inFamous 2

inFamous 2 is the electric sequel to the original inFamous by Sucker Punch. The original was fun and fresh but lacked when it came to polish. Can inFamous 2 overwrite the originals problems, or will it be more of the problematic same? Read on to find out... 
 
Story 
 
Set in New Marais, Cole and Zeke are back, but this time, back with some new pals. In the original, characters were dull and non life-like. In the sequel however, Cole's new friends Kuo and Nix are perfectly crafted and they are characters you'll actually care about when you are forced to make tough decisions. Cole is looking better than ever, but the entrance of a new voice actor can cause a stir at first but you'll get used to the chap. Best bud Zeke looks very similar to his original counterpart  and his personality is as careless, 'look on the bright side' as ever. Your first new allie will come in the form of a bright (literally) young woman called Kuo. Kuo is keen to help impress and to help Cole, she is sort of 'the good girl of the game'. On the other hand, Nix is a 'black beast' with a temper. Nix quickly forms a realistic rivalry with Kuo as if both are fighting for Cole's appreciation whilst tubby little Zeke is all on his lonesome.  
 
Basically, Cole wants the blast core. It will make him stronger and give him better powers. But so does 'The Beast'. The Beast is a ginormous 'bad guy' who does everything he can to stop Cole. For the most part, you'll be focusing on The Beast and the game keeps reminding you how far away he is which leads up to a spectacular finale.  
 
Visuals 
 
inFamous 2 is a huge improvement upon the original when it comes to graphics. Character models look so much cleaner, new world looks fantastic and the giant bosses look immense too. There are also some really neat references to find, or what you could call 'easter eggs'. Head over to a theater and chuckle at some creative references such as 'Uncharted Love', 'Hey Low Reach', and 'Call Of Booty' and so on. When in-game it's still not the best looking game on the market, but it's certainly had a massive overhaul. In the cut-scenes however, well, you could argue that these are some of the best around and certainly contain some of the best character models you've ever seen. Where the original was grey and dull, inFamous 2 is bright and colorful. Mostly beautiful to look at.  
 
Gameplay 
 
The core gameplay is pretty much the exact same as the original with some nice new touches. The controls are very similar, you can glide, shoot, and throw grenades and the like, but as you progress through the game you will unlock some new goodies that have been hiding up Sucker Punch's sweaty sleeve. Originally, pressing 'square' would make Cole punch or kick, progress through the story however, and Cole will whip out an awesome 'Amp' (one of Zeke's creations.) I would simply describe the Amp as a cricket bat with some add-ons and electricity. It's great fun to use and there are plenty of combos for you to unlock and master. Another new upgrade is the 'turret'. Originally, to fire electric shots you would have to continuously tap 'R1', now though, with the upgrade in hand, hold down the button and let Cole do the job for you. But by far, the best form of attack comes from slamming down on the d-pad. Depending on what you have unlocked you can unleash a hungry tornado or a stream of lightning onto your foes. It makes the sky turn grey and is best described as 'stunning destruction. 
 
However, I did find one or two nuances here and there. Screw that, let's make it six or seven. I'll start off with a common glitch, the camera getting messed up whilst in melee combat. Another popular one here, enemies getting stuck in buildings making them un-defeatable (especially annoying when up against huge bosses as you may have trouble getting to their weak spot.) But here is a mysterious one which happened a couple of times and I'm led to believe it was in the original as well. Basically, at any given time, the computer can just take control of Cole. One time, I was running across a bridge when all of a sudden the game took over and Cole ran off the bridge, into the water and died. I tried to re-direct the fella but he was having none of it. Thankfully, it's not a regular occurrence, but it should have been noticed and removed before the game hit the shelves.  
 
Delivery 
 
Much like the original, missions and side missions pop up on the mini map. To access them you can simply run, but I'd say the quickest way is to travel along the electric rails up high. You'll also find the occasional street performer to kill (Zeke hates their music, that's why) or the occasional life to save, y'know, just being a superhero. Anyway, what's really new is the User Generated Content (UGC). It's a nice idea from Sucker Punch and is similar to LBP's 'play, creat, share' rigmarole. For the hardcore creators, it's going to be a hidden gem and you have tons and tons of tools at your disposal. But for most of us, it's far too difficult to use since there are next to no tutorials (I find it a problem to even get started!) It's a nice idea, but there are game with better UGC out there. When it comes to the actual missions, side missions are normally, go to this place, defeat the enemies, mission complete. The main missions offer plenty of variety whether it be defend, fight bosses, climb buildings, find items. Point is, story missions are much better than side missions.  
 
Verdict 
 
inFamous 2 is an electric sequel to and already exciting game. It's a huge improvement upon it's predecessor when it comes to story, graphics and gameplay aspects, but it suffers from far too many glitches for it to be a 5-star title. Hats off all the same. 
 
The Good: 
- Great looking character models 
- Tricky decisions to make 
- Bright and colorful 
 
The Bad: 
- No tutorials on UGC make it difficult to use 
- Too many glitches 
 
The Ugly: 
- Hmm lets see. Well Cole's not ugly, neither is Nix nor Kuo. It's going to have to be you Zeke!