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inFamous Preview

Scheduled release date:
TBA 2009
Publisher:
Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer:
Sucker Punch
Number Of Players:
1 Player
Genre:
Action


The PlayStation 3 exclusive lineup for 2009 is downright amazing, and one of the key titles on that list will be Sucker Punch’s Infamous . We still don’t have an estimated release date (just “TBA 2009” for all territories), but after our research, we’ve come to the undeniable conclusion that this game will make a very big splash. In many ways, this is similar to a comic book or a graphic novel, and you will gain control of a man named Cole, who has plenty of superhuman abilities. He’s gonna need them, too, considering the world is essentially in absolute chaos, and you’ll need every ounce of extra strength and skill to survive. Sucker Punch will tell the story with 2D art panels that may remind you of Max Payne , but the world will most certainly be 3D and loaded with immensely impressive and formidable visuals. As for Cole, how would you feel if you woke up from a 2-week coma to find the city you once knew was now in total upheaval? It’s like Judgment Day, except many of the citizens have been transformed into monsters, and all you have is your strange yet powerful inherent abilities and a few friends.

IGN was lucky enough to go hands-on with this bad boy, and after checking several other sources, the story and gameplay are rapidly becoming clearer. For example, while Cole is the primary character, his best friend Zeke and his nurse girlfriend Trish will be along for the frightening ride as well. Trish helped heal Cole but lost her sister in a massive explosion during the city’s fall, and Zeke will often accompany Cole in his adventure. Thankfully, Zeke should be pretty damn useful; he can handle firearms and if things get really dicey…well, there’s a damn good reason why Cole glows blue: his body in inundated with electricity and he can use it to his advantage. All you need to do is put something in your crosshairs – the game features a now-expected over-the-shoulder third-person viewpoint for combat – and press R1; a bolt of electricity will fly towards the target. You hold L1 to aim, so the combination of the shoulder buttons should be easy to grasp, and the rest of Cole’s movements seem straightforward. You move with the left analog, look with the right, assign his myriad of abilities to the face buttons, and leap around what Sucker Punch describes as a “jungle gym” of a city.

But of course, there are obvious twists to the aforementioned gameplay mechanic. For instance, Cole can’t die from an exceedingly long fall, and in fact, you can inflict insane damage if you’re coming down from a great height. This is because that when falling, Cole can charge up his Meteor Drop, and the longer it charges, the bigger the devastating crater when he lands. Not surprisingly, any enemies in the vicinity will suffer the immediate effects of this highly effective attack. Now, you may be asking why Zeke has to tag along. Some gamers really worry when we learn we’ll have a partner to accompany us through the majority of the quest, primarily because developers rarely get the AI right. However, a recent example of an excellent AI-controlled companion can be found in Prince of Persia , so if Zeke is as effective as Elika, we’ll be satisfied with the final result. Besides, Zeke really is super important: he’s the only one who can carry firearms; Cole can’t use them because the electricity in his body will cause the ammunition to go off immediately in his hands. But remember, that electricity is Cole’s weapon, so don’t be too discouraged.

On top of which, Cole will have some secondary abilities at his disposal, and this will include Telekinesis (yep, just think of the possibilities), so the key to success will center firmly on your dedication to keeping Cole charged up. See, you don’t have an endless supply of electricity in your body; you can only hold so much, so you’ll have to find spots around Empire City that will allow you to recharge. In this particular case, it’s best to use logic and common sense. For instance, if you needed electricity in a city, wouldn’t you seek out things like telephone poles? For your assistance, these refill stations will be marked conveniently with blue lightning bolts on the map, so if you find yourself weakening, find the nearest blue bolt and reenergize. Obviously, we sense some strategy involved, as the player will have to keep an eye on Cole’s energy level while attempting to progress through each area. When things aren’t so out-of-control and Zeke can handle himself with whatever firearm he’s toting, it’ll probably make sense to conserve Cole’s electricity. We doubt he’ll be completely helpless if he’s entirely drained, but it’s probably not a good tactical position, you know?

In addition to the battle abilities, there should be plenty of platforming elements involved. We mentioned that “jungle gym” approach to the city, and you can take advantage of downed beams, girders and pieces of rubble to launch yourself to new heights and traverse the ruined environment. Based on what we’ve heard, we really like the idea of a super-fluid and amazingly fun platforming experience; because Cole can fall any distance and can grab just about anything as he dashes along, everything should come together seamlessly. These days, action titles tend to vary on how much platforming is included in the adventure, and it appears it will play a very prominent role in Sucker Punch’s hotly anticipated title. That makes sense, due to the developer’s history with the Sly Cooper franchise, right? If the game wants to reach that elite level, the designer will have to blend a dynamic and engaging combat system with a solidly controlled and entertaining platforming mechanic. If Sucker Punch pulls it off, the gamer will most certainly benefit, because this project is shaping up very nicely. A 2009 Game of the Year contender…? Possibly.

