inFamous was pretty mindblowing way back when it was released: a fast-paced open world superhero game with great action. It wasn't free of problems, though... for one, it featured the single worst morality system in history, that might as well have been replaced with a yes-no "are you evil" question at the start of the game. Also, to achieve the scale of the world, the developers did a lot of copying and pasting, which means the map is pretty boring.
Still, inFamous is fun for a casual playthrough.
Still, inFamous is fun for a casual playthrough.
I havent played this in a long time. But it had a real big effect on me as a child. I love this games setting. This industrial nightmare of a city. Its a great place and a great reason for the protagonist to either want to liberate it or want to destroy and rule over it. The morality system isnt great. But out of the three games, its the one that makes the most sense. And there are some good choices here and there that makes sense for the characters growth. I love the story for this game. It has one of my favorite villains in a game. The gameplay is really solid as well. I wish there was a more modern port of it so that it can run better, but either way its still a great time.
This review contains spoilers
Only special types of games create a lasting impression on our youth. With a vast array of games to look back on, it’s easy to recall which ones were special. What’s even greater is revisiting these classics and finding that your affections weren’t misplaced. Many of those games earned that space in your memory and deserve to remain there. The inverse of this is also true. Some games that have garnered much praise have aged poorly. One of them being inFAMOUS. I remember charging through this game fondly. I beat it at least twice and made sure to find every collectible the game had to offer. Coming back to it 13 years later to discover monotonous settings, themes, and gameplay does not evoke the sense of nostalgia that I was expecting.
Initially, navigating Empire City was fun and interesting. You’re getting used to how Cole interacts with the world as the game drip-feeds you more lightning-based powers. The problem is that what you see in the beginning is what you get for the entire duration of the game. The dark and gloomy weather combined with rundown streets are designed to convey the oppressive atmosphere but it’s so ugly that it feels suffocating as a player to engage with. The enemy encounters never get more interesting because the design philosophy is just “more enemies” or “a handful of enemies and a bigger enemy.” The powers you gain along the way are supposed to facilitate change in the challenges presented but the daunting nature of constantly being shot by absurdly accurate enemies actively discourages you from wanting to participate in it. This combined with a half-baked narrative makes for an overall unpleasant experience.
You meet your core cast of friends and mysterious allies almost immediately but the game does not introduce you to the antagonist until much later in the story. You’re constantly facing the oppressive forces of the Reapers, Duskmen, and the First Sons but none of them are more than roadblocks as you push your way through them to get to the next objective. By the time you do meet the story’s villain, you’re ready to bolt your way to the finish line but by then you’ve been inundated with plagues of enemies constantly discharging fire upon you. This can be thinned out by doing the side quests offered in the game, but those quests are just as repetitive and unrefined as the primary gameplay. Bogged down by fetch quests, poorly designed stealth following quests, and elimination quests, you’re only hope of completing the game is to ignore it all and focus strictly on story missions. This resolves in one of two ways depending on a heavily imbalanced karma system that demands the player to commit to choices that are completely devoid of nuance.
Like many other games that came out during its time, inFAMOUS offers choices that are said to impact the storyline. These choices start off small where you have to decide whether you are going to share resources with the starving and desperate populace, or you can scare them away and horde them all to yourself. This choice serves nothing more than to generate karmic points towards either good or evil. The game informs you of which choice leans which way prior to you committing to it and provides nothing else for you. This is the case for basically every choice beyond that. They also usually boil down to scenarios where you either harm yourself or harm others. Towards the end of the game, the main antagonist gives you a choice to either save Cole’s love interest or a bunch of doctors. This is possibly the most frustrating choice in the game. It’s not a bad point of decision for what kind of character you want Cole to be, but because the love interest dies no matter what, the decision is immediately undermined. If you choose to save Trish, it’s revealed that the villain lied to you to prove a point and if you choose to save the doctors then you get a brief scene where Cole mourns his loss. Either way, it only skews your karma in one direction or the other. The game’s final decision is the only one that truly matters.
