Infamous is a very nice open world fighing games where you play as a guy who obtains electrical powers. The gameplay, story, audio, and visual are all great. So you should check out Infamous! Oh but I guess I should say that Infamous has a to be continued ending, right now the game company is working on the sequel.
In Infamous, you control Cole, a bike messenger who finds himself endowed with amazing & destructive electrical powers after surviving a mysterious explosion in the middle of the city in which he lives. Cole is a great character. He says all the things you'd expect a completely pissed off regular-Joe-turned-bad@$$ to say. Right away, you are tossed into the middle of a conspiracy that grows more sinister and intriguing with each completed mission. All the while, Cole has to deal with his ever growing abilities as well as the city's residents' reactions to him. There are "good" and "evil" choices that you will have to make in this game that will not only affect the storyline and the city's reactions to you, but also the way your superpowers evolve. This system is very well implemented and seamlessly blends into the story and gameplay.
Missions are never dull either. Although there are several missions that require similar objectives, all the missions feel distinct and fresh. They never feel like tasks or chores. This is quite the accomplishment for a game with so many missions!
The highlight of Infamous is the gameplay. Infamous excels on all fronts in this department. Controlling Cole is a sheer joy. This is the first open world game I've ever played where moving my character from place to place never once felt tedious in the 30+ hours I put into the game. A lot of this has to do with Cole's abilities. He is capable of easily scaling buildings, jumping (and later gliding) from rooftop to rooftop, making dramatic drops from the tops of skyscrapers to the streets below, electrically sliding across train tracks and power lines...there are just so many ways that Cole can use his powers and the environment to make even the most basic movements a thrill. One aspect of the game that surprised me because it was so unexpected is the platforming. There are several sections of the game where Cole has to platform across areas to accomplish mission objectives and these parts of the game are just awesome, especially the levels in the sewers. Cole's ever evolving abilities make the platforming more and more fun as the game progresses. In a nutshell, just moving Cole around Empire City is a thrill. I don't recall ever playing an open world game where this was the case.
The other great element of the gameplay is the combat. It's extremely satisfying and extremely fun. Especially when fighting at street level, a battle with multiple enemies can look up looking like a big budget Jerry Bruckheimer production. Electricity and bullets flying everywhere, explosions bursting all around you, cars and bodies getting hurled through the air...you have to see it to believe it. It's just as fun as it sounds. Enemies attack from around you, above, and below. As Cole's powers become more advanced and more destructive, he gains the abilities to wipe out huge groups of enemies in seemingly unlimited ways, which makes you feel like a truly powerful being. And when you combine the combat with the exceptional freedom of movement the game provides, it just multiplies the fun factor. Bottom line, this is a fun game to play. One of the funnest I've ever played.
There are a couple of improvements that could be made. While the game isn't visually weak in any way, it doesn't have a striking visual style that so many other games this generation do have. This is not a hindrance in any way. The graphics are very satisfactory, if unspectacular. Another issue has to do with the climbing mechanic, a double edged sword. When Cole is either jumping or falling and passes close by a surface that can be grabbed, he will grab it. 90% of the time, this is a good thing. It is necessary to be able to keep Cole under control in these situations without too much difficulty. But there are also times when it becomes a nuisance, like for instance when you are trying to grab an item that is hovering beneath the window sill of the 13th floor of a 25 story building. Like the graphics, this is not a game breaker in any way, just a minor flaw that doesn't detract from the overall enjoyment of the game at all.
Though I would love to see another Sly Cooper title, I was not a bit disappointed with this title. Sucker Punch is a top notch developer and this lives up to the pedigree.