We’re anxiously anticipating a release date for Infamous , which will be very high on our radar next year. As far as we’re concerned, it’s just yet another PS3 exclusive that could blow us all away…

27 Comments
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Sir Shak
Sir Shak
16 years ago

this looks like my kind of a game !
i hope we can climb around like assassins creed .

Random_Steve
Random_Steve
16 years ago

You can climb on just about everything and you can jump really high

tlpn99
tlpn99
16 years ago

This sounds similar to Assassins Creed and Crackdown maybe ?

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
16 years ago

Sandbox time!

MetalHead09
MetalHead09
16 years ago

sounds interesting.

FLYING_APE
FLYING_APE
16 years ago

check out ign videos they look incredible for a superhero game. I also can't wait for dc universe online

jerocarson
jerocarson
16 years ago

whoa!

scrapo
scrapo
16 years ago

Looks promising.I really loved Sly´s games

TheRaPtuRe
TheRaPtuRe
16 years ago

its out in spring, i watched the devs interview

Aftab
Aftab
16 years ago

Now, this is the game that the last Star Wars game should've been like (albeit in a different setting).

Qubex
Qubex
16 years ago

Right you are! I will probably skip this title though, too many others too get!

Q!

"i aM hOMe"


Last edited by Qubex on 12/24/2008 7:07:12 AM

asianinvasian
asianinvasian
16 years ago

they said you can chose if you want to be good or bad does the game have missions or is it just like run around and either save or kill the city

crapreviews
crapreviews
16 years ago

if you help the citizens when they are in trouble later on in the game they could come to your aid if your in trouble.

if you do nothing to help them, or kill them, or destory property they will throw things at you and stuff.

thats your good and bad. thats how they made it sound on the video

Frenchy17
Frenchy17
16 years ago

I loved the Sly Cooper games as well, the character in Infamous actually moves like Sly.

Aftab
Aftab
16 years ago

I was thinking that, too. It does seem a bit silly that way.

King James
King James
16 years ago

I looked at all the gameplay videos on IGN. And I was impressed. I thought that I wasn't gonna like Infamous but after seeing all the footage and reading this preview (and IGN's)… consider this game copped.


Last edited by King James on 12/24/2008 11:18:37 AM

city96
city96
16 years ago

awesome kinda like assasins creed

Scarecrow
Scarecrow
16 years ago

Game looks sick!

Super hero madness going on here!
You guys need to give those videos at IGN.com a serious look. The game has some serious potential.

Everything in it is really over the top.

Banky A
Banky A
16 years ago

This game is now on my 20/20 vision watchlist.

xD

slayerkillemall
slayerkillemall
16 years ago

3rd person view?, cant carry guns?,i suddenly lost interest in this game…..

Scarecrow
Scarecrow
16 years ago

FPSs suck

Scarecrow
Scarecrow
16 years ago

Third-person badassness for the win!

Frenchy17
Frenchy17
16 years ago

Sucker Punch is another great developer, cannot wait for this one!

slayerkillemall
slayerkillemall
16 years ago

@scarecrow:quote "fps suck" … i beg to difer..
but im am not going to say that 3rd person suck.
i just dont like them and prefer fps…
you are one of many who have said you hate fanboys and are now sir behaving like one..(think before you type)thats exactly the kind of comment that starts flame wars…

tanner1
tanner1
16 years ago

So Scarecrow wont b involved in G.O.T.Y in Killzone 2 then, shame, as 4 Infamous im already sold

opsdaddy
opsdaddy
16 years ago

Can't we all just get along… hehe… maybe they can just enable switching from first to third person and back, a la Fallout 3? That feature is nice BTW, because each has its tactical advantages. I switch fairly between them often while playing Fallout 3, depending on what evil befalls me.

Ninjamage93
Ninjamage93
15 years ago

well, i played a small mini game of this sorta like it with rubbish graphics and stuff xD but an awsome story line which is combined to the same storyline of the real game i found the gameplay fun so im thinking if infamous the mini-game is cool xD id love to check out the game i had great fun playing the mini-game,the gameplay was fun and thats really all that matter i guess? but on ps3 everything is gonna rock graphics, game-play,storyline so this is somthing im not even gonna rent im just gonna go out and buy it 😀 trailer looks pretty decent too 😀 so yeah like "BANKY A " said 20/20