The game starts with you working as a courier delivering an object in your bag. Then there’s an explosion and you’re left in the epicenter with the power to control electricity. You later learn the object was an item called the Ray Sphere and it’s the source of your powers. In the game’s final chapters, you are given the choice to either destroy it or activate it again to enhance your powers further. This is the only decision that has a major influence on actual gameplay and the story’s ending. If you destroy it you gain a few points of good karma but if you activate it again you are locked into the evil ending and are realigned to full evil regardless of your karmic alignment prior to making that decision. You also gain some experience points and a power buff. From a narrative standpoint, it makes sense. Why would a hero committed to saving and helping people be willing to kill thousands of people to gain more power? The problem is the imbalance between the two decisions. Throughout the narrative, you’re encouraged to be a hero and do the right thing, the game practically shoves you in that direction by virtue of giving you good karma for simply not draining people of their energy to replenish your own. But were you to make it to the three evil ranks and choose to destroy the ray sphere you still remain evil. You have no true incentive to commit to one or the other when you can choose to go one way at the very end. After this decision, you are faced with the game’s conclusion.
Whether you are good or evil, you have to face Kessler (the main antagonist) at the end of the game. He’s been taunting you for all of the third act and now it’s finally time to end it. This battle takes place neatly where it all began and the setting is nicely designed to allow you to make full use of all of your abilities. These abilities have been the bread and butter of the entire game. Having shock grenades and rockets is a great way to make combat fun and engaging. This battle is one of the few instances where combat is actually enjoyable and engaging despite all of the powers you gain throughout the narrative. The boss has different moves that challenge your ability to maneuver and attack. Once you beat him, you are shown the big reveal that Kessler is actually you from the future where you were faced with an adversary that you chose to run away from. Shoehorning time travel into this already, weak story was the final nail in the coffin. This also depicts Cole taking actions that you, as the player, have no influence over which strips you of agency over whether Cole is truly good or evil. I wouldn’t call this a bad game by any stretch of the imagination. But the game’s active hostility towards the player whether it be from oppressive environments, overwhelming amounts of enemies easily overtaking you, or a weak story filled with meaningless decisions, I can easily call this a mediocre game that doesn't live up to the fond memories I had for it as a young adult.
Initially, navigating Empire City was fun and interesting. You’re getting used to how Cole interacts with the world as the game drip-feeds you more lightning-based powers. The problem is that what you see in the beginning is what you get for the entire duration of the game. The dark and gloomy weather combined with rundown streets are designed to convey the oppressive atmosphere but it’s so ugly that it feels suffocating as a player to engage with. The enemy encounters never get more interesting because the design philosophy is just “more enemies” or “a handful of enemies and a bigger enemy.” The powers you gain along the way are supposed to facilitate change in the challenges presented but the daunting nature of constantly being shot by absurdly accurate enemies actively discourages you from wanting to participate in it. This combined with a half-baked narrative makes for an overall unpleasant experience.
You meet your core cast of friends and mysterious allies almost immediately but the game does not introduce you to the antagonist until much later in the story. You’re constantly facing the oppressive forces of the Reapers, Duskmen, and the First Sons but none of them are more than roadblocks as you push your way through them to get to the next objective. By the time you do meet the story’s villain, you’re ready to bolt your way to the finish line but by then you’ve been inundated with plagues of enemies constantly discharging fire upon you. This can be thinned out by doing the side quests offered in the game, but those quests are just as repetitive and unrefined as the primary gameplay. Bogged down by fetch quests, poorly designed stealth following quests, and elimination quests, you’re only hope of completing the game is to ignore it all and focus strictly on story missions. This resolves in one of two ways depending on a heavily imbalanced karma system that demands the player to commit to choices that are completely devoid of nuance.
Like many other games that came out during its time, inFAMOUS offers choices that are said to impact the storyline. These choices start off small where you have to decide whether you are going to share resources with the starving and desperate populace, or you can scare them away and horde them all to yourself. This choice serves nothing more than to generate karmic points towards either good or evil. The game informs you of which choice leans which way prior to you committing to it and provides nothing else for you. This is the case for basically every choice beyond that. They also usually boil down to scenarios where you either harm yourself or harm others. Towards the end of the game, the main antagonist gives you a choice to either save Cole’s love interest or a bunch of doctors. This is possibly the most frustrating choice in the game. It’s not a bad point of decision for what kind of character you want Cole to be, but because the love interest dies no matter what, the decision is immediately undermined. If you choose to save Trish, it’s revealed that the villain lied to you to prove a point and if you choose to save the doctors then you get a brief scene where Cole mourns his loss. Either way, it only skews your karma in one direction or the other. The game’s final decision is the only one that truly matters.
