The best way that to describe inFamous is the way I explained it to a friend: “It’s like Crackdown starring Raiden (from Mortal Kombat), and your enemies resemble something close to Ring Wraiths, except with AK’s instead of swords.” That pretty much sums it up in one sentence. However, getting to the meat of the game takes a little more explaining.

You play as the main character Cole McGrath, a man who is thrust into the literal “line of fire” because of one little package. Cole was a courier in “Empire City,” sent out to deliver a package that turned out to be a something of an electric bomb named, “The Ray Sphere.” Unfortunately for Cole, the bomb goes off while he is delivering it and destroys several city blocks, setting in motion the events of the game. Amazingly, Cole is not only able to survive the blast, but he is barely even injured. After spending some time in the hospital, he discovers that he has acquired super powers, all based around electricity. Using his new found abilities, he sets off on a quest to find out who did this to him, and why. Throughout the story Cole spends time trying to reassemble the city that he unknowingly destroyed.

Helping along the way are several “friends.” First off, there is Zeke, who plays the role comic relief and obligatory fat guy. Also there is Trish, who is a nurse that helps get Cole back on his feet after the blast, who motivates him to put the city back on the right path. Finally there is Moya, a government contact who acts kind of as your commander. She comes into play after the first several missions, helping you find the people that did this, in exchange for your aid in finding her husband, John.

As I have said from the outset, the game is much like Crackdown. Your character is much more than just ordinary and possesses powers that he can call upon at will. As you run, jump, and grind your way around the town, you end up taking on tasks from Moya, Zeke, and numerous other randoms you come in contact with. While fulfilling countless different mission, you are constantly on the hunt for “Blast Shards” from the Ray Sphere that will increase your powers.

Speaking of powers, let’s break down a few. First and foremost you have the ability to shoot lightning from the palms of your hands. Think of it like an electrified Spider-Man. You also can throw enemies and objects across the map using a sort of “Force-Push” ability. This can be very handy for getting multiple enemies off your back. Acting as explosives, there are “sticky” grenades made of balls of electricity.  If you have ever used a plasma grenade in Halo, you should feel right at home. My favorite the ability is creating a shock wave of electrified energy, that pulses outward when you jump from high places and crash into the ground. You also have a few more secondary offensive powers, that provide an edge in combat as the game progresses. In order to keep Cole “charged” with power, you have the ability to drain power from any electric sources in the game.  Electricity can be drawn from anything that would could be battery charged, be that a light pole, power-box, or even a nearby car.

"Yeah that surge protector joke... original."

The game offers quite a bit as far as choices and replayability. For every potential good decision you can make, there is equally an evil choice at your disposal. Do you save people or sacrifice them? Will you rebuild the city or tear it down? Should the people of Empire City worship you, or fear you? These choices aren’t limited to just the main story quest. Your powers fall under that as well. You can either heal that bum in the alley, or you can suck the life out of him for your own personal gain. Each choice you make, good or bad, is reflected in not only how the rest of the city interacts with you, but your physical appearance and the appearance of your powers. The more civil and compassionate you are, the whiter your electric aura will look.  On the opposite end of the spectrum, the more evil your deeds, the more red it gets. These factors lend itself nicely to encouraging playing through the story several times, while not following the original story path.

Graphically this game looks great. Granted, it isn’t on par with say MGS4 or the soon to be released Uncharted2, but it can hold it’s own. Explosions are huge and very pleasing, for both the eyes AND ears. One issue I have with the game is the repeated occurrence of graphical clipping and glitching. Several times during one particular mission, while taking cover from a barrage of gun fire, I somehow managed to glitch myself through the floor and into the water below. And before you ask, no, there was not a hole in the floor. After completing my objective, I went back to the glitching location and checked it out. What SHOULD have been solid ground just wasn’t. This happened at other points as well, but that was the most blatant and annoying example. I know that there will be small snafus in most games, especially open world games,  but considering it happened several different times, made it worth noting.

Sound design in inFamous is also done well. Again, explosions (they happen a LOT) sound crisp and clean coming through a surround sound system. The voice work seems a tad over acted at some points, but it is better than most games out there. Cole himself has a kind of Christian Bale Batman-like voice, but it is not overly annoying. Dialogue for the random people that populate the world is pretty good as well. Everyone truly seems to have their own distinct “voice” and I have yet to come across any spots where you get the “Oblivion effect” of voices that sound the same.

The city is full of life, for now.

One thing that has perfected is the fun factor. Much like in the aforementioned Crackdown, leaping from buildings, killing bad guys (or good guys) and feeling like an all around bad ass, is the key. Everyone has thought at some point, what would it be like to leap from building to building, never worrying about your safety or the safety of those around you. This game gives you the opportunity to live out that fantasy. Finding all the “Blast Shards” and the “Dead Drops” hidden around the city is another great meta game, that you will keep you playing for hours on end. All that freedom doesn’t come easy though. At first you may struggle to get the hang of the style of fighting, but once you build up your strength and abilities, the game truly shines.

It is rare that a game is both a PlayStation 3 exclusive and a great game at the same time. Fortunately for both Sony and the developer SuckerPunch, inFamous seems to fill both those niches quite nicely. Though this isn’t a title that will forever change the way you think about games, make you weep, or feel overly unique, you can’t ignore that it is just fun to play and will keep most gamers entertained for many hours.

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