Review: Infamous 2

Infamous 2 is the sequel to the smash 2009 hit Infamous, in which an ordinary bike messenger is given electricity-based superpowers after he survives an explosion that levels several city blocks. While the original focused on Cole adapting to his new abilities, making a (positive/negative) name for himself in Empire City and combating the various forces that were trying to overrun the city, the events of the beginning of Infamous 2 force Cole to leave the city and flee south. This game has Cole arriving in New Marais (which is Sucker Punch's version of New Orleans, much like Empire City was a variation of New York City) in the hopes of acquiring new abilities to combat the Beast, a superhuman entity without equal that Cole is required to stop. It is in this city that Cole not only discovers superhumans like himself, but discovers the nature of The Beast and its ultimate purpose.

Over the course of this review, I will focus only on the single-player experience of Infamous 2, mostly because the experience you have online with the Mission Creator and missions created by other users will depend entirely on what you find and is not indicative of the game as a whole.

The Good:
Cinematics - While the first game had many comic-book styled cinematics, which were mostly still frame, Infamous 2 puts equal emphasis on comic book cinematics and in-engine cutscenes, which make interesting use of the camera and help the characters feel a little more flushed-out in human - it's hard to sympathize with a character if they are just a series of drawings when you are not playing as them.

Graphics - This game is much better-looking than its predecessor: particle effects are excellent and have been entirely redone (explosions and electricity drains especially), there is more attention to detail on buildings and character models, and the in-engine cutscenes look fantastic - a big step up from last game, which had every character looking pan-faced and constantly surprised.

Melee - The Amp, the weapon designed for you by Zeke to basically use as an electrified baton, makes the hand-to-hand combat much more viable in this game, and much more useful - I found myself using it quite often, and it never felt watered down or boring. While I do miss backflip face-kicks, the finishing moves add a much-needed flair to what could have easily been a very drab and dull rinse-and-repeat method of fighting.

Supporting Characters - While Nix felt a little under-utilized (but that could just be because I played as a good character), Kuo was a very interesting inclusion, especially after her abduction. You occasionally have to choose sides between the two characters, and the way they react to your decisions will not always be what you would expect from them. I do wish they had delved into the characters a little more though - they were interesting enough to justify it, and it would have greatly improved the story to focus on what they had both been through and how they handle it.

The Bad:
Story - This game, already with a premise that promises to have incredible knock-down, drag-out fights, unfortunately does not deliver. Don't get me wrong - this is a fun game, and you'll enjoy throwing large electric tornadoes at your enemies. But the game never feels... right. It feels like a song with the metronome off by just a little. The build-up to the finale falls a little short, bad things happen to allies just a little too quickly, and there are several repercussions from Empire City that are touted as "awful events" that you really just do not feel the impact of. Near the end of the game, you are left with a decision that will have huge consequences, and it just feels so lackluster. And to be honest - of all the types of villains they could have gone with for the game, Bertrand was a particularly lame one; it never truly feels like there is any conflict between you and him, but you fight him anyway.

The Beast - He just seems like the most interesting pieces pulled from other sources (take Dr. Manhattan and mix him with Magneto) and applied towards this terrible ongoing event in Infamous 2 that you really do not hear about until much later in the game. Really, Sucker Punch? You guys usually know what you are doing, but this feels like your Force Unleashed 2. Awesome game, lacking story. The Beast never feels like the world's greatest threat - even though you do not win your first fight, he certainly never feels invincible. I feel like they should have shown footage of him leveling a city to really drive the point home. However, I will say this: the Beast is freakin' cool.

The "Why?"
Your Powers - Most of your powers are cool, yes. But since the events of this game occur not long after the end of the first, one would assume you would still have all your superpowers, as it does not make sense to "neuter" your character, right? Wrong - while you still have grenades, basic bolts, and static thrusters, it takes a while before you are able to unlock your polarity shield, missiles, precision bolts, and lightning strikes. Much more troublesome is the complete lack of explanation given for this, and that ties back into my issue with the story. Additionally, later in the game you acquire a new means of traversing your environment, one that is given to you so late in the game that it makes no sense - you are barely given enough time to use it before the final boss fight occurs.

My Score: 8.5/10
Infamous 2 is a fun game - there is no denying that, and I had an absolute blast playing through it. The gameplay mechanics are fun and much better than the first game, you can still climb and glide everywhere, and throwing tornadoes really never gets old - there is nothing like being cornered in an alley and then sending an entire platoon sky-high. However, my issues with the story and the conflicts in the game keep it from getting a higher score - while I very much enjoyed the game, the pacing was very inconsistent and there was no real emotional weight to anything that happened except for your final decision, and even that felt a little off. That being said, it is definitely an enjoyable story, and with the ability to experience two drastically different stories (depending on whether you play good or evil) as well as an unlimited number of missions to be played online in the form of user-generated content, this is definitely a game worth checking out.

My recommendation: Buy it.