Cole seems to be back meaner and more powerful than ever and Sucker Punch studios are ensuring that players who loved the original will be diving into the sequel with a whole lot more action and excitement. E3 2010 might have just given the community a brief tease into the world that players will have to squander around in the game. However, the if the recently released gameplay trailer is an indication of the changes that the developer has put into place with the upcoming sequel, Infamous 2 is looking to be one solid hit when it is up for release sometime next year (Spring anyone?).
Faster Action Sequences: One of the original complaints that plagued the original Infamous was that the action sequences within the game were rather linear and bland in nature. This point of inconsistency arose when another game which followed a similar plot allowed gamers to unleash havoc on the city and allowed for oodles of fun while doing so. Prototype’s action segments were more dynamic, challenging and fun to play when placed in direct comparison to the original Infamous. However, this seems to have undergone quite a number of changes with its sequel. We saw some really tense and tight action sequences in the gameplay trailer. The gameplay shifted from the course of melee combat to a rather nifty chase across the city and ended up with a chopper combat sequence all within a time of three minutes. The changes in gameplay design is also to complement Cole’s new set of powers that he is going to acquire through the course of the game. Though the recent trailer did not showcase any utilization of Ice powers, we are pretty sure that this will offer a different dimension of combat as opposed to using electricity.
Neat Parkour Mechanics: The original Infamous was often praised for its parkour mechanics sequences that allowed fast and furious gameplay to take place and this seems to have improved with its sequel. Cole can not only glide vertically using his snazzy electrical powers but also horizontally opening a fresh dimension of gameplay segments for the combat to follow. This mechanic, we believe, is a much more direct application of Sucker Punch’s roots that lie in the plane of platform gaming. If one has ever played through the adventures of the nimble and agile raccoon ‘Sly Cooper’, they will instantly recognize the form of gameplay mechanics that are/have been operating in Infamous. The sequel looks to up the ante and bring forth a much more effective system of Parkour movement that should be fast and fluid as Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series.
Improved Combat Mechanics Complementing Design: The melee combat sequences that the trailer opens up with look downright brutal and fun to play. The segment involved taking down a couple of infected hybrid creatures using not the Cole’s electrical powers but also his set of new toys that he carries around in the game. This also showcases the diversity of combat mechanics that Sucker Punch is trying to bring about in the sequel. The melee combat system which enhances Cole’s electrical powers seems to provide an excellent fodder for the close quarters action segments. What impressed us the most was the ease in which Cole shifted from one stance to another in a matter of a few seconds. This very system of fluid play and control is a deciding factor in the sub genre of open world games and was present in both Crackdown and Prototype and we see this transcend into Infamous 2 making it look to be a real fun experience to play.
The final segment of the game which clearly seems to have been inspired from Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 2 looked really impressive. The fact that Cole has the chance to unleash his fury in such a devastating manner was nothing short of breath taking. The whole aura of shifting gameplay systems is also present in this segment of the game. The way Cole reacts to the incoming hail of rocket fire, his slick parkour movement while trying to avoid being attacked and the final segment of him illuminating the street with his power looks to only tickle us with the magnum opus that shall lie ahead with the game. The other big thing, players can actually look forward to the shifting mechanics between powers, since there will a plethora of choices that are going to be placed in the game. Its effective utilization depends on how the combat designers allow players to shift through powers that Cole acquires throughout the game.
Improved Visuals: The original Infamous was a downright ugly looking game and what made it worse was the poor art direction. Segments within the original game were barely distinguishable from each other and players would only witness the birth of a new visual arena when he moved towards a boss fight. This also seems to be undergoing a change with the sequel which looks to be running on a much better engine that is able to handle all the ensuing chaos within it. The lighting effects and textures also seems to have improved with the sequel since there were far less jaggies on the character and the environment around him making the game look pretty good within the genre of Sandbox which are known to sacrifice visuals in favor of the openness that the world has to offer to players.
The only offsetting factor of the game that is being carried forward from the original is the placement of enemies during open world combat. Infamous featured some ridiculous placed enemies who could see you from miles afar and take you down in an instant. This feature still seems to be present in the sequel where Cole is still being put into combat without any sense of being warned about an incoming attack or being able to actually witness the enemy from his decision. We hope the developers improve on this mechanic which made the original really frustrating to play through at most times.
Given Infamous 2 still has a 2011 ship date, all things associated with it look to be heading smoothly. It looks like Sony PS3 owners may just have another hit on their hands starring a super hero who toys around with electricity.