Infamous: Second Son Review

Should you get hip to the power trip?

Infamous: Second Son, from Sucker Punch Productions

      Cole MacGrath--no more. Say hello to the new infamy: Delsin Rowe! Infamous Second Son introduces us to a new protagonist and a new setting.Seattle (in all its splendor and realism) is the playground for our latest adventures in the, now familiar, superhero comic-styled Franchise, Infamous. The lead, Delsin Rowe, is a member of the game's Akomish tribe. Delsin, from the very opening, is "painted" as a trouble maker. He lacks a sense of responsibility, but--if the player so chooses--he doesn't lack the heart or the compunction to make the daring decisions befitting a destined hero. Delsin is (all things considered) quite affable; and as he revels in his new-found abilities as a conduit, his attitude is infectious and serves to instill players with a secondhand bliss, so much so that uncertain experiences ahead seem bright.With circumstances that seem fated to be, if not strangely and irreversibly set in motion by hidden, causal factors--as future revelations may reveal, Delsin is torn from the confines of the Akomish reserve; and he must make telegraphed karmic (moral) decisions, which, to some extent, add depth and development, but, ultimately, have so little impact that the developers might as well have settled upon a two path system--as the current one artificially slots players into one of two karmic paths. The D.U.P (the Department of Unified Protection) has locked down Seattle and are out to contain the Conduit problem. Conduits are the Infamous equivalent of superhumans, think X-Men. Delsin, in a straightforward plot to undue the work of Augustine (the D.U.P commander in charge of a Seattle wide lock-down), ventures into Seattle for middling fun.

       Infamous: Second Son, then, is a game of superficial satiety, it has visual gusto, but all of its innards are missing, including its heart--that is until an ending event that abruptly begs for your emotional investment, only to find that you lack the full, elicited compunction to go all in. The story here is mostly uninteresting, but this has never stopped a plot from grabbing hold. But the characters lack proper screen time. Though Delsin is quite endearing, by himself, he is not enough to carry the entire weight of the story. While stunning facial animations help to breathe life into the performances of the main cast, this added characterization, which the visuals afford, are not enough to overcome a sense of ephemerality and deception (this may be harsh, but I want to get across a clear picture) that arise upon closer inspection and completion of the game. The form that Infamous takes on the PS4 is nothing short of beautiful, but it is, again, fleeting. Visuals can take a game only so far. When the dust settles, it's the content, how it's structured and how the game allows one to interact with its basic mechanics, which determine the substance of the game. Flexing the full 1080p, high particle count, high-res textures (and all the other technicalities that make the game sparkle and shine) of its visual muscle, Second Son almost melts the eyes. Crisp scenery is splayed before you at every turn in heightened psychedelic saturation. The colors are so full and vibrant that they visually stimulate the taste buds.



       But, again, it's not all about the looks here. The gameplay in Second Son is quite smooth, helped a great deal by a solid frame-rate, though unlocked at the time when I played; it has since been patched-- giving users the ability to lock the frame rate. The controls are purposeful and easy to grasp, offering a third-person shooter set-up, which places the most emphasis on using the new R2 button on the PS4--which is more ergonomic and trigger like than the PS3's DualShock3. You have element powers once more, comprising those already revealed prior to release, including smoke and neon abilities, and few other powers for you to discover on your own. Smoke is the equivalent of an imprecise do-it-all weapon, think shotgun--no choke or SMG. Neon is pure precision and accuracy, think sniper rifle. Neon allows you to place groups of enemies into stasis and pick them off with merciful restraint and accuracy. Taking it upon oneself to be tempered and less chaotic, will send Delsin down the "Blue" path, with an emphasis on unlocking abilities that hold back something in favor of targeted justice and reduced collateral damage. Going down a path of inconsiderate, anarchic destruction, Delsin's abilities evolve to become more...well, destructive. One could argue that letting loose and taking the "Red" highlighted abilities on the progression tree, which indicate morality specific abilities, is the more enjoyable of the two, and most might have little reason to argue, as there hardly enough reward in varying ones play-style aside from personal preference and trophies. The game is clearly designed with either being completely abhorrent and reprehensible or all-benevolent and equally unreasonable--in an illogical too-good-to-be-true fashion. This is the reason that I question not simply locking in place one path or another, it does a player no good to dabble in moral grays, rather it is the most effective and non-debilitating (and arguably enjoyable as a result) experience when you simply stick to one extreme or the other.


        Choice does not matter. The morality choices are far too few and they have little impact on the way the narrative plays out. This,again, wouldn't be such an issue if there was a more complete experience at the fore. This includes lack of character exploration-- leaving fellow conduits  Fetch and Eugene, characters who seemingly have more to say and see, in the dark and unfulfilled in their supporting roles. The whole story feels as if it is going somewhere only to abruptly end just after tossing into one's face what should be an emotionally gripping moment. Delsin's own brother, Reggie--who is tasked with proper moral oversight, being a sheriff and all-- feels underutilized and contributes to the shallow, rushed nature of the game as a whole. The ending is itself anti-climactic; the main antagonist-- Augustine--makes quick revelations that seem too hastily yielded, but they do offer food for thought while shining narrative flourishes that prove the true world building of developer Sucker Punch. But things seem to clean and without consequence when the final credits roll.

