Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

10 to 20 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Solid"

Pros: Interesting and frequently dark story; Powers are fun to use; Well-designed and paced main campaign; New Marais is a neat city

Cons: Side missions can be a bit tedious; Morality system is ridiculous; Combat is a bit on the shallow side; Awkward vertical climbing

inFamous was one of those games that I really wanted to be better than it was. The concept was great: give the player superpowers and drop them into a troubled city where they can either help out or take advantage of the city's problems. Furthermore, the superpowers felt very fun to use, from the simple lightning bolt to the giant tornados you could eventually summon.

But inFamous also had some issues with awkward climbing, simple combat, and poor presentation. The gameplay just always felt a little off, and the story was tough to get invested in, the way it was presented. To make matters worse, the morality system was so ridiculously black-and-white, and only made the gamer ask if they wanted to be the saint with blue powers or a heartless bastard with red lightning. The game was still fun, but it missed its potential.

inFamous 2 is a step in the right direction, but a slight one. Everything but the core gameplay and black-and-white morality has seen a pretty noticeable improvement, but the core still has the exact same flaws as before. So yes, the jumping controls still feel a little awkward (why should you have to mash the jump button so much to climb each building?), but main missions are now completely relevant to the plot and tend to be paced better. Sure, the combat is still shallow, but the game wastes no time giving you cool powers and only adds more from there (including different elements depending on a choice midway through the game). And yes, there is no moral grey in the game (bar a remarkably tough final choice), but the plot and presentation are so much better.

The plot has gone from being awkwardly presented and only marginally interesting to be dark, more complex, and very engaging. The game takes a darker tone from the start as the Beast, a character Cole was warned about in the first game, shows up and wreaks absolute havoc. Cole and co. flee to New Marais in hope of getting him better prepared for the fight. With the potential destruction of the world at hand, the tone is noticeably darker and doesn't let up throughout.

It's not a complex plot (though a few late game twists do change things quite a bit), but it's handled very smartly. In particular, I would like to commend Sucker Punch for using characters as opposed to caricatures. In the first game for instance, Zeke was almost pure comic relief (except for an awkward twist later in the game) and could get a bit annoying. In inFamous 2, not only does he redeem himself for events in the first game, but he comes out on his own as a likeable friend with his own desires and ambitions. The rest of the cast is given likewise attention each with their own interests, fears, and approaches to tough situations. I cannot state enough how much the plot is a huge improvement over the first game, and how it is now legitimately interesting.

Again, presentation goes a long way, and to that respect, I have to also commend the art team for stepping it up. Empire City in inFamous 1 was, to be frank, generic. New Marais is very clearly inspired by New Orleans, but the art direction gets a boost because of it. The team injects each part of the city with tons of personality, whether it be the colorfully lit main streets or the gloomy flooded sections, and New Marais becomes much more fun to explore as a result.

I can definitely say that inFamous 2 is fun, and that it is an improvement over the first. It's not quite up to the level promised by the concept of the series, but inFamous 2 makes positive ground, particularly where the plot is concerned. It's not a must-buy game by any means, but if you didn't dislike the first game and like the concept of a sandbox superhero game, inFamous 2 will certainly satisfy. And who knows, maybe if Sucker Punch decides to make another superhero game, they'll continue this improvement and eventually create an amazing superhero experience.