inFAMOUS opens with a bang as Empire City is sent straight to anarchistic hell following a blue blast that destroys much of the city, kills droves and sets off a plague. Bike messenger Cole McGrath finds himself emerging from the center of the blast newly electrified if slightly comatose. Regular joe turned superhero - or super villain - he is wholly super badass. The storytelling has the graphic novel style that fans of Sly Cooper will recognize. This comic book approach is more than just a Sucker Punch gimmick, it gives the inFAMOUS universe its superhero frame.
The demo kicks off a bit after the game's start, and it is clear that Cole is blamed for the death of a lot of people, even the current state of Empire City. The government has used the plague as a reason to quarantine the city, and surviving law enforcement has given up hope. The populace lives in fear, starving and dying of disease as their home is overrun by gangs.
inFAMOUS employs a karma system, and the demo features two missions as "Evil Cole" and two as "Good". Your actions affect how people respond to you as well as the state of Empire City. Secure a zone and it could be restored, but opt for more self-serving stuff and the mayhem continues. The game makes clear the local police have been killed or are running scared, will you be the one to intercede to stop crime?
Since Cole himself is learning his powers, the story will ease you into his diverse abilities. Yes, diverse - while electricity is his sole power Cole's attacks are remarkably varied and satisfying. He can throw electric grenades, use a shock wave, fire off electric shots like bullets, call down blasts of lightning from the sky and hover through the air, and that is just the beginning. These powers are a little supercharged compared to how Cole begins in the game that will hit retail, but it gives you something to play around with as all these attacks can be arranged into some serious combos.
There is a lot of strength in these ranged attacks, and the speed and powers of the Reapers keep things fast-paced. The basic lightning shot fires as fast as you and hit R1, and it takes two shots to down a basic foe. Knocking a guy off a building with a solid punch just isn't as rewarding as using your powers to fly over from a neighboring lampost and land in his face with a giant - electrified - boom.
R3 saps the electricity of nearby power sources restoring some of your health and charging battery cells for special attacks. Unlike the basic lightning firing, special attacks require filling a charged meter from streetlights or the the stray battery. Available power for the moves is tracked in the upper right. Seeking out five blast shards made up of the blue lightning that started it all rewards you with a battery cell, allowing you to hold more charge, and shard hunting offers a great diversion.
In addition to using his powers to blast enemies to all hell, Cole can bind fallen foes, heal civilians and charge up electrical boxes to power trains and other electricity-dependent city features. Your actions are rewarded with experience and upon completion of a mission your special moves and stunts are tallied. Why no guns? Quite simply, the power of Cole's electrical charge detonates all those little metal cases full of explosive powder. Blowing yourself up is as much a hazard as the enemies themselves when you don't understand your powers.
Sucker Punch delivers a free running sandbox game that plays like a better Crackdown and a smarter Assassin's Creed. Climbing, grinding down cables and leaping to perch on a lamp post is fluid, as the game intuits what you are aiming to do. It is hard to imagine playing the demo and not wanting the game - you will rescue a train full of citizens, destroy hordes of Reapers, blow up a vehicle and its escorts and protect some medical supplies from trucks with mounted machine guns and swarms of Reapers. Suffice it to say inFAMOUS is action-packed, and I can't wait for May 26.
