(AfroGamers.com) I’ve been revisiting the Infamous games lately. I finished the first two games some years ago and we’re going to get into the three main games but let’s talk about the game world itself and the OG conduit.
The term “conduit” is used for any being that can use super powers. Initially, you had Cole and a few others in Empire City who utilized these powers but with the Department of Unified Protection (think S.H.I.E.L.D in Marvel Comics) being formed and getting their hands on important information, their high-powered death squad and director can wield powers as well.
A Lost PlayStation Hero: Cole MacGrath
Listen, I enjoyed electricity conduit Cole’s adventures in Empire City (NYC) and New Marais (NOLA). Being able to determine if he would be a hero, villain or anti-hero of sorts was a fun mechanic that directed impacted your gameplay.
I’d say it influenced the gameplay more than the story itself. Depending on your actions, the story would head in whichever direction but the combat options and benefits open to you by either saving hurt pedestrians and risking your own well-being or snuffing out ops and leaving civilians to their fate was very interesting.
It also helped that the people of these open-world titles varied between support for Cole MacGrath or fear and resentment of this perceived menace. Mind you, this was despite what heroic or nefarious actions you took. Because Cole was such a stock late 2000s-early 2010s action game (gruff, tough, athletic, possibly got parkour skills), the world itself and the people could have the player’s opinions towards these grateful or ungrateful citizens and act out of them.
The World of Infamous
Honestly, it was like playing through a living world versions of the Spider-Man games post-PlayStation. In these Spidey games, the city is rocking with the Web-Slingers and it’s mostly their ops and J.Jonah Jameson who have some animosity towards them.
In Infamous, it was more like you had this new super-powered person doing stuff around your city during a crisis and the news is telling everyone they’re a menace. The city forms individual takes on this new force and it’s routed in respect and hope or fear and desperation.
All of this is on top of gangs taking advantage of the crisis and the military’s super special task force shutting down the city and shutting it off from the rest of the world. For the PlayStation 3 era, this was some primo world-building! Sucker Punch Productions borrowed the morality system from games like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Fallout 3, mixed it in with the world around the protagonist as well as the powers system and it worked.
When the Cole’s adventures ended and the PS4 dropped, the story followed Delsin Rowe (who can absorb the powers of conduits) and later Abigail Walker (who utilizes neon). Their story takes place in Seattle. I always found it odd that Seattle was good as a setting but New York and New Orleans in name? Better avoid that piece of business. The aforementioned D.U.P organization makes it’s appearance as the primary antagonist for most of the Infamous: Second Son game on PlayStation 4.
The Best Part of Infamous’ Gameplay
Infamous was very much like other open-world action games from the PS3 era. You got a big city to run around in, plenty of powers (or weapons if you’re playing a Grand Theft Auto or Just Cause), and plenty of enemies to fight. Just go nuts and have a blast, the story isn’t timed or relies on an in-game clock and schedule. It’s not going anywhere.
Because of the decent amount of side quests, you always had something to do if you didn’t want to invest time in the main story’s nonsense. What really helps in getting players to indulge in the side missions is turf.
I love a game with territory conflict. Always have since GTA San Andreas and GTA Vice City Stories introduced and built on that mechanic. The Infamous games have maps featuring a few major parts of a city under control of the ops. They’re enemies flood the areas of these territories and to gain control, you have to do side missions or take out checkpoints and holding centers.
Once the territory objective is completed, you’ll notice the enemy presence in that area goes away and it’s safe to navigate. Very simple in execution and I spent most of my time in the Infamous games clearing out territory. Of course, I wish more came from doing so but there’s no currency or equipment to get in the games and no one tries to reclaim turf.
Maybe that will be explored more if Sucker Punch ever returns to the world of Infamous. However, with their Ghosts games being so successful that might be unlikely.
Were you a fan of the Infamous games? If so, share your memories of playing the game or if you think we’ll see another title in the series. Where will it be based?
Let us know in the comments!
Staff Writer; M. Swift
This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.