Home Gaming E3 2013: InFamous: Second Son scorches Seattle

E3 2013: InFamous: Second Son scorches Seattle

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Secondson

It’s very difficult to sufficiently convey the leap in graphical fidelity between the current generation and the next. No Youtube video – no matter its resolution, or screenshot is capable of showing just how much nicer next-gen console games look than their current counterparts. And no game was more indicative of this than sucker Punch’s InFamous: Second Son.

When I first saw the trailer for the game at Sony’s press conference, I was not particularly impressed. It really just looked like more inFamous, with a fresh, anti-aliased coat of next-generation paint. When I got to see the game close-up the next morning, however, that perception changed dramatically. For an open-world game, it’s filled with such incredible detail and is so fluid that it very nearly beggars belief. and from what we’ve seen , it’ll have the character and gameplay to match.

Set seven years after Cole McGrath’s battle with the Beast from inFamous 2, the game’s is all still about the government trying to contain and supress the few remaining conduits; humans who’ve received extra-ordinary super-powers. What sets this one apart from most games of this ilk is that while there’s usually some sort of morality struggle or hero coming to terms with his powers, our new protagonist, Delsin Rowe, is an arrogant, cocky little rebellious punk – who’s only too happy to have these new gifts and revels in using them to whatever end. Much of his snark and attitude comes through in the incredible facial and motion capture – and it really adds a necessary it of charm and character to it all. More than that, it promises  a more emotionally engaging narrative as it explores the relationship between Delsin, the second son and his older, straight-and-narrow brother.

He’s also gifted with different powers. Where Cole could shoot lightning bolts out of his fingertips, Delsin’s powers are based off of smoke and fire. By transforming his body into ethereal smoke he can move rapidly through the streets and across the rooftops -  but , and this struck me as particularly cool, he can move through vents, gates and fences as a wisp of smoke and ash. He’s also able, like Cole, to use his powers to fly and glide around the environment, while smoke bellows out from his fingertips, and he’s given firepower and damage deailing capabilities by being able to hurl smoking cinders at enemies, or a heat-imbued chain as a melee weapon.  Turns out, that isn’t the end of Delsin’s prowess; sucker punch says he’s an empath, and he’ll suck up the powers of other conduits – but hasn’t said nothing more on just what those powers could be.

Where it really impresses though is in the details. It’s a love-letter to Seattle, with the Space Needle being a prominent landmark and Nirvana on the soundtrack. Seattle’s notoriously rainy, and   the water – in puddles on the ground, environmental, climate-based effects that’ll affect gameplay seem to be a big feature. Joining that is some pretty incredible environmental destruction and physics that have me convinced that this will be one of the next-gen sandbox (and super-hero!) games to beat.

It’s still very recognisably InFamous (perhaps a little too much) but it’s bigger, better, more open, more fluid – and exactly what you’d want from an early next gen title.

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Last Updated: June 20, 2013

38 Comments

  1. Umar Kiiroi Senk?

    June 20, 2013 at 14:19

    I don’t know if I’m alone in this but the main character has a face that makes me want to punch him…hard

    Reply

    • Rinceyouropinion

      June 20, 2013 at 14:21

      I have to agree. I actually just punched myself the urge was so damn strong. Though it does look very pretty! Like the idea of his powers too.

      Reply

      • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

        June 20, 2013 at 14:22

        Me too, smoke can give rise to some pretty awesome abilities.I liked how he went right through one of the guys and did a straight up DDT (if that is what it is still called lol)

        Reply

        • Rinceyouropinion

          June 20, 2013 at 14:24

          Yeah, like, MTN were using it the past few days instead letting us idiots use cellphones…

          Reply

          • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

            June 20, 2013 at 14:24

            Lol man my network was f’d up!!

          • Rinceyouropinion

            June 20, 2013 at 14:25

            I got an sms when watching Eddie Izzaard (name placement purely unintentional) saying my network was back up. And by the time I turned my phone back on, it was back down…

          • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

            June 20, 2013 at 14:27

            Taking forever to fix it, but can break it in an instant …. yup, that’s MTN for ya

      • Spathi

        June 20, 2013 at 14:23

        Hahaha!

        I actually have no beef with the way that he looks. He looks a but smug, but I too would’ve been arrogant as hell if I could do what he does.

        Reply

        • Rinceyouropinion

          June 20, 2013 at 14:26

          This is true too. If I was able to thrown hot air around, I’d also be working for MS. Hang on, I fear I may have deviated from what we were saying…

          Reply

      • Argentil

        June 21, 2013 at 14:00

        I wanna punch your pretty little face.