The game starts with you working as a courier delivering an object in your bag. Then there’s an explosion and you’re left in the epicenter with the power to control electricity. You later learn the object was an item called the Ray Sphere and it’s the source of your powers. In the game’s final chapters, you are given the choice to either destroy it or activate it again to enhance your powers further. This is the only decision that has a major influence on actual gameplay and the story’s ending. If you destroy it you gain a few points of good karma but if you activate it again you are locked into the evil ending and are realigned to full evil regardless of your karmic alignment prior to making that decision. You also gain some experience points and a power buff. From a narrative standpoint, it makes sense. Why would a hero committed to saving and helping people be willing to kill thousands of people to gain more power? The problem is the imbalance between the two decisions. Throughout the narrative, you’re encouraged to be a hero and do the right thing, the game practically shoves you in that direction by virtue of giving you good karma for simply not draining people of their energy to replenish your own. But were you to make it to the three evil ranks and choose to destroy the ray sphere you still remain evil. You have no true incentive to commit to one or the other when you can choose to go one way at the very end. After this decision, you are faced with the game’s conclusion.
Whether you are good or evil, you have to face Kessler (the main antagonist) at the end of the game. He’s been taunting you for all of the third act and now it’s finally time to end it. This battle takes place neatly where it all began and the setting is nicely designed to allow you to make full use of all of your abilities. These abilities have been the bread and butter of the entire game. Having shock grenades and rockets is a great way to make combat fun and engaging. This battle is one of the few instances where combat is actually enjoyable and engaging despite all of the powers you gain throughout the narrative. The boss has different moves that challenge your ability to maneuver and attack. Once you beat him, you are shown the big reveal that Kessler is actually you from the future where you were faced with an adversary that you chose to run away from. Shoehorning time travel into this already, weak story was the final nail in the coffin. This also depicts Cole taking actions that you, as the player, have no influence over which strips you of agency over whether Cole is truly good or evil. I wouldn’t call this a bad game by any stretch of the imagination. But the game’s active hostility towards the player whether it be from oppressive environments, overwhelming amounts of enemies easily overtaking you, or a weak story filled with meaningless decisions, I can easily call this a mediocre game that doesn't live up to the fond memories I had for it as a young adult.
ok... talvez esse seja o meu caso mais recente de ser enganado pela nostalgia... não me leve a mal, infamous com certeza é um bom jogo, mas pra cada coisa boa eu consigo citar umas duas outras que são ruins ou bem mais ou menos.
A liberdade de movimentação é algo bem impressionante, principalmente ao pensar na época de lançamento do jogo, mas o mundo aberto em si não é tão legal de se explorar , seja pelas escassas e monótonas missões secundarias ou pelos vários coletáveis que não fazem uma diferença efetiva na gameplay. o combate também poderia ser melhor, pq apesar de você ganhar um monte de poderes diferentes raramente parece que você fica de fato mais forte e spamar r1 ou a granada sempre me pareceu o mais efetivo em 90% das situações do game. E pra piorar a dificuldade do jogo é completamente maluca, a todo momento inimigos aparecem do nada pelo mundo aberto e além deles aguentarem uma quantidade enorme de dano mesmo com você todo upado, eles também tem uma precisão impecável e vão ficar te dando dano continuo as vezes sem nem ver onde eles estão, o que torna alguns momentos com muitos inimigos um pouco frustrantes.
a história é um caso a parte, por um lado, bem interessante isso de você escolher ser bom ou mal e isso alterar certos aspectos da trama(nada tão drástico assim infelizmente, geralmente só o tom e como o personagem interpreta algum acontecimento na narrativa), por outro lado... as escolhas são péssimas. péssimas, serio. chega em um nível em que o jogo te pergunta algo como "você quer ajudar essa pessoa com um exato aperto de botão e ganhar bônus de karma positivo ou só literalmente não fazer nada" ou te bota em uma situação tipo "ah se eu fechar essa válvula eu tomo um pouco de dano e se não as pessoas morrem.... hmnnn que coisa de difícil de escolher", é patético, e não vou nem entrar no mérito dessas escolhas as vezes não terem impacto algum de fato (a do interesse romântico ou os médicos principalmente). A história tem uma ideia legal sobre moralidade principalmente com o twist no final, mas isso não concerta a péssima estrutura de missões, os personagens bem rasos e majoritariamente descartáveis, escolhas sem peso algum e uma gameplay um pocado frustrante.
