Despite the range of multiplatform and smaller digital download games on offer for the PlayStation 4 since launch, there has been very little in the way of major exclusive releases to prevent me from considering the console a “glorified blu-ray player” at this point in time, with many more anime and film discs making their way into my console than games. But while development even today seems to favour the PS3 over the newer console, PS4 gamers have finally gotten the chance to see what a “next generation” Open World game looks like with Sucker Punch Productions’ launch of inFAMOUS: Second Son.
Serving as the third instalment in the inFAMOUS franchise, with both prior games receiving positive reception from media and fans alike, one would hopefully expect to see the developers take the Open World Action-Adventure series to the next level. Does it? Read on to find out in my review of inFAMOUS: Second Son.
inFAMOUS: Second Son takes place seven years after the events of the last game, where the Department of Unified Protection (DUP) has been actively tracking down conduits (Labelled as bio-terrorists) in order to protect the public from the supposed risks that they harbour towards humanity. Delsin Rowe, a delinquent who resides with the Akomish Native American tribe outside Seattle comes into contact with one of three conduits who escaped custody from DUP.
Managing to absorb the ability of the conduit (Smoke), he comes to the attention of DUP leader Brooke Augustine who puts the health of his tribe at risk using her own “Concrete” powers, slowly condemning them to death. The only way to stop the power of Concrete is to negate it with the same power, so Delsin and his brother Reggie head off to Seattle in order to track Augustine down, in the process coming across the other two escaped conduits and causing plenty of mayhem for the DUP.
The storyline is pretty good in itself with plenty of interesting milestones that take place throughout the game, making for an overall enjoyable experience. Delsin is a likeable character who provides an entertaining array of responses and personalities from gleefully remaking each time he receives a new super-power to being irrational when going against the advise of his brother to supporting a sense of right and wrong… and technically being able to go down either route depending on the players decisions. His role is supported by English voice actor Troy Baker, who delivers perfect emotion almost each and every time the character opens his mouth.
The main storyline can easily be finished in less than a dozen hours, and it is the side-characters that suffer because of it. Unfortunately given how little screen time any of the other characters get, none of them manage to stand out. By the end of the game Delsin will be associated with three other characters – his “normal” brother Reggie and fellow conduits Abigail “Fetch” Walker and Eugene Sims who both harbour some rather unique abilities. While you will go on a mission or two to “recruit” them and another mission to work alongside them, they have very little role otherwise in the game other than handing Delsin over their powers.
On the note of powers, the developers decided to stray a little bit from the traditional powers present in the previous games. Rather than more obvious options such as Electrokinesis, Pyrokinesis or Cryokinesis, Delsin will have access to powers like Smoke and Neon. Each of these are individual powers that you must collect from different power sources located around the city. All four are very distinct in properties and have a few unique skills between them, but by the end of the game I was left feeling that some of these powers can come across as being more visual than unique. Neon was my personal favourite, especially when you reach the Karma tier which allows you to indefinitely speed-run throughout the city leaving a trail of purple in your wake. Most skills for these powers are unlocked within the first fifteen minutes, but additional boosts can be acquired through a very rudimentary skill tree system.
Given there is no inventory system present in inFAMOUS: Second Son, most of the missions you take part in involve travelling from X to Y and then defeating swarms of enemies or, taking down a humanoid / structural target, occasionally with some other goal in mind such as chasing them down or using a radio tracker to pinpoint their location. Most of these are fun, however the attempts to differ the experience through the “Karma” and “Choices” systems did little to alter the experience aside from a slight change in storyline.
When Delsin first arrives in Seattle it is a city placed under martial law with the DUP controlling each of the districts. Outside of the main campaign, your job is the perform a series of tasks that will reduce their foothold from 100% to 35% and then perform a final mission to liberate the districts. While some of these such as downing a DUP mobile communications truck can be a lot of fun and challenge, others such as running around the city looking for walls to graffiti felt more like a mini-game than anything worthwhile.
However there is one perk to circumnavigating Seattle that transcends gameplay… and that is that Super Punch Productions have produced an open world environment that I think highlights just what the new generation of video game consoles are capable of. Nothing looks particularly wonky in the environment, it was hard to find a building that looked like it had just been plonked down in the matter of seconds and it looked fantastic at nighttime with all the artificial lights. As I have never been to Seattle I can’t say how faithful a recreation was produced for this game… but it sure managed to capture a good city vibe.
Character designs were also of a high standard, complemented by solid animation and only a few minor visual bugs. In terms of replayability there is very little outside of playing through the game a second time to take the other karma route for a handful of alternate missions and a different ending.
If you are like me, the first time you enter Seattle in inFAMOUS: Second Son you will be taken away at just how beautiful the open world environment looks, and then feel a twinge of excitement knowing that things should only get better from here in terms of visuals. However, while inFAMOUS Second Son is fun and managed to keep myself hooked for several hours at a time, it was a much shorter experience than it needed to be as outside of the main campaign there wasn’t much in the way of side-quests or activities to do.
