Sucker Punch has more to show for inFamous 2, and the latest gameplay footage of Cole MacGrath in action is the kind of thing PS3 owners like to send to their friends with Xbox 360s. With the release date locked in, the sequel looks increasingly confident, with electric powers crackling across a busy, detailed city and plenty of destruction going on around the edges of the screen.
Cole Heads South To New Marais
The footage is a reminder of how far the series has come from the original. Sucker Punch has moved the action from the grey streets of Empire City to New Marais, a sprawling city inspired by New Orleans, and the change of scenery brings warmer colors, swampy outskirts, and a much livelier skyline for Cole to climb. The studio has also redesigned its hero, giving him a new look and a new voice, which split fans when it was first revealed but has looked more natural with every new showing.
The story picks up after the events of the first game. Cole flees Empire City ahead of the arrival of the Beast, the enormous threat teased at the end of inFamous, and heads to New Marais in search of a way to grow strong enough to face it. Standing in his way is the Militia, a heavily armed group led by Bertrand that has taken control of the city and has no time for people with superpowers. Last summer’s E3 demo had Cole chasing Bertrand after a rally where he whipped up the crowd against so called freaks.
As ever with inFamous, choice is a big part of the package. The karma system returns, and the decisions Cole makes will shape both his powers and how the people of New Marais react to him, so players will be able to lean towards hero or villain as the story unfolds.
Sharper Combat Ahead Of A June 7 Launch
Combat is where this sequel is trying hardest to stand out. The first game leaned almost entirely on ranged lightning attacks, while inFamous 2 gives Cole a proper melee weapon, the Amp, along with a much wider set of moves. Earlier demos played at shows last year had him flipping over enemies, hooking them with his weapon and throwing them over his shoulder, and finishing fights with brutal slow motion takedowns. Mixed with his familiar arsenal of bolts, blasts, and grenades, it makes Cole look far more dangerous up close than he ever did in the original.
Sony confirmed last month that inFamous 2 will launch on June 7 in North America, alongside a Hero Edition for collectors. The game is a PS3 exclusive and one of the biggest names on Sony’s list of exclusive releases for 2011, which also includes Uncharted 3, Resistance 3 and Killzone 3.
Whether the open world can hold this level of polish from start to finish remains to be seen, but on the evidence so far Sucker Punch is building something that looks great on Sony’s hardware. Earlier hands on footage from the Eurogamer Expo demo last autumn already hinted at the improved combat, and this latest look suggests the studio has kept pushing since then. June cannot come soon enough.