A liberdade de movimentação é algo bem impressionante, principalmente ao pensar na época de lançamento do jogo, mas o mundo aberto em si não é tão legal de se explorar , seja pelas escassas e monótonas missões secundarias ou pelos vários coletáveis que não fazem uma diferença efetiva na gameplay. o combate também poderia ser melhor, pq apesar de você ganhar um monte de poderes diferentes raramente parece que você fica de fato mais forte e spamar r1 ou a granada sempre me pareceu o mais efetivo em 90% das situações do game. E pra piorar a dificuldade do jogo é completamente maluca, a todo momento inimigos aparecem do nada pelo mundo aberto e além deles aguentarem uma quantidade enorme de dano mesmo com você todo upado, eles também tem uma precisão impecável e vão ficar te dando dano continuo as vezes sem nem ver onde eles estão, o que torna alguns momentos com muitos inimigos um pouco frustrantes.
a história é um caso a parte, por um lado, bem interessante isso de você escolher ser bom ou mal e isso alterar certos aspectos da trama(nada tão drástico assim infelizmente, geralmente só o tom e como o personagem interpreta algum acontecimento na narrativa), por outro lado... as escolhas são péssimas. péssimas, serio. chega em um nível em que o jogo te pergunta algo como "você quer ajudar essa pessoa com um exato aperto de botão e ganhar bônus de karma positivo ou só literalmente não fazer nada" ou te bota em uma situação tipo "ah se eu fechar essa válvula eu tomo um pouco de dano e se não as pessoas morrem.... hmnnn que coisa de difícil de escolher", é patético, e não vou nem entrar no mérito dessas escolhas as vezes não terem impacto algum de fato (a do interesse romântico ou os médicos principalmente). A história tem uma ideia legal sobre moralidade principalmente com o twist no final, mas isso não concerta a péssima estrutura de missões, os personagens bem rasos e majoritariamente descartáveis, escolhas sem peso algum e uma gameplay um pocado frustrante.
this nigga is not infamous
I miss Infamous so much. I loved this game's whole vibe. It's gritty, it's bleak, and not only that, it's fun. It encourages a second playthrough due to its Karma system, and the choices to make get difficult at times too. A truly fun superhero experience by Sucker Punch that somehow feels like an Insomniac game with its fast-paced action and parkour.
I just wish there was an easy way to play it on PS3 without having to stream it via PS Plus. Give us a remaster Sony, please.
Score: 87
I just wish there was an easy way to play it on PS3 without having to stream it via PS Plus. Give us a remaster Sony, please.
Score: 87
I like this original superhero game by sucker punch, the electric abilities are quite unique and this game kinda made the karma system very popular. The Comic cutscenes are great. At times the control’s can be annoying because Cole sticks to certain places like glue, I also think the evil route has cooler abilities. But overall a cool game that lacks some polish but makes up for it with other qualities.
Bought my ps3 for this game
While not without its negatives, I can see why Infamous is as… famous as it is. There’s some classic PS3-isms that’ll remind you of the era you’re in, but it comes off more charming than grating to me. Most of the time that is. On that same train of thought, let’s get the infamous out of the way before we talk about why it’s famous.
Infamous is one of the many games of its generation to try its hand at the karma system, and it’s not the greatest. To its credit but primarily its detriment, it’s very on the nose with its choices. The total lack of nuance makes it very obvious the moral path that you’re going down, yet it also prevents any hard-choices or depth of choice. When your options are as starkly different as kill hungry civilians or save a hospital, it becomes much too easy to make a choice. And even with how satisfying the combat system is, I can’t see an argument to play the game through twice. There’s really one unique ability per alignment, and it’s no game changer either way. I think an alignment system can be great but the entire infrastructure has to be built around it intelligently, which is not the case here. Granted this is really a half-gripe, because I don’t think it takes away that much from the main game, except in the sense that the resources put towards it could have been put elsewhere. Still worth noting though.
