inFAMOUS
Platform: PS3
First Released: May 26, 2009
Gameplay:
The first inFAMOUS game introduced gamers to a new style of open-world, sandbox gameplay. While there have been many superhero games before, such as the Spider-man game, that follow a similar structure, nothing like inFAMOUS had truly emerged. The gameplay focused on utilizing protagonist Cole MacGrath's ability to manipulate, create and drain electricity. Turning into somewhat of a unique third-person shooter, inFAMOUS was truly stunning. Both the main missions and side-missions had quite a good bit of content, especially the missions that required a specific karmic route in order to select them. While there were only a few boss battles in the game, they were unique and required the player to do more than just "point and shoot." inFAMOUS really let the player feel like the power was in their hands.
Sound:
The music in the first inFAMOUS game was good enough to play its part, but did not have anything particularly memorable. The tracks could set the tone and give the player a rush, but they would not be anything you could alienate from the game and still enjoy as much. The voice-acting was well-done for the most part and really fit well with the characters. The sound effects of the game were constantly being played and really helped give a realistic feel to the open world of Empire City.
Characters:
The first inFAMOUS had a fantastic cast of characters. While Cole and Zeke both seem like typical scum at the beginning of the game, as events unfold, they begin to become a loveable duo of characters right up until the end. Cole's love interest Trish was also developed quite well, despite her brief but significant appearances in the game. Many of the secondary villains of the game, such as Sasha, Alden and Moya, also have a great amount of depth, and all help paint the big picture for the main antagonist Kessler, who serves as a fantastic end-game boss as well as an empathetic and manipulative guide that the player will have a love-hate relationship with even in the next game.
Story:
The story of inFAMOUS was definitely a great one. While the two karmic both come to roughly the same conclusion, that conclusion is an epic one. Much of the game is shrouded in mystery, that slowly begins to reveal itself to you as you progress through the story, whilst also leaving some mysteries behind optional dead drops. Many of the story lines of this game also have to do with how the characters interact with Cole, as his friendship, love life and ultimate destiny is tested time and time again. The giant cliffhanger left at the end of the game left great potential for the series to continue, whilst also giving closure to this chapter of the story.
Level Design:
inFAMOUS takes place in the fictional city known as Empire City, based directly off of New York City. This grand city is made up of three islands that you gradually explore as the game progresses, each with its own unique enemies and areas. The sewers of Empire City are also explorable during certain points of the game, and while they are more linear, provide a good challenge for the player.
Charm:
Most of the charm in the first inFAMOUS lies behind its focus on relationships and what your karmic route will do to those relationships. Seeing how Cole's powers affect not only himself, but his relationship with his best friend Zeke and his girlfriend Trish adds to the personal feel of the story, better allowing for players to step into Cole's shoes and make decisions based on how they want the story to unfold.
The first inFAMOUS game introduced gamers to a new style of open-world, sandbox gameplay. While there have been many superhero games before, such as the Spider-man game, that follow a similar structure, nothing like inFAMOUS had truly emerged. The gameplay focused on utilizing protagonist Cole MacGrath's ability to manipulate, create and drain electricity. Turning into somewhat of a unique third-person shooter, inFAMOUS was truly stunning. Both the main missions and side-missions had quite a good bit of content, especially the missions that required a specific karmic route in order to select them. While there were only a few boss battles in the game, they were unique and required the player to do more than just "point and shoot." inFAMOUS really let the player feel like the power was in their hands.
Sound:
The music in the first inFAMOUS game was good enough to play its part, but did not have anything particularly memorable. The tracks could set the tone and give the player a rush, but they would not be anything you could alienate from the game and still enjoy as much. The voice-acting was well-done for the most part and really fit well with the characters. The sound effects of the game were constantly being played and really helped give a realistic feel to the open world of Empire City.
Characters:
The first inFAMOUS had a fantastic cast of characters. While Cole and Zeke both seem like typical scum at the beginning of the game, as events unfold, they begin to become a loveable duo of characters right up until the end. Cole's love interest Trish was also developed quite well, despite her brief but significant appearances in the game. Many of the secondary villains of the game, such as Sasha, Alden and Moya, also have a great amount of depth, and all help paint the big picture for the main antagonist Kessler, who serves as a fantastic end-game boss as well as an empathetic and manipulative guide that the player will have a love-hate relationship with even in the next game.
