by Joseph Knoop
As the first next-gen entry in a beloved Playstation franchise, Infamous: Second Son has the unenviable task of proving itself not only as a worthy successor, but as one of the few Triple-A titles worth playing on the current crop of consoles. Does Second Son have what it takes to carry the series’ crown, or does it all go up in smoke?
Set 7 years after the events of Infamous 2, Second Son has you play as Delsin Rowe, a Native American delinquent and graffiti artist with a knack for getting arrested by his older brother Reggie, the town sheriff. After a military vehicle crash releases three superpowered felons (or Conduits), Delsin comes into physical contact with one, accidentally absorbing his memories and ability to control smoke. Though initially terrified of his new powers, a run-in with the sinister Augustine, leader of the Department of Unified Protection, and fellow Conduit, leaves his tribe brutally wounded, convincing him to take the fight to the streets of DUP-controlled Seattle.
It’s surprising to think that with series’ former installments featuring themes of romance, friendship struggles, and wild plots twists that Second Son could fail at capturing the same sense of quality narrative. Sadly, the game’s main storyline is practically barebones. Though the initial urge to rescue your tribe and clear the Conduits’ names is strong, it quickly disappears once the focus turns to acquiring one power after another.
Thankfully, Second Son’s true narrative strength comes through in smaller moments. The interactions between Delsin and his law-abiding brother Reggie are unique in their ability to convey years of sibling rivalry. A remark here, a subtle dig there all add up to two very believable characters. With voice talent like Troy Baker and Travis Willingham, the dialogue only becomes stronger.
Likewise, credit must be given to the Second Son’s antagonist Augustine. The female Conduit’s menacing demeanor is one of the strongest performances to come out of next-gen consoles to date. Every whispered threat and spiteful accusation will embed her in gamer’s memories for some time to come.
Much like previous titles, Second Son also focus on social issues through the eyes of the superpowered, with varying levels of success. Fetch, a former junkie with neon powers, acts as an obvious metaphor for substance abuse, vis-a-vis her destructive, yet noble mission to rid Seattle of dealers. Shut-in gaming nerd Eugene, however, is handled with about as much grace as a pubescent power fantasy. You’ll see his story beats coming from a mile away, and they amount to little. While a certain encounter does much to negate his insufferable dorkiness, it doesn’t translate as well throughout the rest of the game.
Also returning is the series’ karma mechanic, forcing players to lean towards good or evil in order to unlock different powers. Depending on which decision you make, you can end up playing entirely different missions, each illustrating the consequences of your decision, but it’s pretty obvious that the good ending is still the intended path to take.
Gameplay
Easily the strongest aspect of Second Son, the series’ signature style of play returns, with a few knockouts and knockdowns. Through Delsin, players are given control of four separate power sets, including Smoke, Neon, and Video. Each stands out visually, but offer different approaches to each encounter. Smoke is pure destruction, while Neon rewards players for aiming at certain body parts. Video’s special move turns Delsin invisible, calling up an angelic companion to distract enemies.
Despite this varied list, each power has the same general moves, give or take a few. R2 emits a rapid fire projectile, and R1 a missile attack. Each shot is beautiful to look at, but it’s hard to notice any difference between the amount of damage they deal. Stun grenades, which allow Delsin to subdue or execute his foes don’t really stand apart from each other either. It begs the question: what’s the point of absorbing all these powers if we gain only minimal improvements, rather than broad leaps.
Each battle is blast, though, and just difficult enough to challenge the player’s instinct to rush in blind. New to Second Son is the ability to fire projectiles without zooming in, allowing for more versatility and options in combat. Zipping from streetside to rooftop with each power’s dash move makes evading enemy fire an absolute breeze, even if you do get stuck on the occasional ledge. You can start fights in the lowest alleys and have them end on the roofs of highrises, making each encounter feel fluid and natural given the environment around you. Enemy AI isn’t astoundingly smart, but will utilize concrete powers to raise tough shields and launch into the air, forcing you to adopt new tactics and abilities.
While quick and efficient ways to rid the city of the DUP’s presence, most side missions boil down to defeating more enemies, chasing hidden operatives, and spray painting an entire hardware store worth of spray paint. Hidden operative missions force you to find disguised DUP agents within a certain range, but always end up in a frustrating chase. It’s easy enough to just shoot them down, but it can be maddening when you’re trying to earn good karma. It all adds a considerable amount of meat to the game, but it could use a little more variety.
Presentation
As the first next-gen Infamous game, it'd be easy to say that Second Son outshines its predecessors, and does it ever.
Seattle is infinitely a more interesting place than Not-New-York or Not-New-Orleans. Colors and textures immediately pop to create a dazzling visual display, whether in combat or just exploring the city. The vistas seen from tower roofs are a sight to behold, extending from one end of the city to the next, while smaller scaled objects like trees and storefronts rarely fall into generic territory. Couple that with impressive motion capture performances from voice actors and you’ve got a
The game’s particle physics engine is simply amazing. Certain structures like DUP roadblocks shatter in a glorious storm of metal when Delsin fires his rocket into them, sending debris flying everywhere. Zipping around using each power’s unique dash move leaves trails of smoke or neon light flowing in your wake.
Seattle isn’t without its flaws, though. Cars and generic pedestrians still act as robotically as they did in previous titles. Some citizens have a wider variety of animations, but will occasionally refuse to react when missiles are flying over their heads. Cars seem hilariously determined to bunch up and keep moving, despite the chaos around them. It hit a peak when, as Delsin, I had just sent a hailstorm of angelic blades down on a DUP convoy. After the smoke had cleared, a lone car bravely trudged through the piles of steel and human bodies.
Ending
All in all, Infamous Second Son is a title the PS4 desperately needs, and proves itself worthy of the hype surrounding it and the series. While lackluster story elements and minor gameplay issues stick out like sore thumbs, it’s only further evidence that the game is a shining beacon for next-gen gaming.
+ Excellent presentation
+ Colorful world (if a little lifeless)
+ Combat & exploration is a blast
- Lackluster story, especially given the series’ pedigree
- Monotonous side missions
8/10
by Joseph Knoop