We have an early Game Of The Year Contender!
InFamous tells the story of Cole, who regains consciousness after a bomb explosion... the bomb which was contained in a delivery he had just made. He finds himself supporting electrical superpowers which he can choose to use to help the good people of Empire City or abuse them. From this moment on you are taken on a roller coaster ride filled with ethical choices which heavily impact the game's storyline, which is packed with brilliant action, stunning visuals and did I mention the storyline? It's among the best seen in gaming, it's engaging and the twist in the final minutes will leave you in a state of shock and awe.
Now of course for a game to be a success it needs to play well, most games have satisfactory control schemes, how does InFamous go? Well InFamous not only has satisfactory controls but it high jumps over the bar set by many others. Controls are responsive, deep, but remain easy to use and acclimatize to for those who are not familiar with the PlayStation controller.
Graphically, InFamous also sets a high standard... it's no Uncharted, Metal Gear Solid 4 or Crysis, but what it does, it does well. Games that deal with such a large expanse to navigate are expected to contain hundreds/thousands of different NPC's. Thankfully Sucker Punch has put plenty of time and effort into varying character models, because we aren't seeing the same Joe Blogs or Jane Doe over and over again.
The climbing/jumping mechanic which is a prominent feature in InFamous is handled brilliantly, it's responsive, and you don't have any moments where it appears that Cole is clinging to nothing. If there is one criticism of the climbing/jumping mechanic is that at time it is a little too responsive, and it attempts to drag you towards a grabbing point when that was not in fact your intention, however this is a very very minor issue.
To conclude with InFamous you are getting the whole package, brilliant story, visuals, gameplay, and the audio is of the highest standard, especially when hooked up to your surround sound system, then it becomes a auditory treat. You may be thinking with this glowing praise how have I not given this game a 10, well for one there was the aforementioned reason of the climbing/jumping over-responsiveness, and towards the conclusion of the game there was a brief period of approximately 2-4 minutes where the framerate became an issue, and even then it was a very minor, barely noticeable dip in the framerate. InFamous is the whole package and one which you must experience, and will be looked upon favourably come end of year Game Of The Year nominations.
Bring on a sequel!!!