Release Date: 21/03/2014
Played On: PS4
Available On: PS4
Time Played: 12h 21m
Progress: 100% Completed One Karma Route
Developer: Sucker Punch Productions
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
What is it about console launch titles that means they all have to be a bit mediocre? It seems like whenever a new system gets released, the creators failed to ever really test some of their new gimmicks in the real world. The sad thing is that games released close to launch have no idea that the new control method or camera will end up being a real pain in the butt.
So it seems to be with Infamous: Second Son, which was released only a few months after the launch of the Playstation 4. Most importantly though, it was the new Dual Shock 4 controllers with their touch pad and motion sensitivity that managed to weed their way into the game. Sure it's probably in the contract when Sony agrees to publish and put money into your game, but sometimes it gets in the way.
Remember Lair? It's gone down in flames as one of the worst games ever released for the Playstation 3. Largely because it relied on the new (at the time) Dual Shock 3 wireless controller with its motion sensing technology. Hence, we ended up with a game that involved flying around as a dragon, entirely on motion controls. Although, the controls didn't work that well and ultimately rendered the game virtually unplayable.
Thankfully we've come a long way since debacles like Lair, but console manufacturers still want exclusives that tap into whatever gimmick they're trying to sell. It seems like there's no escaping it, so I have to give Sucker Punch Productions a round of applause for doing their best with these features in Infamous: Second Son.
First of all though, this is the third main game in the Infamous series, but up until now I'd only played the first. These games are all set in open worlds and feature a character who has become a "Conduit", which is essentially a bunch of folks who have super powers. Except these powers are all based on existing resources, so one might be able to harness electricity (like in the first game), while another can manipulate smoke (like in Second Son).
The other staple of the series is a karma system, which is essentially a binary option of whether you're a good conduit or a bad conduit. Just about everything in the game has a 'good' way to do it and a 'bad' way to do it, but the parts that matter are key decisions that happen during the main storyline. It's fairly rudimentary by today's standards, but it's important to remember that the original Infamous was one of the first big games to tackle this this kind of system so opaquely.
After the events of the first two games, Second Son picks up seven years after the first conduit was discovered. The world has become something of a totalitarian state that rounds up these 'bio-terrorists' and locks them away in a secure facility to keep the general populace safe. It's very reminiscent of the political plotline in the X-Men movies, but it's fine enough to get things going.
The basic set-up is that we play as Delsin Rowe, who discovers he has powers after encountering a conduit in the opening scenes. Our villain is the head of the mob tasked with rounding up conduits, and puts Delsin's family and community in danger while pursuing him. From here on out, Delsin goes to Seattle to track down and get his revenge on the big bad.
None of that matters though, as these games can't be taken too seriously. The real attraction is that they're open-world action/adventure games that let you play around with cool super powers and abilities. It's what I liked about the first game, so I knew I'd be in for a good time here.
Although, Second Son takes a while to get going, and even though Delsin's thing is that he has the ability to absorb multiple powers, I never felt the big payoff. In other games, you gather more powers and become increasingly more invincible and strong as a result. However, once Delsin maxes out his smoke powers, he moves onto Neon powers that are essentially the same. Once he's mastered the Neon, he gets another that's basically the same. Then in the final moments of the game he unlocks the last power, but only minutes before the credits roll.
It's a weird set of systems that I feel could have been designed a little differently to make them more enjoyable. As it stands, you can only use one 'power' at a time and switching from one to the other involves a cumbersome sequence of draining the applicable resource. What this means is that you can't switch mid-fight, which probably accounts for each power having the same loadout the others.
You have a dash and the ability to stay in the air for a short time. You have a quick shot that shoots whatever element your power uses, along with a limited heavy shot that needs to be refilled when depleted. Then you have a special ability that provides more of a stun or crowd-control effect. Finally there's the ultimate ability that unlocks after hitting a certain uninterrupted combo and unleashed an area clearing attack.
It doesn't matter what power you're using, this loadout gets used on all of them. There are subtle differences, but they end up feeling very similar once you've got the hang of each power. I would have preferred it if you were able to swap powers mid-fight and mix up attacks to give each encounter a little more sense of style. It would have been nice to encounter scenarios where a specific power and move were required, but other than a few sections where the game doesn't let you choose, they're all pretty interchangeable.