Story:
The story of inFAMOUS was definitely a great one. While the two karmic both come to roughly the same conclusion, that conclusion is an epic one. Much of the game is shrouded in mystery, that slowly begins to reveal itself to you as you progress through the story, whilst also leaving some mysteries behind optional dead drops. Many of the story lines of this game also have to do with how the characters interact with Cole, as his friendship, love life and ultimate destiny is tested time and time again. The giant cliffhanger left at the end of the game left great potential for the series to continue, whilst also giving closure to this chapter of the story.
Level Design:
inFAMOUS takes place in the fictional city known as Empire City, based directly off of New York City. This grand city is made up of three islands that you gradually explore as the game progresses, each with its own unique enemies and areas. The sewers of Empire City are also explorable during certain points of the game, and while they are more linear, provide a good challenge for the player.
Charm:
Most of the charm in the first inFAMOUS lies behind its focus on relationships and what your karmic route will do to those relationships. Seeing how Cole's powers affect not only himself, but his relationship with his best friend Zeke and his girlfriend Trish adds to the personal feel of the story, better allowing for players to step into Cole's shoes and make decisions based on how they want the story to unfold.
inFAMOUS 2
Platform: PS3
First Released: June 7, 2011
Gameplay:
The gameplay of inFAMOUS 2 follows the same style as its predecessor while also vastly improving on aspects of it. For instance, rather than upgrades being determined purely by karma, they are also determined by how well you are able to use those powers, giving the player small objectives in order to unlock the next power up. The addition of fire and ice powers also give a bit of variety to the arsenal from the first game, while it is somewhat limited. The karmic system is also greatly improved, locking out more of the game and giving more variation to each side of the story, giving more incentive to attempt two playthroughs. In terms of mission types, they remain basically the same from the first, with a large variety of both main and side missions that all revolve around one large story. The one problem with the gameplay is there there are only three boss battles in the game, two of which are the exact same battle, and all of them are terrible, shooting orientated fights that lack any originality.
Sound:
inFAMOUS 2's soundtrack follows basically the same formula as the first. They are great tracks within the context of the game, but few would actually listen to them outside the game. The voice-acting in the game is strong once again, and Cole's new voice-actor, while hard to adjust to at first, conveys a better sense of emotion and character than his previous voice-actor.
Characters:
While both Cole and Zeke return to the mix with some fantastic characterization, many of the characters introduced in this game are lackluster, boring, annoying or just underwhelming. Dr. Wolfe, while an interesting character at first, is killed off too early in the game to actually count. The two allies in the game: Lucy Kuo and Knix, are equally as annoying and boring, making decisions to side with one of them more about who you hate less, rather than who you like more. The villain: Joseph Bertrand had a fantastic concept of being a Catholic purist who believes Conduits are satanic. However, the direction the story took the character in made him underwhelming compared to Kessler of the previous game.
Story:
inFAMOUS 2's story suffers from a lack of consistency. The game starts out very well, picking up almost directly after the first game and continuing from the cliffhanger. This interesting and mysterious feel continues until about a quarter into the game. From then on, the story of the game becomes a cluster of pointless errands trying to achieve an unclear goal, with annoying characters like Kuo and Knix forcing their terribly boring and generic backstories onto you. The game's story also ruins a key part of the first game's story: making the Beast into an enemy the player can somewhat sympathize with. Thankfully, near the end of the game the story starts to get good again, leading to two unique endings that are both fantastic and somewhat of a saving grace for the messy narrative that preceded it.
Level Design:
inFAMOUS 2 tried to change things up a little in terms of the main area of the game. New Marais, based off of New Orleans, offered more than just the generic "city" landscape of the first game. New Marais had three islands that were distinct not only by their enemies, but also by the way they are designed. The first area acts as the city area, the second as a post-flood town and the third as a factory area. While the flood town was easily one of the most annoying and horrible areas in the series, at least Sucker Punch made at attempt at changing up the way the area was designed. Points for trying, right?
Charm:
The charm of inFAMOUS 2 is entirely in the relationship between Cole and Zeke from beginning to end. inFAMOUS left the two best friends in somewhat of a rut at its conclusion and inFAMOUS 2 focuses on mending that relationship. Both endings hit perfectly at the sweet spot of this relationship and really help you see how the journey was not just Cole's, but Zeke's also.
