inFamous

"An enlightening superhero game"

When I first heard about inFamous, I thought it was just another "whatever" game. However, when I downloaded the demo and tried it out for myself, I was amazed. Being my first "Sucker Punch" game, I was very impressed with this game.
Infamous is a game that shows players what it feels like to have superpowers. Cole McGrath is the protagonist. Cole delivers a package that upon opening it, it explodes, destroying everything in it's path within a 6 block radius; except Cole, granting him the power of electricity. The goal of the game is to find out what the package is and who sent Cole to send the package and why everything happened the way it is. In this game, you can choose to be good or evil.

First Glance:
The box art for the game looks cool. The catch phrase "Save what's left or destroy it all" is compelling and mysterious. The starting screen/introduction is well thought out. The city in which the game takes place is in alive, and you feel like you're an important part of it. The atmosphere of the city sets the feeling of the game right away.

Graphics:
The city is well defined and landscapes are detailed. Cole's powers look very cool.
The comic-type cutscenes are colorful, unique and intriguing. Rating: 10/10

Sound:
The lightning/thunder effects of Cole's powers sound realistic. The music in certain parts of the game add to the mood of the story. The voice acting is great and dialogue flows very well. Cole's voice sounds cool, in my opinion. Rating: 10/10

Gameplay:
Cole's powers are fun to use. As you progress into the game, Cole gains better powers. Sidequests are mostly unique, however they can be repetitive. Rating: 9/10

Replay Value:
inFamous has a perfect plot. It's not too long or too short. Completing the game in the opposite karma gives you more trophies (if you're into trophies). Dead drops offer interesting side details about the main story. Blast shards is probably the one that will force you to come back to this game. I didn't feel the need to play the game again after I got my platinum trophy. But sometimes I play it just for the story if I'm bored. Rating 9/10

Complaints:
There are a lot of glitches in the game. It can be in the most unexpected places that it can actually ruin the game or hinder your progress on a mission. At one point while I was playing, there was a side mission that I had to do in order to get my trophy and it wouldn't appear. I tried everything that might get it to appear but to no avail. I ended up having to start all over again. My other complaint is that when you die, you start from the closest medical clinic. But it can get annoying because sometimes the closest medical clinic is very far away and it can be especially annoying if you die multiple times if you're in the higher difficulty setting. Blast shards can be tiresome too, because there's way too many of them. There are also some trophies that should be silver/gold instead of being bronze, but whatever, earning trophies are still fun.

Final Verdict:
9/10
Before I even got this game, I was stuck between inFamous and Prototype. I chose inFamous and I'm proud to say I don't regret it. I didn't really have much to say about the actual review, maybe because it's just that amazing. The storyline is incredible. The ending caught me by surprise and made my jaw drop. I was speechless when I saw the ending and how everything tied in perfectly. I love the story, I love the gameplay, I love the graphics. If you're like me and you're stuck between inFamous and Prototype, I say go for inFamous. You'll like it.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/03/09

Game Release: inFamous (US, 05/26/09)