        Reply

        • Rinceyouropinion

          June 21, 2013 at 14:03

          0-O

          Reply

    • Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim

      June 20, 2013 at 14:37

      That’s actually the point. He’s meant to be a jerkoff – and i’m sure, through it, you’ll grow to love him. <3

      Reply

      • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

        June 20, 2013 at 14:39

        Lol for <3 but yeah you're probably right.hopefully he will have character progression , still a better lead than Heller …

        Reply

    • Argentil

      June 21, 2013 at 13:20

      To me he just looks like Troy Baker.

      Reply

  2. Admiral Chief Groot Wors

    June 20, 2013 at 14:23

    pew pew pew FIREBAAAAALLLLLL

    Reply

    • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

      June 20, 2013 at 14:24

      ATOOGET!

      Reply

  3. DarthofZA

    June 20, 2013 at 14:26

    This game is one of the games that is doing the one thing I didn’t want the next gen to do, and that is be the same type of game, nothing new that wasn’t possible before, but just prettier. I want new innovation and new features.

    But having said that, this game is one of the ones that I am most excited for. One of my favourite franchises…

    Reply

    • Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim

      June 20, 2013 at 14:30

      If it counts at all, you can take control of his smoke powers using the touchpad…and it’s kinda nifty.

      Reply

      • DarthofZA

        June 20, 2013 at 14:52

        In a way, it does. I really don’t want a repeat of the last generations where the first 3 years was simply about graphics.

        As always, I got downvoted for simply expressing an opinion that some little 15 year old boy didn’t like.

        Reply

        • Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim

          June 20, 2013 at 15:10

          Yeah, ignore the downvotes. I know I do! 😉
          Also, it’s not just about the graphics. It’s about creating more exciting, living, breathing worlds with character and vibrance. and something like that, i’m sure.

          Reply

          • DarthofZA

            June 20, 2013 at 15:26

            I’m really hoping that this generation we finally see a game with a living breathing world that feels real. One where, if you do nothing, everyone carries on as normal, but if you shoot a bullet in the air, everyone reacts like they should. Worlds have got close before, I’m really hoping they finally do it.

          • Argentil

            June 21, 2013 at 13:23

            Peter Molyneux called, he wants his new idea back 😀

          • Spathi

            June 20, 2013 at 15:59

            That’s for ignoring me 😉

        • Argentil

          June 21, 2013 at 13:22

          If I were to guess, I would say someone got annoyed that you said it played the same and lacks innovation without having played it yourself. Otherwise, I don’t know why you’d get downvoted.

          Reply

    • Spathi

      June 20, 2013 at 14:58

      There is nothing worse than innovating just for the sake of it. I agree, games stagnating is a problem, but I’d rather have better in game features and refinements than innovations just for the sake of it.

      Reply

      • DarthofZA

        June 20, 2013 at 15:05

        I do agree with you. And with about 80% of the games showed at E3 showing why they deserve to be in the next gen, I shouldn’t be concerned that we’ll have a repeat of last gen, which showed pretty much no innovation for 3 years.

        Anyways, like i said, I am super excited for this. This will be one of the first games I’ll probably end up getting when I get my PS4 (presuming it turns out as good as it looks).

        Reply

        • Argentil

          June 21, 2013 at 13:26

          I think, in an infamous game, it’s less about the obvious things, and more about what the hero is capable of, and how the world reacts to him and his decisions. This is the first thing that comes to mind. Sucker Punch are really good at surprising me, personally, with their little unexpected inclusions.

          Reply

    • Harvey P. Cheesewinkle

      June 20, 2013 at 17:06

      Not sure where I read it, but graphics aren’t going to be the most noticeable difference at first. The most immediate change you’re going to see in games, above graphics, is draw distance, objects on screen, destructibility, lighting and things of that nature.

      Graphical acuity will certainly improve from day 1, but not as much as the draw distance/size of maps, complexity of ‘city life’ etc… The amt of RAM available will allow entire cities to be cached and ‘alive’ with no loading times, making it possible for random things to be happening everywhere that you can go and investigate (or possibly alter your storyline, without you being there….depending on how far developers go…they’ve already achieved this in games like Stalker). And the amount of npc specific AI systems will also be increased, so you won’t hear as many instances of people saying the same things over and over. It’ll be much more fluid and realistic in that regard.

      Which was a big concern of the PC crowd going into the PS3/360 gen, yeah graphics are nice, but actually evolving gaming worlds is far more interesting, imo.

      Reply

  4. Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

    June 20, 2013 at 14:43

    As young FoxhoundR would put it… “Day one”

    Reply

    • Spathi

      June 20, 2013 at 14:56

      The guy is a legend. If we could put signatures on our comments, mine would be of all the awesome things FoxHoundR says!

      – Xbox One Day One – FoxHoundR

      Reply

  5. Daryl Eksteen

    June 20, 2013 at 16:42

    Damn this game is looking sick!

    Reply

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