inFamous

inFamous

Instant karma’s gonna get you as an electrifying new hero steps out on PS3 for a near-future journey… without and within.

Skip to the end of this review and you’ll note that we didn’t award inFamous full marks. But this isn’t the whole story, and ironically it’s kind of in keeping with the physical and spiritual struggles of the lead character Cole MacGrath.

inFamous is heart-pounding incredible from the off. The slick introduction leads you from a peaceful city sidewalk to the heart of a cataclysm. We see a huge explosion devour Empire City, and in the aftermath Cole standing at ground zero miraculously alive. Straightaway you’ll learn how to follow directions from MacGrath’s best friend Zeke, navigating past fires and collapsing structures. This is pretty much how you’ll progress through the rest of the game, pursuing quests to satisfy Zeke and at the behest of other significant characters you’ll meet later on.

Empire City, you’ll discover over time, is gigantic. But with Cole’s newly acquired supernatural powers, Empire City is now one huge Jungle Gym. The ability to absorb and project electricity gives the added benefit of great self defence against gun-toting looters, dubbed ‘Reapers’. He’s also the world’s ultimate electrician and will have Empire City fixed in a jiffy – give or take 30 hours. Underground power generators have been shorted out by the blast and part of Cole’s mission is to get these up and running, worth the hassle because they imbue him with greater strength and ability.

Blessed with such gifts, Cole now hangs in the balance as saviour or slayer. He can act selfishly or in the interest of millions of wounded survivors. In gameplay terms your goal is to become a Hero or Infamous, depicted by a blue or red glow to Cole’s magical sparks. Every action taken, good or bad, contributes to Cole’s status. He has the power to heal or suck the life out of wounded citizens. He may choose to risk his own life or sacrifice others to stay out of harm’s way. Empire City gets rebuilt as a consequence no matter what, but its reincarnation will owe everything to a saint or an evil master.

The power trip is compelling, enhanced by death-defying Free Running stunts across the rooftops and power cables of Empire City. Cole is never left twiddling his sizzling thumbs; if he’s not aiding the cops wrestle Reapers to the ground and binding them in electric handcuffs he’s helping citizens rid their high-rises of spying devices or restoring power to the railway. Alternatively Cole can help stage riots and thieve valuable resources from under the nose of the needy. The temptation to become a ruthless badass has so far eluded us, but our clumsiness has contributed to Cole’s negative Karma more times than is comfortable.

And here’s where inFamous short-circuits: Cole has fantastic freedom and incredible power within the confines of a gripping narrative, but his ability to perform clever-clogs manoeuvres often prevents him from doing the simple things right. He’ll cling to anything within reach, which is great for climbing, but infuriating when trying to escape a hail of Reaper bullets. Then you’ll have an item that’s inches away but Cole struggles to find a hand or foothold precisely within reach to collect.

Cole has the power to drain electricity from devices and this works fine for cars and junction boxes but weirdly not lamp posts or other machines that you’d expect to deliver some juice. You get to know the designated conduits in due course, but initially this doesn’t make sense. When in battle, Cole’s standard issue lightning bolts are generally more effective than his supposedly more powerful ‘grenades’. You’ll end up running to safety to fire from distance, rather spoiling the fun of wading in for some melee action. But if you brave the latter scenario you’ll invariably discover that the odds are against you as Reapers all too easily have Cole surrounded.

inFamous is almost, almost, unmissable on PlayStation 3. It’s a blinding showcase for the console, and a terrific exclusive for Sony. The concept is tight and on the whole realised with uncommon brilliance. Sadly the imbalanced combat routines and navigation niggles prevent this from being an unstoppable force, nonetheless PS3 owners need to check this out.

4 out of 5