The first Infamous game was one that I hold very near and dear. I spent countless hours just scouring the city for any collectible I could find and loved every minute of it. So, it was a no brainer when the time came to pick up Infamous 2. I had been waiting quite a while for the release and I couldn't have been more excited. The following are some initial impressions I have of the game after putting in a solid 8 hours or so across a few days. If you're interested in the game or just want to see how it's being received by people, read on.

The first thing I noticed about the game was the fact that it felt a lot like the first (which is a good thing). Depending on how much of the first game you completed, your trophy data will unlock different features in the sequel. The game begins shortly after the first game and the Beast has come to wreak havoc on the world. It is your destiny as Cole to end this creatures existence, but in your first attempt you fail. Badly beaten by the Beast, you flee with your entourage to New Marais, a city that closely resembles New Orleans. It is here that your special agent contact has told you meet with a scientist who can increase your powers, making you able to confront the Beast and actually have a chance to defeat him. Over the course of the game, you will meet new characters and join forces with either the evil or good side of the spectrum and work towards your ultimate goal of defeating the Beast.

The story really does a nice job of giving you a goal to complete in the game. You always know that the Beast is hot on your trail because the map of the US in the pause menu specifically tells you where he is and how far from New Marais he currently is. But time is a strange beast in New Marais. Don't feel like you have to do everything at once. Hell, for the first couple hours of the game I collected blast shards to upgrade my character. Just as addictive as it was in the first game, collecting blast shards and upgrading your powers almost becomes a sort of meta-game in and of itself. You'll have to fight your "just one more" instincts to pry yourself from the tv to go to bed at night. I don't know what crack feels like, but I'm sure it's similar to the feelings I get while searching for these shards.

Since Infamous 2 is a sequel and the first Infamous was an origin story for Cole as a superhero, they had to get around the power aspect. Cole was a wimp in the beginning of Infamous 1 but by the end, he was pretty badass. They had two options to go with the second. Either do a God of War and strip him of his powers or make him crazy powerful in the sequel. Thankfully, they went with the latter. You begin the game with most of the powers from the first game. Over the course of the game you will continue to unlock more and more powers almost making Cole a super super hero with some of his abilities. It's an awesome feeling to truly feel crazy powerful in a game and then watch as you just become more and more powerful over the course of the game.

The story was always a major selling point for me in Infamous 1. Origin stories are always fun and give you a sense of wonder as you learn about how the characters grow and evolve into the hero (or villain) they are to become. In the sequel, Cole gets some friends to help him along the way. There's both a good character and a sudo evil character for both sides of the spectrum. This adds a lot of depth to the story and I found myself caring for them a lot more than Cole's actual story. You get a feeling of relief when they show up on the field of battle to help you, just like I assume a superhero would when his side kick enters the fray. The story never really gets dry (up to the point I played) and you are always pushing forward to see what will happen next. The tyrant of the town, an old man named Bertrand who controls a militia, is a fitting enemy who seems to have a lot of secrets around his motives. I'm looking forward to playing more to find out where the story goes.

The major draw of the game is most definitely the gameplay though. Being able to climb walls, shoot electricity from your fingertips, and stalk enemies from the rooftops never looses it's appeal and you'll have plenty of time to mix things up. The way to complete a mission is never set in stone and you are left with a variety of ways to go about your mission. If you are going good, you need to always worry about pedestrians getting hurt in the line of fire while evil characters would revel in such an act. The choice is yours and you truly do feel powerful after making it.

If you played the first and enjoyed the game, it's a no brainer that you should pick up the second. If you were on the fence about the first though, you might not find anything new here to change your mind. People new to the series should pick up the first game first though since the second assumes that you have played it. There's some recap, but in all honesty, you'd be missing a lot. Infamous 2 is one of the best games of the year so far and you owe it to yourself to pick it up if you enjoy these types of games. I hope this first impression has helped clear up any questions you may have and if there are any others, post in the comments section below.