Delsin Rowe was an average rebellious teenager until he learned he had the ability to absorb powers from other conduits, or people with superpowers. Labelled a bio terrorist by the DUP, a military group tasked with capturing conduits, Delsin has the choice of becoming a source of inspiration or fear for the people of Seattle, Wash.
Such is the premise of “Infamous: Second Son,” an open world video game for the PlayStation 4 by Sucker Punch Productions.
Set in the city of Seattle, “Infamous” puts players in the role of Delsin as he fights against the DUP with the help of his cop brother, Reggie. Delsin, initially, has the power of smoke, giving him the ability to hurl projectiles of smoke and ash at enemy soldiers. His ability to disappear into a cloud of smoke is a cool aesthetic that never seems to get old. Utilizing this ability helps give the game a quicker pace. For example, Delsin can transform into smoke, pass through a vent at the bottom of a building and reappear on the roof.
Players later unlock other powers to use such as neon and video. Neon grants Delsin the power to run up the sides of buildings at a quickened pace and shoot powerful light beams from his hands. Meanwhile, video lets Delsin turn invisible and raise angels and demons. Powers can be swapped and replenished through environmental sources like neon lights and smoking cars. Ideally, all these powers can be used in tangent, but switching back to smoke after using neon or video can be a little jarring.
The story starts off with a bang as Delsin gets his powers and players are introduced to the game’s main villainess, Brooke Augustine. Those early scenes with Delsin and his brother create a nice dynamic between the two, and Delsin’s first confrontation with Augustine demonstrates the extent of her cruelty. It is somewhat disappointing that the storyline falls apart once the game gets going. There’s never a real sense of urgency or momentum, and some parts of the story lack needed emotion or fleshing out. This is in part because most of the missions are excuses to get more powers compounded.
The powers and gameplay are the main selling points for this game. Running around Seattle and fighting the DUP are fun experiences. Sucker Punch made steps forward to improve the gameplay and give players more options, but some aspects such as its run length and enemy variation seem inferior to its predecessors in the infamous series.
“Infamous: Second Son” sets a starting point for what should be a great future series of games on the PS4. It improves many elements in the series, but parts feel incomplete and rushed to meet a launch window. With more time and a more focused storyline it could have been great, but as it stands, it is just a really good game.
