Infamous (series)

For the first video game of the series, see Infamous (video game).

Infamous
The logo of Infamous, all titles in the series use a similar logo.
Genres	Action-adventure, platformer, open world
Developers	Sucker Punch Productions SuperBot Entertainment
Publishers	Sony Computer Entertainment DC Comics (comic)
Creators	Sucker Punch Productions
Platforms	PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4
First release	Infamous May 26, 2009
Latest release	Infamous Collection August 28, 2012
Official website	Official site

Infamous (stylized as inFAMOUS) is a series of action-adventure platformer open world video games developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Computer Entertainment exclusively for the PlayStation 3 video game console. The series follows the adventures of Cole MacGrath, a young man with electrical superpowers, who must decide his own destiny of becoming either good or evil. The series includes Infamous, its sequel Infamous 2, and the non-canon downloadable game Infamous: Festival of Blood as well as the DC Comics comic book series of the same name. It is the first series created by Sucker Punch Productions for the PlayStation 3, and the second after the Sly Cooper series of games for the PlayStation 2.

Setting

The series takes place in the present-day United States with alternate versions of real cities; such as the setting of the first game, Empire City, which resembles New York City; and the setting of the second game, New Marais, which resembles New Orleans (Infamous: Festival of Blood also takes place in this city); although a real city, Washington, D.C., is mentioned. It also features real-life U.S. government agencies such as the FBI, NSA and DARPA.

Gameplay

Gameplay in the Infamous series is primarily an action-adventure platformer open world type. Players control series protagonist, Cole McGrath, as he freely roams around the city, fighting crime or creating havoc along the way. Cole can use his parkour skills to jump and climb buildings throughout the city, along with his electricity-based powers to help him fight enemies. His powers come from a gauge which depletes whenever Cole uses various electric attacks, and refills when Cole absorbs electricity from nearby electrical objects, such as street lights, power poles, transformers etc.

Morality, or Karma, is a major factor in the gameplay and storyline. Players are able to control the course of the game by having Cole use his powers for good or evil. The choice allows players to have a different mixture of abilities, as both good and evil have their own set of powers. The game also uses a Karma meter which changes based on Cole's actions throughout the game and determines whether he eventually becomes a good or evil character.

Games

Infamous (2009)

Main article: Infamous

inFamous is the first game in the series, released in 2009 to rave reviews by the gaming press. The game explains the origins of Cole McGrath, a bike courier, who gained his electrical-based powers after surviving a large explosion in Empire City caused by the package he was carrying containing the Ray Sphere. The Ray Sphere is an object of great power as it is able to consume the energy of the people around the user and transfer that energy to the user, making him immensely powerful at the cost of thousands of lives. After the explosion, the city was quarantined by the government causing organized crime groups within the city to seize control of Empire City from the local authorities. The game follows Cole's journey to obtain the Ray Sphere in order to escape from the quarantine as part of a deal he made with an FBI agent during his failed escape attempt at the start of the game. Cole eventually obtains the Ray Sphere and the player is given the choice to either destroy it or use it. Regardless of the choice, Cole will eventually come face to face with Kessler, the leader of The First Sons, the organized crime group in the city who had seized control of the city after the quarantine. Kessler duels Cole in a battle to the death and it is eventually revealed after Kessler is mortally wounded that he is in reality a version of Cole from the future of an alternate timeline. Kessler reveals his motive for the events throughout the game telling Cole that he was preparing Cole for an eventual battle against an entity known as "The Beast" who had destroyed Kessler's world. He had set the events of the game into motion by ordering the construction of the Ray Sphere as well as passing it to Cole for him to cause the explosion. The game ends when Kessler dies and Cole proclaims, "When the time comes, I will be ready."

Infamous 2 (2011)

Main article: Infamous 2

Infamous 2 is the second game in the series, released in June 2011 as a followup to the first game's story. The game follows the adventure of Cole once again as he escapes to the city of New Marais after the events of the first game to prepare himself for the eventual battle with "The Beast" (a powerful being that obliterated Empire City and much of the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S). New Marais was the location for the construction of the Ray Sphere and where Cole believes he will find more answers to the events of the first game. However, the city has been taken over by the militia, who are controlled by an influential industrialist, while the city is being rampaged by beings known as the corrupted who became mutated by the leader of the Militia. The Militia's goal is to keep anything mutated or with super powers out of the city which unfortunately includes Cole. Thus he must traverse the city fighting against both the Militia and the Corrupted to learn more about Kessler, the Ray Sphere and "The Beast".