My other gripe is with the characters. Growing up and watching my older brother play this game, I never really picked up on how naggy, backstabby, or just downright annoying almost everyone is here. After actually playing completely through Cole was pretty much the only person I wasn’t pissed at by the end. But hey, I know Zeke is much more likable in the sequel so at least I have that to look forward to. My last and most major issue I have is with the NPC generation, both the civilians and enemies. There are way too many at any given moment, in the immersive and gameplay sense. A healthy mix of NPCs are necessary for a world to feel lived in, it’s just literally every corner in Infamous is filled to the brim with people, to the point where civilian death is nearly a guarantee with how stupidly they run right in front of you while trying to zap some bad guys. And I’m sorry but there are SO many bad guys just strewn throughout the quarantined hellhole that is Empire City, that after a while I just ignored them to travel to my next mission. Some regulation of NPC count would have made the world not feel so cluttered.
In terms of pure gameplay, infamous is very refined for its first outing. A diverse array of offensive options, traversal enhancers, and even a permanent electro-shield all made for a veritable playground at any firefight. The ultimate ability and nade-spamming one being my personal favorites to unleash on some poor unsuspecting fool. Kudos also to the electrical line and train-tracks traversal, each were very smart and rewarding methods of travel. Same goes for the parkour, which felt very Assassin’s Creed-y, if made infinitely more relaxed. If any building exists in Infamous, as long as it has even the smallest lip jutting out, you can climb it, and I respect that greatly.
Not just suited for function, the aesthetics, power-wise and cityscape wise, were tip-top here as well. Using nearby generators, cars, and antennas to siphon energy for grenade blasts and hands-zaps emphasized how utterly badass playing as a superhero in a superheroless world could be. Along with using sewer substations to make yourself a literal conduit the game was A+ at making you feel awesome. I won’t get into the story here, I’ll just say it does have a pretty major twist unveiled at the end. I’m not sure it was necessary, and many people despise the supposed bait-and-switch they pulled, but I was honestly fairly lukewarm on it. Definitely the most interesting part of the narrative, so I suppose I’m cool with it. It certainly sets up the next game to be truly epic. On a last note about the story, I absolutely love the comic art cinematics they used to cap off mission completions. It was probably for budget purposes, however the art was positively striking, and I can see why they made a comic series in the same style after the fact.
All that to say, Infamous is a fun time. As long as you’re keeping a brisk pace and you can be patient with the video-game equivalent of your slightly older, ever-so-slightly backwards cousin, you’ll have a good time here. And you should, because I think Infamous holds up well despite its flaws.
Infamous is one of the many games of its generation to try its hand at the karma system, and it’s not the greatest. To its credit but primarily its detriment, it’s very on the nose with its choices. The total lack of nuance makes it very obvious the moral path that you’re going down, yet it also prevents any hard-choices or depth of choice. When your options are as starkly different as kill hungry civilians or save a hospital, it becomes much too easy to make a choice. And even with how satisfying the combat system is, I can’t see an argument to play the game through twice. There’s really one unique ability per alignment, and it’s no game changer either way. I think an alignment system can be great but the entire infrastructure has to be built around it intelligently, which is not the case here. Granted this is really a half-gripe, because I don’t think it takes away that much from the main game, except in the sense that the resources put towards it could have been put elsewhere. Still worth noting though.
My other gripe is with the characters. Growing up and watching my older brother play this game, I never really picked up on how naggy, backstabby, or just downright annoying almost everyone is here. After actually playing completely through Cole was pretty much the only person I wasn’t pissed at by the end. But hey, I know Zeke is much more likable in the sequel so at least I have that to look forward to. My last and most major issue I have is with the NPC generation, both the civilians and enemies. There are way too many at any given moment, in the immersive and gameplay sense. A healthy mix of NPCs are necessary for a world to feel lived in, it’s just literally every corner in Infamous is filled to the brim with people, to the point where civilian death is nearly a guarantee with how stupidly they run right in front of you while trying to zap some bad guys. And I’m sorry but there are SO many bad guys just strewn throughout the quarantined hellhole that is Empire City, that after a while I just ignored them to travel to my next mission. Some regulation of NPC count would have made the world not feel so cluttered.
In terms of pure gameplay, infamous is very refined for its first outing. A diverse array of offensive options, traversal enhancers, and even a permanent electro-shield all made for a veritable playground at any firefight. The ultimate ability and nade-spamming one being my personal favorites to unleash on some poor unsuspecting fool. Kudos also to the electrical line and train-tracks traversal, each were very smart and rewarding methods of travel. Same goes for the parkour, which felt very Assassin’s Creed-y, if made infinitely more relaxed. If any building exists in Infamous, as long as it has even the smallest lip jutting out, you can climb it, and I respect that greatly.
