JOYSTICKLER: Infamous 2 delivers a shock to your PS3’s System

POSTED: Wednesday, August 31, 2011, 2:00 PM

Filed Under: Video Games

Shawn Proctor sets his controller aside to hash out the goods, bads and uglies of the latest games and gadgets.

BACKGROUND: Infamous 2 follows up Sucker Punch Productions’ bestselling PlayStation 3 original, shifting the storyline of courier-turned-superhero Cole MacGrath from Empire City to the New Orleans-inspired New Marais. Not content with MacGrath’s previous slate of electrical powers, the game designers expanded his ability to cause massive amounts of destruction — and he’ll need every bit of it to deal with the nearly indestructible beast that's stalking him.

REVIEW: The game itself is a comic book fan’s wet dream: a world full of places to climb and slide, and enemies to hack, shock and destroy. Like a super-charged version of G4’s Ninja Warrior, MacGrath defies gravity and physics, putting the player in the thick of eye-popping battles and immersing game play. The voice-over work and graphics are excellent, on par with nearly anything on the market.

However, Cole MacGrath is pretty vanilla as a character. And his powers have logic holes that turnpike traffic could pass through. If electricity-based abilities could do this much, Spider-Man would be able to flip cars, spin webs, and shoot poison missiles from his fingertips. Regardless of the entertainment value, it’s all a bit ridiculous.

TIPS: The camera sits behind MacGrath, creating problems when tackling multiple enemies. It’s easy to lose track of the goons. I found that frustrating in terms of game play. Also, it's hard to see the handholds that are needed to climb buildings. Just keep pounding the climb and jump button. Chances are you’ll find the way up.

COMPARISONS: Infamous 2 plays a lot like Batman: Arkham Asylum, except without the intricate melee. And that is a huge downside. The powers, not you, handle most of the butt-kicking. I’d rather have a character who could just beat down the opposition. It feels a Mortal Kombat fatality: amusing yet inevitable.

FINAL SAY: The expansion release where MacGrath hunts and kills a vampire looks promising. However, the actual game as presented here doesn’t seem likely to hold a player’s attention in the same way that Mass Effect or Portal 2 will. It’s a game with big electric sizzle, just not enough cheese steak.

(@shawnproctor)

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