take a trip to dream land where I’d get to be a superhero with super powers. There are of course only three ways to achieve this in real life; become an actor and pretend, play a game or by some unique stroke of luck, set off the perfect chain of bizarre events and accidentally transform yourself. While the first and last methods can with complete confidence be ruled out, it is possible to play a game and feel like a real superhero.

inFamous is the latest creation from Sucker Punch studios and it tells the story of a normal man who is at an awkward point in his life, his friends have moved on from their adolescent jobs while he still works as a bike messenger having not quite found his foot in life yet. Cole MacGrath’s life is pretty average at this point but then the perfect chain of bizarre events is set off that transforms him in something so much more than average.

A massive explosion rips through Empire City that was unintentionally set off by Cole, destroying buildings and taking many of the residents’ lives. The devastation leaves the city in ruins; a virus breaks out transforming people into foreboding figures called Reepers that seek to take what is left for themselves. The military enforces a quarantine trapping those who survived in a quickly decaying urban jungle.

Meanwhile our protagonist wakes up in hospital as the same man but different all together. Cole now possesses the extraordinary power to manipulate electricity, an assumed after effect of the explosion and as with any true superhero, Cole embraces his newfound gift as his adventure begins.

inFamous is set in an open world environment that is incredibility fun to traverse. MacGrath was an ubran explorer before the blast and is proficient at parkour, this combined with his new strength and ability to rapidly heal makes the ruins of Empire City his playground. Cole can grind along power cables and electrified train tracks and he can use his electrokinetic repulse to glide from point to point. Band these together and you have nothing short of symphonic perfection of movement that is immensely pleasing to watch.

Cole has a variety of electrically powered attacks; he can zap enemies with electric dischargers from the palms of his hands, he can throw electric grenades that can stick to an enemy with a delayed detonation or he can use the Megawatt hammer for powerful distance attacks. Cole also has the ability to discharge energy, which is much like the Jedi’s force push with which he can repel anything from enemies to multiple cars. Cole has a great variety of electrical powers that grow and improve as he does but he not limited to them, he is also proficient at hand to hand combat that almost always ends in an acrobatic finish that sends an exciting chill down your spine.

MacGrath gets his power from anything that bares an electrical current. He can draw power from circuit boxes, ventilation fans, and traffic lights, he can also draw the electrical energy out of anyone he comes across killing them in the process which at times does pose difficult choices depending on moral path you intend to follow. Superman cannot be around kryptonite in much the same way that Cole cannot be without electricity. In area’s of Empire City where there is no electricity Coles becomes weakened and vulnerable to attack. By drawing power from an electrical source Cole not only recharges his inner charge but heals himself too.

As a player you have the choice to go where you want. Story missions are marked blue on your map and side missions are marked yellow. Through the game you are presented with moral choices that swing your karma toward inFamous or Heroic depending on your discretion. Your powers and the way Cole looks will adapt to your karma, being heroic will bestow Cole with blue electricity and powers that are more precise while being inFamouse not only alters powers to red and inaccurate, it will change the way he looks, degrading his complexion and clothing. The story changes depending on your choices and so does the general populations attitude toward you. If you are heroic they will help and praise you, while being inFamous they will despise and form mobs to attack you.

Sucker Punch are proclaimed comic book lovers and this love resonates throughout the game. The story is told through beautiful graphic art depicted cut scenes and everything about Cole is very comicbookesque; the way he climbs, runs and jumps has been crafted to perfection and electrocuting a Reaper while handing off the side of a balcony rail not only looks amazing but stands testament to how much work went into polishing every aspect of the game. Sucker Punch created a new kind of superhero and then built the entire game around him. I have rarely come across a game where the narrative was as entertaining as the game itself.

inFamous is a superbly crafted game, from the music to the voice acting to the story and the gameplay itself. Every aspect of the game has been designed to work together, creating a synergy that delivers a true super-heroic experience. I don’t need to daydream about begin a superhero anymore, I just fire up inFamous and my yearning is satisfied.

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