Review – inFAMOUS (PS3)

With a body that acts like an electrical conduit, able to manipulate and discharge electricity on a whim, it could be easy to lose sight of one’s moral compass. Granting the ability to save lives as easily as they could take them away, such powers would invariably change any individual that possessed them. In the story of inFAMOUS, the latest open-world action adventure game from developer Sucker Punch, the individual in question is Cole McGrath.

Just an everyday inner-city courier, Cole one day finds himself at the epicentre of a catastrophic and mysterious explosion. While the explosion destroys six square blocks of Empire City and is responsible for killing thousands, Cole bears the distinction of being the sole survivor. Shortly after regaining consciousness, he is quick to discover that his body has changed. His fingertips crackling, Cole soon learns that the explosion bestowed upon him a gift: the ability to control and command electricity.

In the days after the explosion, a plague of unknown origin ravages the suffering citizens of Empire City. The rapid propagation of the plague prompts the government to impose a quarantine on the fallen metropolis, barring its inhabitants from leaving. Cut off from the rest of the world, Empire City falls into a state of utter chaos. The local authorities have been overrun by vicious gangs, and the lack of food and supplies have forced the citizens of Empire City to fend for themselves. With Cole’s new-found gift, it is within his power to become the city’s destroyer or protector.

The crux of inFAMOUS revolves around moral choices. Cole will frequently be faced with situations in which he can use his powers to aid people or to hinder them. Each decision will affect the manner in which Cole develops as a character and how his powers of electricity will manifest themselves. Aiding the citizens of Empire city will result in Cole earning good karma, while harming them or acting selfishly will steer Cole toward the path of evil. The two alignments are divided into three levels, each of which will determine how far Cole has progressed along that path. The path of good is divided into Guardian, Champion, and Hero, while the evil path is divided into Thug, Outlaw, and the titular rank of Infamous.

As Cole earns enough good or bad karma to attain these levels he earns access to a multitude of power upgrades. Using the experience points that he earns from defeating enemies and completing missions, these upgrades can be purchased in any order to customize and compliment Cole’s repertoire of abilities. The evil upgrades propagate a more destructive and careless nature, adding explosive and sometimes sadistic effects to his powers. The good upgrades reward Cole for being more diligent by adding more helpful and support-oriented effects.

The problem with this system is that there’s no neutral ground, and that players who wish to be more whimsical and not adhere to a specific path will fail to be rewarded. Players are required to devote themselves to one moral alignment or the other if they wish to obtain the most powerful upgrades available. Those who have a change of heart halfway through the game and wish to pursue the opposite end of the moral spectrum would be best to start over, as the act of undoing Cole’s previous work would be too lengthy a process.

This black and white approach to the karma system is further enforced through mandatory segments that require Cole to perform good or evil actions. These choices typically boil down to pressing one button do to the good thing or pressing another button to do the bad thing. Once again, there’s no neutral ground, and the distinction between good and evil is always very apparent. However, the consequences of each choice are not. Regardless of which decision is made, Cole will still complete each mission as he’s meant to. These choices are nothing more than a moral hiccup that interrupt the flow of a mission and determine how Cole’s karma will be affected upon completion.

As Cole’s actions earn him a reputation for being a hero or a villain, the citizens of Empire City will begin to react to him differently. If Cole has used his powers to aid people, the citizens will become enamoured with him. They’ll applaud his efforts, take pictures of him, and even request his help when they see another citizen in need. On the other hand, if Cole has used his powers to pursue a life of evil, the citizens will begin to fear and hate him, some even going out of their way to attack him on the streets of Empire City. This often has little effect on the gameplay itself, but does add a great deal of atmosphere to the game. It can be very rewarding to hear a citizen call your name, or to see them run for cover as you navigate the city.

