‘inFAMOUS: Second Son’ presents powerful launch

When the PlayStation 4 was first announced, one of the major games that was promoted was the third entry into Sucker Punch studios comic-like series “inFAMOUS” in the form of Second Son. The game takes place seven years after the events of the previous “inFAMOUS” game, “inFAMOUS 2,” where the protagonist of the original, Cole MacGrath, sacrificed himself for the good of mankind, and now conduits (those who have superpowers) are being outlawed and labeled as bioterrorists.

The game centers around Delsin Rowe, a conduit in Seattle who has the power of taking the powers of any conduit he encounters, like the powers of smoke or neon. Delsin, along with his regular cop brother Reggie, fight to help their Native American tribe from being persecuted from the anti-bioterrorist force known as the DUP.

The plot, while darker than the other games, is relatively short. Although the karma system remains, and is still a blast to play. The characters that are introduced have distinct personalities, especially Delsin and Reggie.

The main characters Delsin and Reggie are played by Troy Baker and Travis Willingham, respectively. The acting and facial animations are amazing, and the colorful powers and grunge-like visuals show off the potential of the PlayStation 4. The open world of Seattle is wonderfully recreated with some great throwbacks and several graffiti Easter eggs, especially to Sucker Punch’s previous franchise Sly Cooper. This makes the collectables not only fun to find, but worth exploring the open city.

The gameplay borrows from the previous two installments fluidly. The four powers that Delsin possesses within the game are impressive, with each having their own strategy behind them. Switching between one to the other is just a simple press of the PS4’s touchpad when in proximity of the element. This is useful, but can hinder the experience, as the switch can limit what powers Delsin can use.

While the powers that Deslin can use are different, switching between them is easily done, with some gameplay reminiscent of third person shooters, which doesn’t hinder the game. Movement is quick and fluid thanks to the powers, which makes it nice and makes the player feel like a superhero or anti-hero, depending on the karma choices the character chooses.

These choices do hinder the game as they are simply only two ways to play the game with only two endings: the good ending and the bad ending. Without a multiplayer mode, the game is only replayable for those who want to see both endings.

Overall, “inFAMOUS: Second Son” is a great addition to the “inFAMOUS” franchise and a good launch window game showcasing what the PS4 is capable of. While its plot may be lackluster, it does provide a fun time exploring Seattle with amazing superpowers. Because of this, “inFAMOUS: Second Son” deserves a 84 percent out of 100. “inFAMOUS: Second Son” is currently available exclusively for the PlayStation 4.

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