Infamous 2 (Mario was dreaming the whole time)

I have a lot to say about Infamous 2, and the more I sit here thinking about it the more angry I get. However, I need to preface this entire post with the fact that I like Infamous 2. Infamous 2 is a fun game, it is a good game, and I think the reason I've gotten so worked up over it, was that it had the potential to be a great game. If all you care about is whether or not Infamous 2 is better than Infamous 1, I can simply tell you "Yes...yes it is." For those of you who are more interested in the reasons behind my frustration, brace yourselves, it could get bumpy.

So where to begin? Well lets start with a little history. The original Infamous was released in 2009, going head to head with another similar "super-hero" game called Prototype. Now while both games boasted about their unique traversal systems, and flaunted gravelly voiced protagonists, Infamous stood out for its superb game play and engaging comic book story. Of course it wasn't a perfect game, the moral choices were simple and didn't allow any Grey area, and some of the characters (Zeke) were absolutely god awful, but for the most part Infamous was an amazing adventure and a great place for a franchise to take root.

I remember having a personal affinity for Infamous because it helped me get through a really weird, and tough time in my life. Not unlike Ign's Greg Miller, Infamous really did help me "play through the pain".

Then there were some warning signs... namely the initial redesign of the main character Cole. Now the original design of the bald, bro-ed out, and gravelly voiced Cole, were admittedly bland and disappointing, changing the entire appearance of the character all the way down to the facial make up, really bothered me. I hate it when tv shows switch actors for characters, and I didn't like it any more, when it happened to Infamous. Luckily Sucker Punch listened to the fans, and reverted Cole to his old look, however his new voice actor stuck around....and you know what? He's really, really good. So with all of that gobbledygook out of the way, I was finally ready to enjoy the sequel.

So lets get into it shall we? I'm going to review this in two parts. The first section will be story (so skip that if you want to avoid minor spoilers), and the second part will be the game play. LETS DO THIS!


STORY

The story of Infamous 2 picks up where the first Infamous left off. The Beast is coming, and you have to harness your electric powers in order to stop it. Simple comic book stuff, however instead of playing in Empire City (Poor man's New York), you decide to hoof it to New Marais (Poor man's New Orleans) 

Apart from a few specific buildings, and easily breakable balconies, New Marais feels almost identical to Empire City. Of course there are a few swamp sections, and even a second island that is flooded that acts as Sucker Punch's not so subtle nod to the destruction of Hurricane Katrina. However, despite all the additions to the city, I would consistently find myself forgetting that New Marais was actually a new area, and not just another section of Empire city.

The characterization in Infamous 2 has really improved since the first game. Most notably Zeke, your goofy sidekick, is no longer a total idiot. He really comes into his own in this game, and is actually a likable character. WOWZA! Cole remains somewhat bland, but this is ok because it allows for you to put yourself in his shoes. However I must give props to the writers, as they really did try to make him a more likable character this time around, and with the exception of a poorly written Penal Code joke at the beginning, the character is fairly enjoyable to watch.

As always, the biggest selling point of Infamous, is the ability to decide your own fate through moral choices. That has not changed here, as the story will drastically change depending on whether you play as good or evil. To help you along, are two new heroines Nix, and Kuo. Nix represents the more aggressive and evil side of your powers, where as Kuo represents the more heroic and restrained powers.  My only criticism of this system is that just as in the first game, there is no room for gray area. Since the good choices are marked as blue, and the evil choices are marked as red, I never really found myself questioning my decisions, rather I would just pick my choices based on my desired ending. Also, the decisions are too extreme, you are either saving a bus full of nuns, or drowning thousands of kittens. It all feels a bit too simplified to allow for actual connection and thought.

Also without giving anything away, the new Villains in the game are more defined, and to put it bluntly "ARE TOTAL DICKS!"

The presentation of Infamous 2 is fantastic. The comic book style cut scenes return from the first game, and they are just as great as ever. However the other cut scenes are great as well and really help the characters emote more than the comic panels ever could. There is also a great use of full motion video during news reports, which adds an artistic flare that isn't seen in many modern games.

Overall the presentation and story of Infamous 2 are amazing. Whereas Infamous was a somewhat slow origin story, Infamous 2 jumps right into the action. The characters are better, the story is more intriguing, and the villains actually made me uncomfortable which is something that not many games have been able to achieve. (Seeing the Beasts destruction every time you pause the menu, really sent chills up my spine every time I went to save the game) Sure, the story isn't going to change anyone's life, but it is an entertaining ride, and I'm glad I experienced it. Oh and again without spoiling anything, both endings are some of the most gutsy and interesting endings I've ever played.