The city itself is like a playground for Cole. Known to partake in Urban Exploration activities and Parkour prior to the fateful explosion that granted him powers, Cole has little trouble getting from one place to the next. Throw in some powers that enhance his ability to navigate, such as temporary flight and the ability to slide along power lines, and Empire City becomes a delight to explore. However, the exploration in inFAMOUS is not without its flaws. When climbing a building, Cole can jump to any edge or outcropping and he’ll automatically grab hold of it. With each jump, the game will attempt to determine your intentions by directing Cole toward an appropriate ledge while he flies through the air. It’s a subtle and welcome effect, one that can certainly save you from an embarrassing fall, but the game is prone to making incorrect assumptions. Jumping from one distant ledge to another is both fun and easy, but navigating between close ledges can be a frustrating experience. Cole will often grab hold of the ledge he just left, or snap to one in-between and become momentarily stuck. This can be particularly frustrating when under assault from enemies.

But the enemies themselves can be a blast to deal with. Utilizing his wide range of powers, Cole can dispatch his enemies in hundreds of different ways. Unfortunately, most methods will seem very familiar. Aside from their electrical properties, Cole’s powers are very similar to the conventional weapons found in most first and third-person shooters. His standard Lighting Bolt is a rifle, his Precision Shot is a sniping rifle, and his Shock Grenade is, well, a grenade. None of it feels very unique, but the combat still shines regardless. With enemy AI that will seek out cover and attempt to surround you, and the hundreds of interactive objects littered about the streets, each encounter promises to be chaotic and explosive. Players that concern themselves with the safety of Empire City’s citizens will have to approach each battle more tactically, but those that are indifferent can blow up everything in sight just to defeat one enemy. The allure can be hard to resist, but the combat in inFAMOUS is fun regardless of which path you choose.

Unfortunately, it can be during combat when the game’s lacklustre visual presentation is most apparent. Particle effects, such as explosions and Cole’s electrical powers often look very poorly rendered, and the dynamic lighting caused by all the chaos is very flat and uninspired. The character models and environments are also littered with aliasing issues, and some of the animations can be stiff and robotic. To make matters worse, inFAMOUS is plagued with an inconsistent framerate. The game runs smoothly when Cole is navigating buildings, but when combat erupts and he finds himself surrounded by enemies, the framerate often becomes turbulent. It’s not enough to impede Cole’s ability to dispatch his attackers, but it can be noticeable at times.

Despite the disappointing real-time graphics, Sucker Punch was successful in one aspect of the game’s visual presentation: the comic book-inspired cutscenes. Throughout the game, usually used to punctuate key events unfolding in the story, inFAMOUS will treat players to beautifully illustrated cutscenes told via animated comic book panels. These cutscenes parallel the quality of most modern super hero comic books and really help capture the style of the inFAMOUS universe. They also provide a more engaging taste of the overall narrative than the conversations heard during missions, easily making them the most memorable parts of the story.

The music in the game also adds to the overall style of inFAMOUS, providing a dark and moody soundtrack that comes and goes with the action. Composed by renowned electronic musician Amon Tobin, most of the soundtrack consists of electrostatic distortion masterfully weaved with drum and bass. It can be a little understated at times, but still thoroughly enjoyable.

The voice acting is another story entirely. Aside from Cole himself, most of the voice actors heard in inFAMOUS deliver an uninspiring or totally annoying performance. The dialogue is shockingly immature at times and is frequently embarrassing to hear. Thankfully, the majority of inFAMOUS’ intriguing story is told through the comic book cutscenes which are narrated almost entirely by Cole.

A wise man once said that “with great power comes great responsibility,” and that holds true to both the gameplay found in inFAMOUS and the development of the game itself. The concept behind the game is brilliant, but Sucker Punch failed to adhere to their vision when producing it. The game shows a great deal of promise, and there is a lot of fun to be found in Empire City, but like much of the city itself, the game pales in comparison to what it could have been. The story is great, especially the surprises toward the end, but the path to unravelling it can feel repetitive and sluggish. The paths of good and evil and the corresponding upgrades will provide players with some replayability, but neither experience truly offers anything new.