The greatest bummer for me was how cumbersome the traversal system ended up feeling, as it often felt slow and undercooked. Perhaps I felt this way because I've recently played the excellent Marvel's Spider-Man, which makes you feel like you can get anywhere with ease. I don't remember the first Infamous game well enough to know how Second Son compares, but I still felt that getting around was a little too boring a lot of the time. Maybe I've just been spoiled.
Littered across the open-world city is the usual variety of side activities and collectibles that we all know and love. Although, I have to applaud Sucker Punch again for making most of the side activities feel somewhat relevant. As much as chasing secret agent conduits through the streets was annoying thanks to the traversal mechanics, it made sense in the world. Plus, it helps when there's a big armed force that's taken over the city, providing you with checkpoints and bases to destroy.
This brings us back to the brand new DS4 controller and its brand new touch-pad, which I actually learned to enjoy throughout the game. Many interactable objects as you to make a motion on the touch-pad. Ripping open the gate of a makeshift cage to free captives takes a simple swipe, while lifting a heavy transformer out of its casing means a swipe up. While it was undoubtedly confusing at first thanks to being unexpected, I found myself getting used to it and being comfortable without any issues. What really had me worried was the motion controls, which have never been a kind of input I get excited about.
Second Son's overall aesthetic is something of a mix up between comic books and street art. The UI graphics and cut scenes all look like they've been spray painted with a stencil, and Deskin himself likes to throw up some art as well. It's funny, but this is one of the open-world side activities that I ended up enjoying the most, even though it has the least to do with anything else going on in the game.
At certain fixed points in the city, you can whip out a spray can and paint a predetermined stencil onto a wall. The context is that it has something to do with inciting the rest of the population against the big bad controlling entity. It's basically propaganda, both within the story of the game, and for the DS4's motion controls.
To paint a stencil, you're instructed to hold your controller on the side, then shake it up like you're shaking an aerosol can. You then squeeze the right trigger (which is now at the top of the controller), and move the controller around as it 'sprays' paint on the wall in-game. It sounds stupid as hell and I hated it the first few times, but somehow I ended up enjoying the process more than I probably should have.
Part of me thinks it's because I sat fairly close to the screen while playing Second Son, as I have my PS4 hooked up to a monitor on my desk. The difference between my motions and what I saw on screen was minimal, so I never felt like I's lost control. I imagine it would be quite a different story if I were sitting on my couch and playing on the TV across the room. The larger distance often makes tiny movements on the controller seem like wild and exaggerated movements on screen.
Whatever the reason though, I didn't actually mind it in the end and actually had some fun with the stencils. It even had me thinking about how fun it would be to have a bit of software that let you cut your own stencils and then spray them on a virtual wall to see how they look. Of course everything is a predetermined graphics in Second Son, but the paint looked good on the walls and I'd love to see it implemented in an art program.
It probably says a lot that I spent some time day-dreaming about digital art software in the middle of an open-world action game, and it does. Despite all the interesting little bits and pieces that went into Second Son, it never really grabbed my attention and had me drinking the cool-aid. Instead this turned out to be one of those games that's just fun enough to keep you playing, but fails to give you any memorable or exciting moments of gameplay.
That is to say that there's really not a lot wrong with Second Son, but there's not a whole lot right either. It feels like the kind of game that was made in a little bit of a rush so that it made the release window of a new console.
While there are lots of things to do in the open-world, most of it gets repetitive. There are a bunch of different enemy types, but each has a specific weakness that is easily exploited once you know how. The story is forgettable and generic, and hits on the same tropes and themes we've all seen thousands of times before. Even the fun and unique super powers lack some creativity and nuance.
Infamous: Second Son might not be the worst launch-window game to have come out with a console, but it's a low bar to beat. Instead the series ends up being left in the lurch with an incredibly middle-of-the-road entry. After playing Second Son, it's no surprise that apart from the spin-off Last Light, this was the final game made in the series.
Like many launch titles Second Son sold well, it just failed to maintain any interest in the world of conduits and karma. I'd be surprised to see another Infamous game raise its head, but hopefully Sucker Punch will find success in the up-coming Ghost of Tsushima (which looks awesome BTW).
Time for bio-terrorism to go to bed, it's done.