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inFAMOUS
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What happens when the world of super heroes meets the
world of the apocalyptic? The answer is inFAMOUS, Sony’s latest
blockbuster gaming epic that is set in the not so distant future which
is artistically put together like a graphic novel (or comic) in this
engaging open world action adventure.
Gamers are transformed into Cole McGrath, a
courier who was paid to take a mysterious package into the heart of
Empire City. Unfortunately this package contained something deadly which
devastated a six square block of this city when it exploded. Killing
thousands, Cole was somehow left unharmed and unbeknown to him, he was
bestowed electro-based powers.
Crossroads were reached for
Cole... use your powers for good or evil, the choice is entirely up to
the gamer.
Apart from being a stock standard open world action
adventure, the catch behind inFAMOUS is that your actions will influence
the direction of the story, which is dictated whether you will be good,
neutral or evil. In essence, you can either become a superhero or super
villain and the phrase “absolute power corrupts absolutely” suits this
game perfectly.
The game begins with your character standing in ground
zero with the city around you in complete chaos from the explosion. Best
of all, the tutorial does not come into play until you get out of ground
zero which assists in immersing you into the story.
As Cole doesn’t know what is going on, neither does the
gamer which is perfect story telling. Eventually you make it back to
your base and the in-game tutorial begins. Apart from Cole, the story
brings in a variety of characters such as Zeke, your sidekick/friend and
even a love interest to assist with the history of the characters and
the eventual ending of the game which is so ripe for a sequel. Not that
I'm complaining!
The main goal in inFAMOUS is to complete a variety of
missions in the game and finding the big bad, however you are given a
choice in how you can complete these missions, either good or evil. Best
of all, depending on which proposed alignment you choose, these will
also affect your powers and how the people of Empire City portray you,
whether as its guardian or destroyer.
Of course, it’s a hard line trying to be good all the
time or evil because if you want power, you need to be evil, however if
you want some control with powers, you need to be good. There are
several choices in the game when using your powers, such as bringing
back the dying or using your powers to steal more powers which all
effect how your missions will play out.
Apart from the lush graphics and thundering sound system
of inFAMOUS, the gameplay is an extremely sturdy piece of art that works
exceptionally well. Initially the learning curve may be a little steep
because as your progress, you are awarded experience points which can
then be used to purchase additional powers.
Thankfully the tutorials in the game and first few
missions in the title ensure that you have mastered the basics before it
allows you to progress into something difficult. Although you can “save”
to a degree, if you do happen to die during a mission, you are
thankfully brought back at a checkpoint. The gameplay also ensures that
not all the open world is accessible by the player and once again (ala
Grand Theft Auto), you have a GPS system to assist with your mission
goals.
In terms of power, Cole can perform a variety of
superhero manoeuvres such as scaling walls like Spider-man, using
electro-based powers to blast his foes or incapacitate them, create
electric chains to hold your opponents down and of course steal energy
from the electrical grid to power your powers. This is just the tip of
the iceberg and where the game does shine is through combat.
Combat is quite varied and diverse which is dependent on
your path, however if you choose to become a guardian, your powers are
more refined and accurate, however if you choose a darker path, they are
more powerful but also more unpredictable. Most battles will include you
using your powers to electrocute or disable your foes. There are
literally hundreds and hundreds of foes that you encounter and even
though it does become a tad repetitive, it’s thoroughly enjoyable.
Graphically, inFAMOUS is a visual treat on the PS3 that
although has a dark and muted colour palette, it suits this apocalyptic
world perfectly. The open world is quite remarkable and allows for a
great deal of freedom. The gaming environment is well designed as are
all the characters that you encounter. The special effects of inFAMOUS
suits your varied powers quite well and needless to say, it's a pure eye
candy experience.
To compliment the graphics, the voice acting is very
professional and the sound effects truly make use of the surround sound
system. My only complaint is probably the music which seems a tad less
majestic than the character you are playing. Even so, inFAMOUS is a very
well designed and graphically impressive looking game.
Final thoughts? The developers have successfully created
an interesting open world with a strong super hero theme that works very
well. The story is great and the characters are quite relatable with a
variety of twists and turns as you progress through the game. It’s hard
being just “good” or “evil” in the game, however thankfully, the game
takes this into account which will dictate the ending. The game has a
strong comic book feel to it, through the cut scenes and cinemas of the
title, however more importantly the gameplay which successfully
transforms you into a superhero or super villain. Almost perfect! |