The gameplay of inFAMOUS 2 follows the same style as its predecessor while also vastly improving on aspects of it. For instance, rather than upgrades being determined purely by karma, they are also determined by how well you are able to use those powers, giving the player small objectives in order to unlock the next power up. The addition of fire and ice powers also give a bit of variety to the arsenal from the first game, while it is somewhat limited. The karmic system is also greatly improved, locking out more of the game and giving more variation to each side of the story, giving more incentive to attempt two playthroughs. In terms of mission types, they remain basically the same from the first, with a large variety of both main and side missions that all revolve around one large story. The one problem with the gameplay is there there are only three boss battles in the game, two of which are the exact same battle, and all of them are terrible, shooting orientated fights that lack any originality.
Sound:
inFAMOUS 2's soundtrack follows basically the same formula as the first. They are great tracks within the context of the game, but few would actually listen to them outside the game. The voice-acting in the game is strong once again, and Cole's new voice-actor, while hard to adjust to at first, conveys a better sense of emotion and character than his previous voice-actor.
Characters:
While both Cole and Zeke return to the mix with some fantastic characterization, many of the characters introduced in this game are lackluster, boring, annoying or just underwhelming. Dr. Wolfe, while an interesting character at first, is killed off too early in the game to actually count. The two allies in the game: Lucy Kuo and Knix, are equally as annoying and boring, making decisions to side with one of them more about who you hate less, rather than who you like more. The villain: Joseph Bertrand had a fantastic concept of being a Catholic purist who believes Conduits are satanic. However, the direction the story took the character in made him underwhelming compared to Kessler of the previous game.
Story:
inFAMOUS 2's story suffers from a lack of consistency. The game starts out very well, picking up almost directly after the first game and continuing from the cliffhanger. This interesting and mysterious feel continues until about a quarter into the game. From then on, the story of the game becomes a cluster of pointless errands trying to achieve an unclear goal, with annoying characters like Kuo and Knix forcing their terribly boring and generic backstories onto you. The game's story also ruins a key part of the first game's story: making the Beast into an enemy the player can somewhat sympathize with. Thankfully, near the end of the game the story starts to get good again, leading to two unique endings that are both fantastic and somewhat of a saving grace for the messy narrative that preceded it.
Level Design:
inFAMOUS 2 tried to change things up a little in terms of the main area of the game. New Marais, based off of New Orleans, offered more than just the generic "city" landscape of the first game. New Marais had three islands that were distinct not only by their enemies, but also by the way they are designed. The first area acts as the city area, the second as a post-flood town and the third as a factory area. While the flood town was easily one of the most annoying and horrible areas in the series, at least Sucker Punch made at attempt at changing up the way the area was designed. Points for trying, right?
Charm:
The charm of inFAMOUS 2 is entirely in the relationship between Cole and Zeke from beginning to end. inFAMOUS left the two best friends in somewhat of a rut at its conclusion and inFAMOUS 2 focuses on mending that relationship. Both endings hit perfectly at the sweet spot of this relationship and really help you see how the journey was not just Cole's, but Zeke's also.
inFAMOUS: Second Son
Platform: PS4
First Released: March 21, 2014
Gameplay:
inFAMOUS: Second Son definitely has the most refined feel in terms of gameplay in the series to date. The new protagonist, Delsin Rowe can control four powers by the end of the game, each with their own unique feel and arsenal. This really gives the player a large variety to play around with throughout the game. In addition, most of the boss battles in the game are pretty unique, especially one against a boss known as "The One Who Dwells." However, despite this great improvement, Second Son also takes a step back in many ways. For instance, the side missions no longer have any bulk to them and are simply made up of destroying cameras, killing secret agents and finding hidden voice notes and blast shards. In addition, the karma system is more simplistic than it has ever been before. There are no side missions other than small events that have anything to do with karma and the main story only offers a handful of missions where you can choose a karmic route, except you cannot actually choose as you can only take the path of the karma you are already on. So while the gameplay and feel of the game is much better, the way in which you can use those gameplay elements has been vastly limited.
Sound:
inFAMOUS: Second Son had some great tracks that for the first time in the series, would actually be good tracks taken out of the context of the game. The voice-acting returns as another strong suit, with Troy Baker offering a great performance as Delsin Rowe and the supporting cast also giving fantastic deliveries that are definitely a step forward for the series.