Not just suited for function, the aesthetics, power-wise and cityscape wise, were tip-top here as well. Using nearby generators, cars, and antennas to siphon energy for grenade blasts and hands-zaps emphasized how utterly badass playing as a superhero in a superheroless world could be. Along with using sewer substations to make yourself a literal conduit the game was A+ at making you feel awesome. I won’t get into the story here, I’ll just say it does have a pretty major twist unveiled at the end. I’m not sure it was necessary, and many people despise the supposed bait-and-switch they pulled, but I was honestly fairly lukewarm on it. Definitely the most interesting part of the narrative, so I suppose I’m cool with it. It certainly sets up the next game to be truly epic. On a last note about the story, I absolutely love the comic art cinematics they used to cap off mission completions. It was probably for budget purposes, however the art was positively striking, and I can see why they made a comic series in the same style after the fact.
All that to say, Infamous is a fun time. As long as you’re keeping a brisk pace and you can be patient with the video-game equivalent of your slightly older, ever-so-slightly backwards cousin, you’ll have a good time here. And you should, because I think Infamous holds up well despite its flaws.
Pretty repetitive but unique and fun for what it was. Plan to one day go back and finish it, just couldn't captivate me as a kid.
Great new IP that sadly produced just 3 games.
Should make a comeback.
Should make a comeback.
I liked it back then. I also didn't have Internet so YMMV lol.
Game needs a remaster, too much grey. Enjoyed the story and premise
Electrify the homeless. Drain the city. Resuscitate the person you just maimed to keep your karma in check. Life is just a gray box of super-anti-hero bad boys.
it’s fun. it’s annoying and kinda drags on, but it’s fun. pretty cool powers
7.5/10
7.5/10
the amount of exposition in the first few levels of this game is comedic
I feel like the reviews of this game aren't giving it the credit it deserves.
Sure, the game's karma system is "binary" but that doesn't matter that much to me when everything else works so well to make up for it.
Movement is great, the open world is fun to explore, and the story is actually super engaging
I grew up with this game and I feel like I love it more having revisited it as an adult, I 100% recommend it.
Sure, the game's karma system is "binary" but that doesn't matter that much to me when everything else works so well to make up for it.
Movement is great, the open world is fun to explore, and the story is actually super engaging
I grew up with this game and I feel like I love it more having revisited it as an adult, I 100% recommend it.
Kessler should've went back in time to stop the creation of the SixAxis instead
I was playing this for a while and it was definitely “pretty good”. Got far in but after time away I wouldn’t say it’s good enough to beat. My main issue might honestly be how boring it is to get new powers from running in the sewers.
But also repetitive missions and lots of getting gun down while running up the street.
But also repetitive missions and lots of getting gun down while running up the street.
Every decision in this game:
"Would you like to help a child or kill ten babies?"
"Would you like to help a child or kill ten babies?"
My fondness for inFamous hasn't waned over the years, as terrible as this game looks visually. inFamous' core gameplay loop is really, really strong. The amount of neat things this game does with lightning & electricity keeps the experience fresh - you got your standard bolts and shockwaves, but you also got lightning grenades, polarity shields, thunderstorms, these Gigawatt-Blade things that all but guarantee a one-hit kill on mooks, badass rail-grinding, and these cool moment-to-moment electrokinesis abilities that let you either heal, restrain, or bio-leech the life out of civvies and downed enemies. Cole's moveset is - pardon the pun - shockingly varied and diverse, an eclectic platter of tools at your disposal that keeps the gameplay moving and evolving at all times. inFamous isn't just a game that makes you feel like a superhero, it's a game that makes you feel like you're undergoing a superhero's journey of getting stronger, refining and mastering your powers to the point where you're raining thunderstorms down upon a square block of people.
inFamous' horizontal progression is fantastic, and the fact that it has some flashy combat setpieces and solid traversal / mobility options coupled with a solid story and a distinctive, fun cast of characters...