GAMEPLAY

Now this is where the problems start for me. While the first Infamous was great when it came out, it was flawed and I was hoping that perhaps some of the issues involving the combat would be rectified. However Infamous 2 seems to say no to the idea of polish, and instead regurgitates the exact same game play.

Now just because something is the same, doesn't mean it's bad. This is true for the traversal system of Infamous 2.

Grinding on rails, and jumping from roof to roof still feels great. You really feel powerful as you glide from building to building and zip across town on power lines. This is perhaps the greatest thing about Infamous. Oh and those of you who love Blast Shards? They are back and you completionists will be collecting them to your little hearts content. Sometimes you will find yourself getting snapped onto a ledge or pole that you didn't intend to grab, but overall the free running system of the first Infamous has aged well and remains great here.

The combat is where things get really shaky. At its core Infamous is a 3rd person shooter, but instead of shooting bullets, you shoot lightning out of your hand. While thats all well and good, nothing feels changed here.

The enemies are still just as accurate and hard as they were in the first game. You will get killed a lot. It will be cheap. Whether it be the almost one hit kills from rocket launchers, or perhaps a melee hit from behind, you will be juggled in this game. You will find yourself in a situation where you are running away from a fight because your screen is black and white from all the gun shots you take. Getting hit with a rocket launcher from three blocks away is not fun, it just feels cheap, and it's frustrating to boot. While the checkpoints are pretty good at starting you close to where you died, the frustration of constantly being overwhelmed makes every fight stressful and kind of tedious.

 There are some new additions to the combat that somewhat help the problem of being overwhelmed. Namely the Ionic Vortex. Now of all of the additions to Infamous 2, this one has to be my favorite. Beat up enough dudes, and sometimes they will drop a purple orb. You can then use this orb to unleash ALL OF GOD'S ALMIGHTY KICKASS!

Yeah that thing is amazing, and upgradeable.

The developers also felt the need to add to melee combat, and so they gave you what essentially is a "big electric stick" It's ok, but feels unnecessary. Why does a guy with kick ass electric powers need to settle for beating his opponent's head in with a stick? Also to use the bashing stick thingy, you just mash square and sometimes triangle until whatever it is you are whacking dies. It's not really fun, and seems like an addition that's sole purpose was to act as "the new thing" in Infamous 2.

The enemies are somewhat interesting. As before, you have the various gang cronies to beat up, however now you have zombified monster dudes to fight as well... generic monster zombie guys.

They are ok I guess... sigh... Oh and they also have GIANT MONSTERS! OH AND THE GIANT MONSTERS ARE REALLY COOL! ...until you have to fight them for the fifth time. Yes even the giant monsters get monotonous and become more of a hassle than something that's actually a fun time. Talk about juggling, these guys will juggle your ass into infinity. Most of the time I just finished the fight by spamming electric grenades and hoping I didn't die before it. There are some cool set piece boss sequences, but for the most part the enemies of Infamous 2, feel more like a hassle than something that I want to willingly engage with and fight.

Oh there's also some other stuff too. As I said earlier, there are plenty of blast shards to collect, also a numerous amount of side missions and random encounters, and if you get tired of playing the main story Infamous 2 has new user generated content that I honestly couldn't be bothered with. But it's cool that its there.

Overall Infamous 2 is a good package, but not great. I feel bad for criticizing it so much, but at the same time it doesn't feel different enough to warrant a sequel. It feels too similar and for those of you who are just finishing Infamous 1, I suggest you wait a little while to avoid getting burnt out on the formula. It's still a great game, and in many ways is better than its predecessor, but not enough of the problems were addressed, and it left me feeling disappointing and glum. All that being said I am going to still play through it again, and perhaps collect those blast shards...or maybe not. If you were a die hard Infamous 1 fan like I was, or maybe you just experienced the game because of Sony's welcome back program, maybe you should pick up a copy. Just be aware that Infamous 2 feels exactly like Infamous 1 for better or for worse.

Well thanks for your time, and if you have any thoughts or perhaps disagree with my review, let me know. I am always open for intelligent debate. As always stay safe, and perhaps you save that bus of nuns this time.