Characters:
inFAMOUS: Second Son introduces an entirely new cast of characters. And when I say entirely new, I mean entirely new. Not one familiar face returns in the game (aside from Zeke in a bonus DLC mission). This works as a double-edged sword. While it is refreshing to have some new faces, it is also disappointing to see the lack of connection to the predecessors. That note aside, the cast is fantastic and definitely introduces some great characters. Delsin himself is much more likeable from the beginning than Cole was, but never truly hits the level of depth Cole did by the end of his introduction story. His brother Reggie serves as a constant reminder of humanity's opinion on the Conduits so that the game is not entirely one-sided. The new conduit friends Hank, Fetch and Eugene all have unique stories and personalities that bring out different dynamics in Delsin, while also establishing a great sense of self within the game's story. The antagonist, Brooke Augustine, while not as mysterious or menacing as Kessler, is a fantastic villain who really makes the player hate her from beginning to end.
Story:
inFAMOUS: Second Son's story is fresh and new and really establishes itself as a unique story from Cole's saga. While it uses Cole's saga as a basis for the events of the game, it does not delve much deeper than that. Instead, the story focuses on Delsin's personal quest to save his hometown from the power-obsessed Brooke Augustine who wishes to imprison all Conduits. Moreso than ever, the relationship between humans and Conduits is explored and is done justice. However, the ending of the game is not quite as epic as the conclusion of the first two games, which may leave fans of the series underwhelmed.
Level Design:
For the first time in the series, the game takes place in a real city, rather than a city based on a real city. While this was a cool idea, it really limited what the developers could do. Seattle was exactly what you'd think it'd be...a whole lot of city. There was not much variation in landscape and it was really hard to distinguish which area of the city you were in without opening the map to check. Sure, it looked fantastic, but you can only look at generic buildings so long before you get bored.
Charm:
The charm of the game is focuses on two things: Delsin's punk-humor and the relationship between humans and Conduits. Delsin really brightens up the atmosphere with his jokes and optimistic personality that can constantly keep the player feeling like they are a badass. This compliments the serious tone of the story nicely as it focuses on how the world can deal with people developing powers and whether it is safer to lock them up or allow them to be free.
Sound:
inFAMOUS: Second Son had some great tracks that for the first time in the series, would actually be good tracks taken out of the context of the game. The voice-acting returns as another strong suit, with Troy Baker offering a great performance as Delsin Rowe and the supporting cast also giving fantastic deliveries that are definitely a step forward for the series.
Characters:
inFAMOUS: Second Son introduces an entirely new cast of characters. And when I say entirely new, I mean entirely new. Not one familiar face returns in the game (aside from Zeke in a bonus DLC mission). This works as a double-edged sword. While it is refreshing to have some new faces, it is also disappointing to see the lack of connection to the predecessors. That note aside, the cast is fantastic and definitely introduces some great characters. Delsin himself is much more likeable from the beginning than Cole was, but never truly hits the level of depth Cole did by the end of his introduction story. His brother Reggie serves as a constant reminder of humanity's opinion on the Conduits so that the game is not entirely one-sided. The new conduit friends Hank, Fetch and Eugene all have unique stories and personalities that bring out different dynamics in Delsin, while also establishing a great sense of self within the game's story. The antagonist, Brooke Augustine, while not as mysterious or menacing as Kessler, is a fantastic villain who really makes the player hate her from beginning to end.
Story:
inFAMOUS: Second Son's story is fresh and new and really establishes itself as a unique story from Cole's saga. While it uses Cole's saga as a basis for the events of the game, it does not delve much deeper than that. Instead, the story focuses on Delsin's personal quest to save his hometown from the power-obsessed Brooke Augustine who wishes to imprison all Conduits. Moreso than ever, the relationship between humans and Conduits is explored and is done justice. However, the ending of the game is not quite as epic as the conclusion of the first two games, which may leave fans of the series underwhelmed.
Level Design:
For the first time in the series, the game takes place in a real city, rather than a city based on a real city. While this was a cool idea, it really limited what the developers could do. Seattle was exactly what you'd think it'd be...a whole lot of city. There was not much variation in landscape and it was really hard to distinguish which area of the city you were in without opening the map to check. Sure, it looked fantastic, but you can only look at generic buildings so long before you get bored.