...narrowly makes this a 3.5/5 instead of a shaky 3. inFamous has started to show its age in more ways than one. Admittedly, a lot of inFamous' issues center around performance and presentation. The stylized comic-book cutscenes are timelessly cool and imbue the setting with a pulpy gravitas, but the actual in-game graphics are embarrassingly lame even for the late 2000's, stale and lifeless and dull-looking with gaudy animation cycles, puppet-like mouth movements, janky pop-in problems, and a horrific performance rate (seriously, it's easy to forget that this game was supposed to be 60FPS, because it barely ever manages to hit even 20 or 30). inFamous is just too demanding for the PS3, and this is a problem that defines the game from Minute One and never lets up.
But even outside of the graphics, inFamous plays like a less-effective and sloppier version of inFamous 2. Difficulty balancing is a problem with inFamous 1. Initially, I like that the game starts out with some surprisingly tough goons and mooks - it feels like generic enemies actually stand a chance against you to start. The problem is that the mooks actually never stop being a more prominent threat than anything else in the game. Bosses are piss-easy and bigger enemies can easily be taken down with Cole's AOE powers, but the generic Reapers / Dust Men / First Sons are fucking menacing with their impeccable lock-on and their insidiously smart AI (they will duck behind cover if you aim at them, something that is very cool and also very frustrating). A group of these guys is far scarier than any golems or other Conduits that get sent your way, which creates a power-balance issue that permeates its way throughout inFamous. You may get stronger, but the basic enemies never stop feeling kind of unfair.
I also think that the game's binary moral choice system actually restricts gameplay in a lot of ways. Due to how morality works as a mechanic in this game - certain powers and upgrades to those powers are locked behind karmic rank - you are actually never encouraged to 'make choices' at your own pace and agency.
To illustrate what I mean, there's a Good and Evil version of almost every major power in the game, and there's tiered upgrades you can get on both sides of the spectrum (think something like 'Good 1, Good 2, Good 3'). So here's the thing. If you want to play as a Good-Guy powerhouse, then why would you ever want to make Bad Choices? And vice versa if you're a supervillain?
inFamous is not a game about making choices. It's a game about making one big choice at the very start of the game: do I wanna be good, or do I wanna be bad? And unfortunately, due to the game's own upgrade-tree system and a lack of neutral karma, this is a binary-morality problem that will define the rest of the franchise.
inFamous can also get pretty repetitive at times, and your traversal options feel a little slow and clunky compared to inFamous 2 (especially with a move like the Thrusters, which give you comparatively-terrible verticality and forward movement). Even so, I think inFamous is a really good game under the crusty surface. The core is a really solid one, and it's carried by a strong story, strong cast of characters, and a strong sense of evolution & momentum that makes the terrible presentation / performance and the occasional flimsy or tedious design choice easier to swallow.
inFamous' horizontal progression is fantastic, and the fact that it has some flashy combat setpieces and solid traversal / mobility options coupled with a solid story and a distinctive, fun cast of characters...
...narrowly makes this a 3.5/5 instead of a shaky 3. inFamous has started to show its age in more ways than one. Admittedly, a lot of inFamous' issues center around performance and presentation. The stylized comic-book cutscenes are timelessly cool and imbue the setting with a pulpy gravitas, but the actual in-game graphics are embarrassingly lame even for the late 2000's, stale and lifeless and dull-looking with gaudy animation cycles, puppet-like mouth movements, janky pop-in problems, and a horrific performance rate (seriously, it's easy to forget that this game was supposed to be 60FPS, because it barely ever manages to hit even 20 or 30). inFamous is just too demanding for the PS3, and this is a problem that defines the game from Minute One and never lets up.
But even outside of the graphics, inFamous plays like a less-effective and sloppier version of inFamous 2. Difficulty balancing is a problem with inFamous 1. Initially, I like that the game starts out with some surprisingly tough goons and mooks - it feels like generic enemies actually stand a chance against you to start. The problem is that the mooks actually never stop being a more prominent threat than anything else in the game. Bosses are piss-easy and bigger enemies can easily be taken down with Cole's AOE powers, but the generic Reapers / Dust Men / First Sons are fucking menacing with their impeccable lock-on and their insidiously smart AI (they will duck behind cover if you aim at them, something that is very cool and also very frustrating). A group of these guys is far scarier than any golems or other Conduits that get sent your way, which creates a power-balance issue that permeates its way throughout inFamous. You may get stronger, but the basic enemies never stop feeling kind of unfair.
