Infamous Review

Fame is the ultimate vanity. But chasing it in Infamous is bloody fun.

Infamous is a sand box style super hero game, where moral choices take centre stage. Through you actions as protagonist Cole, you may play through the story as a benevolent protector of the people or a cold blooded, super charged killer.

Initially, I was frustrated and disappointed. Underpowered and uninspired, I moved from one mission to next, quickly tiring of the gangs who constantly take pot shots at you from virtually every alley, street and rooftop. Gang members, who often cant be located particularly easily.

Things don’t really kick in until you start to accumulate a wealth of super powers, making the city a little dull and limited at first. Once you start to earn your powers, especially the ability to ride electrical wires and glide through the air, the city really starts to open up and rewards your initial patience. So be sure to persevere.

The story is interesting, though it’s nothing particularly new. Every day guy gets super powers and struggles to come to terms with them. But the real interest lies in how exactly you embrace them. Will you put your new found powers to good use, protecting the inhabitants, or will you terrorize them with lightning from above? There are a number of instances throughout the game where you are presented with a moral conundrum, and your decision will affect your powers, appearance and how people will react to you. These choices do not feel forced and aren’t always black and white.

That the thousands of people wandering the streets of Empire City react differently to you, dependant on your levels of good or evil is a testament to the details within the game. Pedestrians will ask you for help, cheer you on, take pictures of you, comment on how handsome you are or even aid you in battle if you are playing the game as a hero. Conversely, you make the evil choices and people will flee from the very sight of you.

The city itself is very impressive, though it doesn’t come close to GTAIV’s Liberty City. You can scale great heights, and best of all, jump right off them. The city is huge and brimming with life and there is always something happening around each corner. Most importantly, it’s easy to traverse thanks to well balanced controls and Cole’s smooth movements. On the down side, the city does look repetitive in places, as do the sewer systems which you are periodically forced to visit during missions. The main story missions are very entertaining and provide a range of different tasks, but the side missions, which are important if you want to get the most out of the game, are extremely repetitive, revolving around only a handful of premises.

As nimble as he his powerful, Cole is a joy to control and is very well animated. He also remains an interesting and sympathetic character throughout. The combat system works well and presents a balanced challenge. As you progress through the game, you will become adept at stringing together deadly combos and its really satisfying doing so.

The more you play Infamous the more you are likely to enjoy it. I have just finished the game as a Hero, and have already begun an evil play through. This is probably the most enjoyable and rewarding way to approach the game, playing to extremes of good or evil, rather than doing a bit of both. Once you get through the first few hours of frustration, there is a great deal of fun to be had. Infamous is an impressive and well executed game.