Written by: Alex

 

 

 

"InFamous" starts with you looking out on the streets of a city. When you press start the city explodes leaving your character, 'Alex Cole', unconscious at ground zero. This is the rather powerful opening to Sony’s latest exclusive from developer Sucker Punch. Directly after this opening you make your way through the aftermath to meet up with your friend in a safe zone, having made it through the rather brief introduction to the controls, Cole passes out.

 

 

What follows is a short animated comic. Explaining the bizarre evolution of the electrical powers you acquired in the explosion making you a 'walking battery'. These powers allow for some nice graphical effects but essentially functions a variety of guns.

 

The shooting mechanic is thankfully solid, a blessing in open world games which sometimes struggle in this department. With the fantastic world traversal (that Sucker Punch perfected with the Sly Cooper titles) your new abilities and agility combine to offer a satisfying and varied combat which allows for you do develop any number of tactics for any situation.

 

 

 

The game is set in ‘Empire City’ consists of three islands, each of which is considerably smaller than most open world games on the market (in part I am sure due to the complexity of the vertical movement significantly increasing the amount of planning and design for any given area). Fortunately the city manages to create a real sense of place being both consistent and believable, if at time a touch mundane. Each area is quite distinct.

 

You begin in the Neon, a more residential area. Buildings here are relatively small, never much above eight stories. It serves as a suitable training area as you acquire your powers. Initially you are limited to a number of lightening attacks, but the more you play the more manoeuvrability you become as grinds and floating abilities are unlocked. The Neon is constructed with these movement restrictions in mind, packing buildings more closely together, and limiting their height. Once all of your powers are unlocked the areas become more vertical as you fast become able to cross entire areas of the map at lightening speed (no pun intended) gliding and grinding above over the city.