I also think that the game's binary moral choice system actually restricts gameplay in a lot of ways. Due to how morality works as a mechanic in this game - certain powers and upgrades to those powers are locked behind karmic rank - you are actually never encouraged to 'make choices' at your own pace and agency.
To illustrate what I mean, there's a Good and Evil version of almost every major power in the game, and there's tiered upgrades you can get on both sides of the spectrum (think something like 'Good 1, Good 2, Good 3'). So here's the thing. If you want to play as a Good-Guy powerhouse, then why would you ever want to make Bad Choices? And vice versa if you're a supervillain?
inFamous is not a game about making choices. It's a game about making one big choice at the very start of the game: do I wanna be good, or do I wanna be bad? And unfortunately, due to the game's own upgrade-tree system and a lack of neutral karma, this is a binary-morality problem that will define the rest of the franchise.
inFamous can also get pretty repetitive at times, and your traversal options feel a little slow and clunky compared to inFamous 2 (especially with a move like the Thrusters, which give you comparatively-terrible verticality and forward movement). Even so, I think inFamous is a really good game under the crusty surface. The core is a really solid one, and it's carried by a strong story, strong cast of characters, and a strong sense of evolution & momentum that makes the terrible presentation / performance and the occasional flimsy or tedious design choice easier to swallow.
trash people?
So muck jank... but like a Saints Row 2 kind of jank. It's like an endearing kind of jank.
Not as good as the 2nd one
This game desperately needs a remaster
Amazing game - Platinumed.
A lot of seventh gen games don’t hold up at all visually and this isn’t an exception. It looks and runs like total ass. But its still really fun to play. It’s one of the better superhero games out there. This story is kinda rough though and the ending is just…? It just reveals its big twist and then credits they don’t do anything with it.
The open world this game has is what every assassins creed wishes it had. The karma mechanics are really cool, even if you really have to pick one at the beginning and stick with it otherwise you'll be locked out of the best abilities.
Honestly I think inFAMOUS (that's how the title is spelled on the cover lol) has good things going for it.
This game gets lightning strikes right, they're instant! Nice zaps from Cole's hands instantly connecting wherever you're aiming! Super cool!
I love the big push wave move you unlock and can beef up to just knock away cars!
It's GOOD OR EVIL system is so insulting like, no nuance, just either be a pure bleeding heart saving anyone and everyone possible and be boring and have Cole be sad
Or turn him into lightning dictator and you can go so far that Cole's lightning becomes BLACK AND RED -_- to be fair it does do double damage and looks schweet but come on lol
I think the worst thing of this game is the open world is so grey, and while cole has methods of quick traversal, 50 percent of the game has cole Slooooowlyyyyy climbing buildings with parkour that just made me miss Prototype's 50 meter jump in the air and running right up walls lol.
It's a fun combat/god game in the most boring open world and it for sure has the worst story between what it was compared with being Prototype.
It had something and just needed the actual combat to be focused on more, and maybe make the "MORALITY" system be boiled down to a few key story moments (also make the story good) instead of being a minute to minute thing you have to manage
A shame that none of the sequels did that.
Least Zeke's a cool guy, I wish I could've played Zeke -_-
This game gets lightning strikes right, they're instant! Nice zaps from Cole's hands instantly connecting wherever you're aiming! Super cool!
I love the big push wave move you unlock and can beef up to just knock away cars!
It's GOOD OR EVIL system is so insulting like, no nuance, just either be a pure bleeding heart saving anyone and everyone possible and be boring and have Cole be sad
Or turn him into lightning dictator and you can go so far that Cole's lightning becomes BLACK AND RED -_- to be fair it does do double damage and looks schweet but come on lol
I think the worst thing of this game is the open world is so grey, and while cole has methods of quick traversal, 50 percent of the game has cole Slooooowlyyyyy climbing buildings with parkour that just made me miss Prototype's 50 meter jump in the air and running right up walls lol.
It's a fun combat/god game in the most boring open world and it for sure has the worst story between what it was compared with being Prototype.
It had something and just needed the actual combat to be focused on more, and maybe make the "MORALITY" system be boiled down to a few key story moments (also make the story good) instead of being a minute to minute thing you have to manage
A shame that none of the sequels did that.
Least Zeke's a cool guy, I wish I could've played Zeke -_-
tryna get that platinum babyyyyyyyy