inFamous 2 Reader Review

There's a thing about sequels, they can go one of two ways either surpassing the foundations set by the original or falling way below expectations. Infamous 2 thankfully surpasses the original in every way.

Infamous 2 again follows the story of Cole McGrath, a superhero if you like with an inescapable destiny. The story assumes that you have played Infamous 1, so if you're considering playing this, play Infamous 1. The story is one that constantly engages from start to finish with many surprises you wont see coming along the line. Old characters return including the ever annoying Zeke, while new faces are introduced. These new faces take on the form of Nix and Quo two completly opposite superpowered beings, and Bertrand leader of a prohumanist group. All work well together in propelling the story and making it what it is.

Gameplay wise the mechanics have changed very little, the core gameplay still comes down to free running, parkour and what is essentially third person shooting. (there even an attempt at a cover system, which is tempermental). The fact things haven't really changed much is a good thing as everything works so well. There are things that keep the gameplay interesting such the addition of the amp,(the new melee weapon) which suffers from camera issues and new powers fire and ice midway through the game. The open world and missions take a GTA approach to proceedings e.g. go here, do the mission rinse and repeat. The same applies for side missions, which as is standard are of the usual repetitive nature commonly seen these days. This hardly becomes an issue as the game simply demands to be played, wanting you to experience everything New Marais has to offer. Random events are also included, for example defusing a bomb if your alignment is good or stomping protests if it's bad.

Then there is New Marais itself. In comparison to Empire City from the first game New Marais is moe aridand iteresting, how often fo you get to explore murky swamps in an open world these days. Compared to empire city it has so much more personality and interesting things to see. Yes im talking about the street performers.

Graphically Infamous 2 is not the best looking game out there, but it's still pleasing to look at and a big step up from Infamous 1 and its nice to see brighter more vibrant colours creeping in ike the greens, purples and pinks cotrasting with the steretypical dull city colours of Empire City. The cutscenes look nice, with a nod going to facial animation. Finally there are the comic book segments, not to everyone's liking s forthe haters there are less of them. Either way they look fine and tell the story nicely and reflect te game's comic book inspirations.

Lastly is the User Generated Content, clearly taking inspiration from LBP 2. As is there was'nt already enough to do in New Marais, UGC has been added offering more value for money. Let's be honest LBP can be very daunting for some when it comes to creation. Infamous 2 can be complex also but even for the not so creative types it really is something to try. Still if you don't want to create there will be a ton of levels in the future to keep people coming back.

As a pakage Infamous 2 is worth picking up, clocking in at around 20 hours for one playthrough with the addition of UGC. The game offers big replay value and an engaging story topping the original. The game is only help back a few issues like camera and repetitive side missions. This truly is a sequel to remember and one that deserves your attention.