Do everyday experiences shape who we are, or does it take a crisis to truly define us? Who are we really - the average Joe sitting behind a desk in a business suit, or the desperate man fighting for survival when the lights go out?
inFamous, a Playstation 3 exclusive developed by Sucker Punch Productions, is a virtual playground where the theories of ethics and morality meet the road of hardship and unchecked power.
Players take control of Cole McGrath, an ordinary man caught in the middle of an epic disaster that turns his entire world upside down. Cole was once a courier in the sprawling metropolis of Empire City, until one day, he unwittingly delivered some sort of bomb that devastated the city and forced the federal government to quarantine the area.
Cole awakens at the epicenter of the blast armed with a strange ability to control electricity. As his power grows, it becomes clear that no one else can rid Empire City of the gangs and marauders that now control its streets. Cole has work to do, but the player’s actions and decisions in the midst of this escalating crisis will determine if Cole is ultimately a savior or a tyrant.
Infamous is a 3rd person, open world game in which the player’s decisions direct the course of the plot. A variety of side missions and story goals provide a loose structure, but it is often more fun to simply scale the rooftops of Empire City, grinding on electrical wires and sending a gaggle of gang members tumbling to the streets below.
Cole jumps and glides from the rooftops and clambers along the eaves and windowsills with truly exhilarating grace and skill. On the whole, basic navigation is handled extremely well. The controls are fun, simple, and intuitive; and although the computer does offer a bit of assistance by drawing Cole, almost magnetically, toward certain surfaces, the extra help is never enough to make you feel as if you aren’t really at the helm.
In an attempt to keep the action moving, the developers chose to bless Cole with the ability to fall from great heights without sustaining any damage. It may have been a necessary design choice, but this invulnerability engenders a sense that you can’t fail; and ultimately, it cheapens the experience a bit.
This decision is particularly baffling when you consider that the game often puts up a myriad of safeguards to keep you from jumping quickly to ground. Many times, I would try to drop to the streets to engage an enemy, only to involuntarily grab every ledge and cranny on the way down. By the time I had finally gotten to the bottom, I’d been riddled with bullets by a marauder who must have thanked his lucky stars for the blessing of my arduous descent.
It might sound like I’m being unduly critical, but I must admit that racing along the skyline of Empire City like some dark lightening bug is a genuinely thrilling experience. It’s very similar to web-slinging around Manhattan in the Spider-Man 2 game that debuted in 2004 on the last generation consoles; although inFamous never quite manages to deliver that same visceral and exciting ride. But, it’s in the same ballpark, and that earns it a solid helping of good will in my book.
Combat, on the other hand, is not nearly as entertaining. The electrical effects certainly look cool, and it can be fun to throw vehicles and enemies around like a hyperactive three year-old tossing Army Men and Matchbox cars, but combat is still largely a simple affair. I usually tried to blow through the villains as quickly as possible so I could get back to free-running along the rooftops.
It doesn’t help that the game’s artificial intelligence isn’t exactly a MENSA candidate. Your enemies attack in rigidly simple patterns; standing in the open and firing before occasionally running behind cover.
In the end, it doesn’t really matter, I suppose, since the villains that dot the landscape are specifically designed to be nothing more than cannon fodder for you to blast to kingdom come. Still, a little bit more strategy would have been a welcome addition to the mix.
Many of the missions you can undertake are simple and repetitive, but they do offer concrete rewards. Once you’ve completed a mission, villains flee from the surrounding area, leaving you free to run about in peace. You are also awarded experience points that you can use to upgrade your powers or buy new ones. The upgrading system works well and it’s not needlessly complicated.
The games interface is similarly uncluttered. From the pause menu, you can save your game on-the-fly, load a previous save, upgrade your abilities, tweak the opinions, or access a help menu. There’s really no true main menu; the game simply loads your last save and drops you directly into the action each time you spin up the disc.
The central narrative is told through a series of static cut scenes presented in a gritty comic book style. These sequences are stylish, but I found them to be a bit melodramatic and tough to follow. It’s not enough to ruin the game, but it doesn’t actually bring anything extra to the story or add to the sense of immersion.
inFamous features graphics that are hit-and-miss, but still do the job admirably. The cityscape is dark and drab, but the textures are nice and sharp. The electrical effects are colorful, vibrant, and well-realized, although I never felt like the game allowed me to cause as much destruction and wreck as much mayhem as I could.
Cole and a few of the main characters look good, but the largely identical enemies and the wandering pedestrians aren’t as well realized. I did like how some of the enemies had a cool cel-shaded look to them when I got up close. I didn’t notice any frame rate drops, but controlling the camera can sometimes be a troublesome issue.
The game’s score was unremarkable, but the sound effects and voice acting were top notch. My only complaint on this front would be that I found the sounds of gunfire to be somewhat underwhelming. Once again, it’s far from a deal-breaker, but still a missed opportunity.
inFamous is rated T for Teen. There’s a smattering of bad language and some heavy sexual innuendo. Cole is a human lightening rod, and he can use his powers to electrocute, crush, drop, pummel, and drain the life force from gang members, cultists, police officers, and average citizens. While it’s true that the game features nearly constant violence, there’s no blood and nothing truly explicit in the gameplay. The animated cut scenes, however, use that more artistic medium to highlight somewhat more horrific violence.
What might not be immediately obvious is that inFamous actually carries a rather subversive edge. Cole is labeled a terrorist by the populace, the government is lying to the rest of the country about the conditions of the quarantine, Cole’s friend is a classic conspiracy theorist, and a talk show host broadcasts abrasive and counter-cultural messages throughout the affected zone.
At the center of the game, the player must confront a series of moral choices that will help to shape his path through the city’s twisted landscape. Each choice adds either good or evil “karma” to your reputation rating.
Most of the choices don’t require much moral clarity. They’re usually fairly obvious and not particularly difficult to make, which is good, because there’s no middle ground – you’re either all good or all bad; and your powers are affected accordingly.
The game plays somewhat differently depending on your status. The evil abilities are focused on raw power, destruction, and brutality; while the good side places a heavier emphasis on precision and measured aggression. In this way, the good path is often harder since firing away indiscriminately will inevitably lead to bad marks on your moral barometer. As you might imagine, the evil road is littered with the bodies of innocent people who got in your way.
inFamous is a good game, plagued with a handful of problems, but blessed with a well-executed central mechanic. It’s a dark tale that places the lives of innocents at the player’s feet and gives them the freedom to either lend a helping hand or level a crushing blow. Parents will ultimately have to decide for themselves if this is an adventure worth taking.
Caution Rating: 7
