INFAMOUS 2

INFAMOUS 2

AN ELECTRIFYING SEQUEL PACKED WITH EQUAL AMOUNTS OF STYLE AND SUBSTANCE. 

 By Avinash Bali

RATINGS 4.5 / 5

action

Infamous 2

Infamous was one of those games that offered a superior superhero experience even though its protagonist was no Superman or Batman. You were Cole McGrath, a courier who just happened to be saddled with a highly volatile device that not only leveled his city, but bestowed upon him bitching electric powers. He could then use those powers for good by being Empire City’s savior, or just be an utter ass without any regard for others’ safety. Infamous 2 expands upon that formula with a new setting and a plethora of new powers. It’s core gameplay hasn’t changed a lot, but that still does not stop Infamous 2 from becoming one of the most entertaining games in recent times.

Cole is now on his way to New Marais. He’s up against a fifty foot behemoth called The Beast and unless he expands upon his powers exponentially, there’s no way he can take it down. Cole is joined by his best friend Zeke and a cast of interesting characters. The game does a fine job of recapping the events from the first game so even newcomers can catch on fast. Voice acting was surprisingly good and I really dug the chemistry between Cole and his compadres.

New Marais is loosely based on New Orleans and developer Sucker Punch has done a bang up job in capturing the city’s vibe. Certain parts of the city will be in utter ruins after floods, while the flourishing areas will be soaked in neon lights and festivities. The entire city is your playground, but initially, you’ll be confined to just one part of the city. After the halfway mark, you’ll be required to help out the flooded parts of the city and it’s here that the game gets intense. Since Cole has a gazillion volts of electricity coursing through his veins, he must avoid water like the plague, and in an area that’s pretty much submerged under-water, you can imagine how tricky that could get.

Thankfully, navigation isn’t a problem as Cole is well versed in the art of free running. While Cole is more than capable of climbing any structure, his climbing animation lacks the fluidity you’ve been spoilt with by the Assassins Creed series. He can also grind on electric cables all over the city. These powers were present in the first game as well, but were presented to Cole after a while. Here, the game starts you off with these essential abilities, making travel a breeze right off the bat.

Combat is pretty much the same as its predecessor with the additional of melee attacks. You can take down enemies that get too close in stylish ways thanks to Cole’s very own lightning rod. Your powers are variants of real world weaponry, so you’ll be able to fire off electric bolts (like a pistol), launch electric rockets, toss electric nades, etc. The game has a huge selection of powers, some of which are locked to your choices. Like the first game, Karma plays a major role in Infamous 2. Your choices will not only dictate your appearance, but they’ll also determine which powers you unlock. Be the nice guy, and you’ll inherit powers that don’t have much of a collateral damage, but be evil and you’ll receive destructive powers that kill civilians and bad guys alike. Your moral choices will also be reflected in either good or evil side quests. I really like the way developer Sucker Punch has integrated side quests into your upgrade system, unlocking new powers after an X number of side quests. This way, you actually feel like you’re being rewarded for breaking away from the plot, and it helps that these side quests aren't just cheap clones of the main story missions.

As Cole upgrades his powers, he’ll become a real badass towards the end of the game, but this does not make him invincible. Sure, he can regenerate health from any electric device, but that still doesn’t make him impervious to bullets. Boss fights are truly impressive in scope and they give some of the ones present in God of War III a run for their money. My only issue was that I ended up fighting a few of them multiple times, which got a bit repetitive. But these are minor issues in the grand scheme of things. Infamous 2 is a huge game full of content that warrants multiple play-throughs thanks to its Karma system. It looks gorgeous, plays well and will appeal to anyone looking for a solid action adventure. 

– avinash@tech2.com