Since Infamous debuted on the PlayStation 3 in 2009, the series has played second fiddle to other PlayStation exclusives and superhero video games. While the Infamous games have always been well-made, they have always failed to grab mainstream attention. So when Infamous: Second Son was announced over a year ago along with the PlayStation 4, it looked like an opportunity for the series to step into the spotlight. It is impressive to see Second Son rise to the occasion. While the game may not be an instant classic, it is another solid entry into the superhero-centered franchise, filled with choices to test your heroic nature.
Two things will grab your attention as you start Sucker Punch’s latest effort. First, the game is stunningly beautiful. Whether it is cutscenes which sport facial motion-capture, delivering the subtlety and nuance of Second Son’s talented cast or the Seattle environment in which the game is set, Second Son looks stunningly beautiful, fulfilling the promise of next-gen. The second thing you can’t miss is the game’s spray-painting mini-game, where you use the PS4’s motion-controls to leave Delsin’s creative mark on a billboard. This mini-game is constantly popping up throughout the game, but is mercifully short. Breaking the trend from the first two Infamous games, this unique mini-game establishes more about Delsin as a character than it does to serve the narrative mechanics.
Delsin represents Infamous’s first changing-of-the-guard with its protagonist, and their new hipster-hero could not be more different than Cole, the hero from the first two games. Whereas Cole was serious and gritty, Delsin is a snarky delinquent, quick to rebellion and sarcasm. In many ways, he seems fitting for the Infamous series and Seattle, a younger brother lashing out from the common mold to establish his individuality. The problem is Delsin sometimes fails to be a likeable character, he often walks the line of being charmingly snide and juvenilely annoying. When he is interacting with his brother, Reggie, there are genuine moments of humor and wit as Delsin can’t help but tease his older more responsible sibling. Interactions with other characters is where the weakness shines through. Hearing him tell the female sidekick, Fetch, why he hates working with girls is eye-rolling inducing. When he tells the nerdy Eugene, he will show him how to get laid, he sounds like a walking macho stereotype.
The rest of Second Son’s narrative is well-crafted, stumbling a bit with pacing toward the end. There are some nice twists and Delsin’s character evolves a bit from the wisecracking ne’re-do-well into a more traditional heroic figure. After Delsin’s tribe is attacked by the government Department of Unified Protection and their concrete-controlling leader, Delsin follows them to Seattle, hoping to steal their leaders power and undo the damage done to his people. The through-line feels similar to the first two games, people are scared of the superpowered conduits and you can either lend merit to their fears by demonstrating your powers or you can try to forge a world where conduits and “normals” live in peace. The whole package is serviceable, but demonstrates the series’ inability to evolve with Second Son.
The overarching mechanics of the game are another place where Infamous continues the status quo. Once you bring Delsin to Seattle, you immediately start terrorizing the D.U.P neighborhood by neighborhood. To clear these neighborhoods from your adversary’s control, you take out their mobile command units, usually surrounded by a small army of guards. Then you complete a series of side missions, finding dropped audiologs, uncovering D.U.P agents, disabling surveillance cameras, and tagging a couple buildings. None of these activities are challenging, in fact, Second Son on the whole is an easy game. There are a couple of smart boss-fights, but they are all mechanically similar. The games establishes a core set of mechanics and sticks by them. That doesn’t mean Second Son is a quick affair, a playthrough where you clear out all the Seattle neighborhood comes in between 14-18 hours. If you’re looking to bull-rush through the game it could be done considerably faster, but the game begs for a second playthrough so players can experience both the good and evil side of Delsin.
Both good and evil playthrough compare and contrast like Sucker Punch’s previous efforts. Certain things change, like cutscenes and people’s reactions, but the options open to you remain very much the same. Like the previous games, it is hard to create any sort of gray with Infamous’ decisions, either you are doing a “good” playthrough or a “bad” playthrough. MIxing and matching, while an option, is not really rewarded. It is a shame, because Infamous does a good job of trying to make these choices difficult, yet the difficulty is sucked out of the situations when you are defaulting to the blue or red options based on what kind of Delsin you are playing. Like many aspects of Infamous: Second Son, this formula could use an evolution.
After harnessing electricity in the first two games, and introducing fire and ice in the previous entry, Second Son starts to toy with more interesting powers. Smoke, neon, and video are the powers Delsin acquires over the course of the game and while they are have their own unique flair, they remain similar. Each power has a way to speed up your travel and scale buildings, they each have a ranged attack, a grenade attack, a heavy weapon attack, and a special attack. The core are similar, but they are different enough players will have their own preferences and certain situations will be more aptly suited to different powers.
There are some powers Delsin will always have, no matter what element he is using. Each element has the ability to hover and they each have a standard melee attack. There is also fast-healing, but sometimes players must create separation from enemies to take advantage of it. This leads to a lot of jumping into the fray, then quickly looking for an exit to heal yourself. Combining these attacks and skills can create exciting moments in combat. Warping behind enemies then punishing them with a melee attack is exhilarating, speed-running up a wall then crashing down on unsuspecting foes is a blast. Second Sons’ mechanics may not have too much variety, but combining them and using them strategically keeps the game feeling fresh.
For fans of the Infamous series, Second Son offers more of what made the series great. The superpowers are easy to use, easy to string together, and create dynamic combat situations where the whole package comes together for an exciting thrill. Traversing Seattle is fun, quick, and the city looks absolutely stunning. There are plenty of time-killing side quests and blockbuster boss fights, harkening back to mechanics and skills the game is good at teaching you. Characters are fun, the story is solid, Infamous: Second Son is a blast from the moment you turn it on until the city of Seattle is good and saved.
Sucker Punch have made a really good game, but the mechanics need to take another step for it to be a great game. More involved side missions, a more intricate story, and some shades of gray added to the decision-making hold Second Son back from being one of the best superhero games money can buy. All that said, the game is still a great ride and well-worth your time.
All I can say is that the neon dash is a nice addition. I don’t recall experiencing anything like it before.
Saints Row IV had the same speed running power, but I like SS use of it better. The moment I saw Fetch use it for the first I said, “I. Want. That.”
I have three powers so far, are there more?
Briefly yes, but I’ll avoid saying more for the sake of spoilers.