Charm:
The charm of the game is focuses on two things: Delsin's punk-humor and the relationship between humans and Conduits. Delsin really brightens up the atmosphere with his jokes and optimistic personality that can constantly keep the player feeling like they are a badass. This compliments the serious tone of the story nicely as it focuses on how the world can deal with people developing powers and whether it is safer to lock them up or allow them to be free.
The Verdict
Best Gameplay: inFamous 2
While inFamous: Second Son did improve the overall feel of the gameplay, the lack of side-missions really hindered the experience. inFamous 2 truly offers the best medium between a fantastic flow of gameplay and relevant and bulky missions.
While inFamous: Second Son did improve the overall feel of the gameplay, the lack of side-missions really hindered the experience. inFamous 2 truly offers the best medium between a fantastic flow of gameplay and relevant and bulky missions.
Best Sound: inFAMOUS: Second Son
inFamous: Second Son's music pushed beyond the typical inFAMOUS game, allowing for the music to leave the context of the game without getting boring. The fantastic delivery by most of the voice-actors also makes this the best audio experience of the series.
inFamous: Second Son's music pushed beyond the typical inFAMOUS game, allowing for the music to leave the context of the game without getting boring. The fantastic delivery by most of the voice-actors also makes this the best audio experience of the series.
Best Characters: inFAMOUS
The first inFAMOUS game truly had the best cast of characters, with a large variety of villains that all played perfectly on one another and three likeable protagonists that shared the same dynamic of dealing with Cole's conduit powers.
The first inFAMOUS game truly had the best cast of characters, with a large variety of villains that all played perfectly on one another and three likeable protagonists that shared the same dynamic of dealing with Cole's conduit powers.
Best Story: inFAMOUS
The first inFAMOUS had a story that was just too mysterious and original to pass by. The second game, while having a fantastic ending, ruined too many parts that made the first game so great and Second Son, while establishing a unique story, did not conclude in a grand enough way to live up to the series' expectations.
The first inFAMOUS had a story that was just too mysterious and original to pass by. The second game, while having a fantastic ending, ruined too many parts that made the first game so great and Second Son, while establishing a unique story, did not conclude in a grand enough way to live up to the series' expectations.
Best Level Design: inFAMOUS 2
inFAMOUS 2, while having the terrible flood town as a level, at least showed some variation in design. The other two games simply had a whole lot of generic city that lacked variety, making inFAMOUS 2 the clear winner in this category.
inFAMOUS 2, while having the terrible flood town as a level, at least showed some variation in design. The other two games simply had a whole lot of generic city that lacked variety, making inFAMOUS 2 the clear winner in this category.
Best Charm: inFAMOUS: Second Son
As much as I loved the relationship between Cole and Zeke that was played on in the first two games, that relationship was viewed on a less personal and more broad and relatable way in Second Son with the idea of humans and Conduits living in harmony being thrown up in question. That, with a mix of the fantastic humour of Delsin's character, made Second Son have a unique charm that made the player really feel powerful.
The Definitive inFAMOUS game is...
Although each of the games won an equal number of categories above, I do not believe this means the series lacks a definitive title, as the first game is a clear representation of the series. While inFAMOUS 2 and Second Son greatly improve on many of the gameplay elements, the foundations and bars were clearly set in the first game. The story and characters of the first game were just too good to ignore, and while the sequels also had their strengths, I truly believe that the first inFAMOUS game encompasses everything that the series has to offer.
Article By:
Giuliano V.
As much as I loved the relationship between Cole and Zeke that was played on in the first two games, that relationship was viewed on a less personal and more broad and relatable way in Second Son with the idea of humans and Conduits living in harmony being thrown up in question. That, with a mix of the fantastic humour of Delsin's character, made Second Son have a unique charm that made the player really feel powerful.
The Definitive inFAMOUS game is...
inFAMOUS
Although each of the games won an equal number of categories above, I do not believe this means the series lacks a definitive title, as the first game is a clear representation of the series. While inFAMOUS 2 and Second Son greatly improve on many of the gameplay elements, the foundations and bars were clearly set in the first game. The story and characters of the first game were just too good to ignore, and while the sequels also had their strengths, I truly believe that the first inFAMOUS game encompasses everything that the series has to offer.
Article By:
Giuliano V.
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