         The city of Seattle is well built in this virtual distillation--altered, as the developers say, to offer greater playability. But within the decently sized districts, Delsin is beset on all sides by repetition (yes, games can become "repetitive," but if it is notable to such a nagging degree, I will make note of it.) There really is a dearth of optional content, and this does not sit well with an already sparse main campaign. With hidden agent missions, which task you with identifying a hidden D.U.P agent on the streets and taking them out. Optional spray-painting activities, which encourage you to orient the PS4 controller in an upright position, like a can of spray paint--even playing (through the controllers speakers) the sound effects of a spray can, and, what else, spray paint buildings with predetermined stencils. Other activities include breaking up D.U.P property and road stops, which contributes to decreased control of a given territory of the city, and subsequently leads to unlocking a district showdown mission in which you beat-down all D.U.P forces and unlock a jacket and a fast-travel point. Also finding hidden cameras, tracking down drones with blast shards--which are collectibles used to power up Delsin's abilities, tracking signals that lead to dead-drops and information that, admittedly, does add side story if  lacking impact. The side-activities are in a few words boring and samey. They started to become less and less attractive in no time at all. They became tasks needed to be fulfilled to boost my karmic standing--increasing my hero ranking (good actions) as opposed to my infamous ranking (bad actions), or vice-versa. Doing things in-game like harming the lifeless NPCs that shuffle the streets, or attacking activists expressing their disdain for those with conduit abilities, will increase one's infamy; Whereas doing things such as saving those accused of being conduits from mobs or reviving citizens raises one's Hero ranking, both increasing the number of abilities that each power (smoke, neon, etc.) will have available to unlock with blast shards collected.

         Like I said, visually and technically Second Son is solid, absolutely so. But, everything else, well...Things feel empty, hollow even. I love this series. I enjoy the ability to take up the mantle of a hero, or anti-hero against all odds, against other superhuman beings--as was the case with the first game set in Empire city, tasking you to take on the super-powered leaders of the gangs within. Origin stories are some of the best aspects of the genre. Seeing the tasks that would produce a diamond from coal, this is the opportunity to suck us into the next arc; the challenge of the heart is never greater than for those unaccustomed to its hardships. But Second Son, the first Infamous outing on the PS4, fumbles. It's a good game, no doubt, but it had the potential to be great. One cannot say that it was rushed out the door as the production values and basic combat work well.


         I said the combat was smooth, but it's also fast paced. The combat forces you to stay on your toes. Darting from corner to corner, staying still means certain death. A hit and run strategy combined with properly using alternate fire abilities, like grenade and rocket versions of your powers, is the norm. The fun of the combat ramps up early, as experiencing the thousands of particles churning and swirling about ,clouded in ferocious, toxic fumes is a sight unseen--or at least unfamiliar on consoles--and this, seemingly, will carry you through the entire experience, but you hit a threshold. There is only so many times that you can bash on the likes of the few familiar D.U.P soldiers and not wonder if it is worth it. Combat is by no means perfect. Delsin, with his bolting agility, is a wafer. His fragility may induce frustration at times. Enemies sport deadly accuracy. Though, they prove as engaging as swatting flies. It is the swarm that gets you, but unleashing "Karma Bombs"(another reason for sticking to moral path) is a spectacle to behold, and it breaks up some of the tedium that creeps into the combat. Karma Bombs are unique to specific powers and they run on built up karmic actions that once unleash turn the tide of a battle, with flare of course.

          There is plenty to soak in visually and a good not great story that could use expansion. Combat can be fun, if at times tiring. Second Son is an early entry and with its mild offering after a year of build-up, I wonder how it will be remember later in the generation. I surely do appreciate the game and the care that went into some of its aspects. Voice work and motion capture in particular are phenomenal and a HUGE step up from the last generation of Infamous games. There's chemistry here, the beginnings of an awesome chemical reaction that could result in something remarkable, but I while I don't think Second Son is a bad game, I don't think that it was catalyzed to a completion. Even so, there are something's to enjoy here: Voice work, and the set-up for meaningful character interactions within the story, some moral (Karma) choices that will make you think, great visuals and,oh, yeah, draw distance (very commendable, that). So, with all that being said, I give Infamous Second Son a:                                                                                                                                        

                                                                                                                                   7/10 

*Infamous: Second Son will be the first game rated under my new review system*

 For familiarity: 1-2 avoidable, 3-5 bad, 6-7 good, 8-9 great, and 10s are exceptionally great. This is somewhat confusing, and it does seem unnecessary, but, quite frankly, review systems aren't perfect. I have decided to make it this way in order to easily rate and understand the system, both for me --when rating-- and for whoever else needs clarification. Ultimately, this means that from now on scores will be whole numbers (With occasional Exceptions adding a half of a point) ranging from 1 to 10. Review scores can be distracting, but they still symbolize something to some people and are a means to gauge the quality of a title for others. Therefore, along with my written portion, I Will continue to provide a score, it's just a bit different--streamlined.  The review system is malleable and I hope I nailed it down here (though, I'm not all too comfortable yet), and I can't promise that it will not change. If I do intend to change it again, I will post about it.  As always, you can ask any questions and I will try my best to answer: Twitter: @TheVauntedGamer and e-mail: meech268@gmail.com