The (very) long awaited game from Sucker Punch is nearly here. I recently checked out a newest build at a Sony preview event.
What It Is
Infamous is an open-world Playstation 3 game geared towards a more adult audience. The premise of the game focuses around the character, Cole McGrath, who is given eclectic super powers after an unexplained explosion occurs in Empire City. This is being developed by Sucker Punch, the same team that brought us all those great Sly Cooper games over the years.
What We Saw
I went hands-on with the second tutorial mission in the game. The other level shown, a prison sequence, was played by a Sony rep. This demo took place at a Sony preview event, not at the New York Comic-Con, and lasted about 30 minutes.
How Far Along Is It?
The demo I saw was a pre-alpha build. The game is scheduled for release in May.
What Needs Improvement?
Good Cop, Bad Cop?: One key element in InFamous is being able to do good or bad deeds throughout the city, ether helping citizens or punching them in the mouth. This changes the type of powers you acquire throughout the game, but how (or if) this affects the overall main storyline is still in question.
Heads Up!: This is a bit nitpicky (actually it's really nitpicky), but I'd like to see a fading HUD (a la Gears of War) for this game. Not because I own a plasma television and am scared of image-retention, but because the game is so expansive looking and pretty, it would be nice to be able to clear the screen of the icons and static graphics when not in combat. It would make an already great looking game pop even more. This is actually something I want out of every game released from now on.
What Should Stay The Same?
Climbing: It's fun and easy to climb! I was told Sucker Punch has two people dedicated to making sure every area of the game that looks climbable, was climbable.
Enemy Design: One mid-sized enemy they showed from the prison featured a man encapsulated in this giant metal body that was made out of junk and being held together by this telepathic energy. You just have to see it. I have high expectations for the look of the enemies in this game.
Graphics: I don't know what it is about this game, but I just like the way it looks. Maybe it's because it was built from the ground up and the team could focus on developing for only one platform? Not just the geometry, but also the style in the textures. Really looks like nothing else out there.
Final Thoughts.
The game is coming around nicely. However, I'm starting to get to the point where I just want to see the whole thing rather than getting these little bite-sized chunks every few months. They said there will be a 2-minute or so install with this game. Also, Sucker Punch just loves demos, so while they wouldn't confirm one, I would get my hopes up if I were you.