inFamous Impressions

UK, April 15, 2009 - Typical, isn't it. You wait years for a superhero-tinged open-world game and then two come swinging from the rafters in tandem. Sony and Sucker Punch are pitting the launch of inFamous precariously close to that of Activision's superficially similar Prototype, but from an extended hands-on with the game it seems that Sucker Punch's game has the brain and brawn to win out in this particular comic-book duel.

Greg has already voiced his excitement for the game on numerous occasions, and having now witnessed inFamous first hand it's an enthusiasm we whole-heartedly share – this is an action game with all the trappings of a top-tier first-party Sony title, and it's one of the finest propositions for the PlayStation 3 for the traditionally barren summer months. While Greg's previews have nailed the details of inFamous, being able to play it from the comfort of our own games room has allowed some of the finer points of Sucker Punch's PlayStation 3 debut to sink in.

While the comparisons to Prototype will continue long after both games are released this summer, the most pertinent reference points lie elsewhere. Crackdown's an obvious one – the Empire City of inFamous shares the verticality of Realtime Worlds' Pacific City, and again scaling the heights proves one of the game's most thrilling pleasures. Great sandbox games often deliver their best moments outside of the demands of the main quest and inFamous looks no different in this respect, with the pull of exploration strengthened by the possibilities of Cole's unique abilities.

Roof-top expeditions are well served by some robust mechanics – no surprise given Sucker Punch's heritage with the Sly Cooper games – with the main protagonist Cole proving suitably sticky when it comes to attaching himself to the sides of buildings and propelling himself from lampposts. While there's a certain amount of auto alignment aiding Cole's acrobatics, they do little to detract from the feeling of vertigo engendered by teetering atop some of the city's peaks.

And what a city it is; Empire City is a teeming urban sprawl that finds itself rapidly slipping towards dystopian chaos. Though the missions available to us in the early code are pulled from various parts of Cole's campaign, it's clear that his surroundings reflect the story they frame, with the bleached-out, sun-kissed city of the tutorial giving way to foreboding dark skies and swelling storms later in the game.

Indeed, it seems that Empire City also acts as a barometer of the player's character, with an evil Cole met with a metropolis that noticeably cowers at his presence. A visualisation of the karma system that underlies Cole's actions, it's just one level of feedback on where our hero's heart lies: much like the anonymous hero of Fable, his morality is also played out on his skin, with the evil Cole we see at one point heavily scarred with rippling red veins.

Whether the morality system is delivered organically or through binary choices will be integral to the success of the game's story, but unfortunately that's not something we can ascertain from the scattershot selection of missions we've seen to date. It's certainly setting its sights high, with the action prefaced by weighty citations: 'The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary' says one particular passage pulled from the works of Conrad, 'men are quite capable of every wickedness.' If Cole's player-determined voyage can live up to Sucker Punch's literary allusions, it could be quite some tale.

Cole's story is impeccably presented, as stylised animated cut-scenes segue harmoniously with the action. Details are scant and our time with the code raised more questions than answers as we were rapidly transported between disparate parts of Cole's chronicle, but the few crumbs thrown our way suggest a game that's thick on intrigue and leans heavily upon its comic book inspirations. Thankfully, our look at the full picture is drawing ever closer – expect a full review in the not too distant future.