I was actually kind of dreading the day Id finally play inFAMOUS, having thoroughly convinced myself that Sucker Punch had lost their minds the moment I laid eyes on the regular Joe that would follow in the footsteps of one of the most fun-to-control and charismatic characters to ever grace the widescreen; Sly Cooper. How do you top a suave raccoon that hangs out with a turtle and a hippopotamus? The last game in the Sly series came with custom red/blue glasses to play the special 3D levels. Do you have any idea how cool that is? Hows a guy in a motorcycle jacket that shoots electricity out of his hands supposed to compete with that? I wouldnt care if I didnt absolutely love everything Sucker Punch touches, but Ive been on the band wagon since they revolutionized physics on the N64 with Rocket Robot on Wheels.
Oh me of little faithThe moment Cole hit the ground running, after a 100 or so foot plunge from the rooftop he and his buddy Zeke call home, I knew that they had done it again. I didnt know exactly what "it" was yet, but whatever it was, it was gonna be great. First impressions are everything. Cole is super light on his feet, ultra responsive, and wiry as a cat. You immediately identify with him as a video game character. He may look like a regular Joe but his movement suggests something realistically unrealistic.
Running behind Zekewhos chattering like hes overdosed on Monster Fuelas you make your way to the city square to grab some groceries at the government food drop, people are freaking out; all the cars are crushed or gutted, and theres trash and debris everywhere. Empire City is in total disarray. It looks like Godzilla just left town. And its all thanks to Cole. All we know at this point is that approximately 13 days ago somebody gave him a package to deliver that went big-bada-boom with a vengeance sending out a shock wave that devastated the city, leaving inestimable casualties and one supercharged anti-hero in its wake. When we meet Cole he can climb like a monkey, leap from any height and land unscathed, and fire lightning bolts out of his hands 3rd person-shooter-style, no gun necessary. When he runs low on power, recharging is as easy as draining the nearest energy source; fuse boxes, cars, phone booths, generators as long as theres power to the grid Coles like an energy sponge.
The food drop sets the stage. Once Cole climbs the tower and zaps the crates loose hes presented with a choice; he can either zap a bystander, sending fear through the crowd so he can keep all the food for himself, Zeke, and Trish (leaving the weak to die) or let them eat their prunes and live to see another dreary day. Karma plays a big role in inFAMOUS, affecting the way Cole looks and the way people look at Cole. At present, food or no food, they hate his guts (the propaganda machine is in full swing) so, time to go. But not before your first encounter with the Reapers; demonic hooded thugs that have taken control of the streets, killing anyone who stands in their way.
Cole wasnt the only one affected by the blast. Reapers dont have powers but theres definitely something sub-human about them.
Blue markers on the map represent primary (story) missions, and yellow depict side missions, which in this case are just as important. For every side mission you complete you reclaim a parcel of the city, crime free, causing the people to rebuild, and if youre being good worship you. Theyll take your picture, plaster the region with your poster, and whenever someone is injured beg you to use your Pulse Heal to revive them. I think I heard Zeke say I have a fan club too Youll also earn valuable XP used to unlock new skills. Certain skills can only be acquired with a particular Karma rank, so acquiring and boosting Coles powers is synonymous with his demeanor. The Shockwave sends out an electromagnetic wave that can flip cars like dominos (effective relief versus marauding hordes); Overload Burst fires a bolt of electricity that chains off of conductive surfaces to fry multiple goons; Shock Grenades let you hurl a ball of exploding energy; and Thunder Drop turns Cole into a human torpedo, but affects anyone in the blast radius. Cole scales poles and scurries up sides of buildings like an arthropod; he can zip across power lines on a bolt of lightning and eventually use his hands as boosters to hover.
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