Infamous: Second Son review: Finally, a true next-gen videogame

SINGAPORE — Despite beating the Xbox One to become the first next-generation gaming console to be sold in Singapore, Sony’s PlayStation 4 (PS4) has suffered from a lack of games that showcase the machine’s capabilities, with most of what was available at launch being graphically-enhanced versions of PlayStation 3 games.

But this has changed with Infamous: Second Son — an open-world, action-adventure game that takes place seven years after the events of Infamous 2. Gamers will play as Delsin Rowe, a Native American graffiti artist who inherited the power of Smoke after an encounter with a bioterrorist group known as the Conduit, allowing him to teleport, hover as well as shoot fireballs from his hands.

Players must use these powers to take on the Department of Unified Protection (DUP), which has wreaked havoc on Seattle in its search for a group of escaped Conduits. Completing missions will grant players good or bad karma points, which can be used to unlock more abilities.

Mind-blowing visuals are the game’s highlight. Developer Sucker Punch has built a new particle system to fully utilise the power within the PS4 and, as a result, the city of Seattle looks fantastic, especially at night. Buildings, cars and facial features of the game’s characters are so detailed that my family thought I was watching a movie during cutscenes instead of playing a video game.

The only flaw is that supporting characters are not as colourful as those featured in other open-world games such as Grand Theft Auto 5.

Sucker Punch has also enhanced the gameplay and combat by making the controls easy to master. DUP soldiers will surround you the minute you launch an attack, but the simple controls make it easy to execute a plethora of moves to get rid of the baddies.

Infamous: Second Son is arguably the first title that showcases what the PS4 is truly capable of. It provides enjoyable and fast-paced combat against stunning backdrops and should not be missed at all costs.

Platform: Sony PlayStation 4

Price: S$69.90 (Standard Edition), S$89.90 (Collector’s Edition), S$699 (PlayStation 4 Bundle Pack)

Rating: 4.5/5