Impressions: Infamous 2's Mission Creation System

Infamous 2, a game I did an article on recently, is a single-player only game, something that has prospective customers a little leery of, as the single-player storyline does eventually end, even if it is as extensive as the first game's.

Not so anymore. Announced by Sucker Punch a few weeks ago, the game will have a "Mission Creator", where any user can create any type of mission to then play out as Cole. What's cool about the Mission Creator is just how expansive it is - you can insert checkpoints, decide which enemies will appear in which parts of your level, and even insert text as story points to give your mission its very own plot!

To put it simply, I absolutely love the idea and think it is very novel. You are essentially given the tools to craft your own superhero storyline, complete with bad guys, damsels in distress, and the craziest scenarios you can think of. This is the kind of thing I would love to see implemented in all sandbox-style video games (including Grand Theft Auto... can you imagine how cool it would be to create your own missions?!).

I have a small issue with the fact that you cannot design the level itself for your mission (you just use whatever part of the city, New Marais, for your level), but it is a very small gripe. Often when you see level creation in a game, its in a fairly linear game with a relatively small scope; simply put, there is not enough space in the single-player areas to allow for customization. Not so in this expansive open world. I am very excited to see what users come up with when this game comes out; several examples of which can be seen here).

A limited beta is scheduled to begin today, but unfortunately I will be unable to participate due to an increased workload with finals just around the corner; I will be sure to post any videos I find of user-generated content as it is posted on Youtube.