An electrifying game you just have to check out!
Thanks to PlayStation Now, PS4 users are now able to play numerous titles released on the older generation consoles. One of these titles is inFamous. The first of two games released on the PlayStation 3 (the second one is also on PlayStation Now as well) from Sucker Punch studios, the team behind the highly anticipated, upcoming game, Ghost of Tsushima. InFamous follows a bike courier, Cole MacGrath in the fictional Empire City on the east coast of the United States who stumbles onto a package that turns out to be a bomb. This bomb gave Cole and other genetically different individuals, known as Conduits, powers. Cole must now live with the reality that he caused a lot of destruction and use his powers to either save the city or take it for himself.
The best thing about the entire inFamous series is the fact that throughout the game your numerous actions make you either a good hero or an evil villain. From ensuring your electric powers do not harm civilians that run between gunfights to throwing shock grenades all over the place with no regard for any civilian safety, the actions push a meter that levels the player through three good or evil ranks. This allows players to unlock unique powers and perform different tasks within the story quest. Along with this, Cole’s appearance and his relationship with the civilians will change depending on the path the player goes down.
InFamous isn’t just a great concept though, it is arguably one of the most memorable games of the PlayStation 3 era. Not only did the game allow you to explore a large and unique city filled with tons of things to do, but you also have a fantastically addictive fighting system with a lot of variety and one of the most satisfyingly simple free-running systems I have seen. On top of this, the characters, at least the main characters, are fairly well made, and even though the script and voice acting fall a little short, the plot is an absolute blast.
With this, inFamous, according to me, also has one of the best soundtracks in the game. Even the voices of the civilians and other background characters are actually pretty good. The sound effects are great, with explosions and gunfire being easy to follow, and the graphics add a sort of comic book style animation to the game.
Cole’s powers are awesome. From grinding on steel wires to summoning a ridiculous lightning bolt. His progression through these powers is done by completing certain missions and are well spaced throughout the long campaign to allow the player to truly lose themselves in the game.
The best thing about inFamous is just how easy it is to get lost. Empire City is stacked full of things to do, from following the main mission to completing side quests, collecting blast shards (items that increase the amount of electricity you can store for powers), and small random events that help you mold Cole into a hero or a villain.
Back in the PlayStation 3 days, I remember playing the game for over two months in order to finish the story and the game on both a heroic path and a villainous path in order to collect those all-important trophies. On the PlayStation 4, my need for trophy collection has fallen away and been replaced by utter nostalgia for this game that introduced me to the PlayStation 3 and the wonderful Sucker Punch Studio.
Easily one of my favorite games of all time and arguably one of the greatest PlayStation exclusives of all time, inFamous is a game that you can lose days over. It will suck you in and not let out. Getting over small bugs is easy when there is so much more than this game offers. And not to mention, the Static Thrusters, easily the most enjoyable power in the game. Definitely check this classic out and also keep an eye out for Sucker Punch’s next title, Ghost of Tsushima