Infamous: Festival of Blood (2011)

Main article: Infamous: Festival of Blood

Infamous: Festival of Blood is a downloadable side story for Infamous 2. It takes place sometime during the story of the main game, but never tells the player exactly when. Zeke is telling the story of what happened to Cole McGrath during Pyre Night to an attractive woman while sitting in a bar. Cole goes underneath St. Ignatius' Cathedral and is bitten by a vampire, and only has til morning to kill the vampire that bit him, Bloody Mary, or he'll be her slave forever. The game takes place all during the night, and introduces new elements, like flight, into the game. User generated content (UGC) remains, but UGC from Infamous 2 and vice versa cannot be accessed. The Karma System was replaced by a blood meter, which fills as Cole drinks blood from civilians or stake vampires. It was originally rated mature by the ESRB for its copious amounts of blood, which were eventually trimmed down to a minimum, giving it a teen rating. It came out on October 25, 2011 and was the best selling PlayStation Network game, until Journey came out.

Infamous Collection (2012)

Infamous Collection
Developer(s)	Sucker Punch Productions
Publisher(s)	Sony Computer Entertainment
Series	Infamous
Platform(s)	PlayStation 3
Release date(s)	NA August 28, 2012
Genre(s)	action-adventure, open world
Mode(s)	Single-player
Media/distribution	Blu-ray Disc, digital distribution

The Infamous Collection is a collection of Infamous, Infamous 2, and Infamous: Festival of Blood, bundled together as part of Sony's new line of PlayStation Collections for the PlayStation 3. The collection, along with the God of War Saga and the Ratchet & Clank Collection, are the first releases in Sony's new line that were released on August 28, 2012 in North America. The games feature the same features as their original releases. In addition to the games, the collection features bonus content, including extra missions, and additional character costumes, power ups and weapon styles.

Infamous: Second Son

Main article: Infamous: Second Son

It was rumored by numerous sites that Infamous 3 would be announced at the 2012 Spike Video Game Awards on December 7, 2012. But, nothing was mentioned or shown. It was officially announced at the Sony Press Conference on February 20, 2013, as Infamous: Second Son. The game is going to be a PlayStation 4 exclusive.

From an article on the official Sucker Punch website:

Delsin Rowe is the star of Second Son, and you probably know someone like him: A 24 year-old who is absolutely convinced he’s destined for greatness; though so far that greatness has managed to elude him. He grew up just outside Seattle, Washington, where his great – if accidental – calling comes crashing into his life. After rescuing occupants from a fiery bus wreck, he discovers that he suddenly has the ability to direct, manipulate and even transform into… Smoke. Could he have absorbed this power from one of the teenagers he pulled from the wreckage?

Setting the scene: It’s been 7 years since the Cole MacGrath episodes and the world has clearly changed. Anyone showing signs of being a so-called “bio-terrorist” is immediately handed over to the Department of Unified Protection (DUP) — a government agency created to ensure there is never a repeat of the catastrophic events of Empire City and New Marais. So Delsin, who has never been particularly respectful of authority, finds himself caught in the DUP dragnet... And decides he’s not going to go quietly.

Along the way, Delsin is going to ask questions that are not just relevant to the world of Second Son – but to the world we all live in today. A world where we are often instructed to surrender our freedoms to help improve our security. Benjamin Franklin once wrote “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Is he right?

As you play Second Son, you’ll explore lots of Seattle’s familiar landmarks. As with all games in this series, the path that the gameplay and story take will depend on the decisions you make along the way.

Spin-offs

Infamous: Precinct Assault (2009)

Infamous: Precinct Assault is a browser flash game. It was released in 2009 to promote the first game in the series, Infamous. The game is a 2D side-scrolling platform game and it uses a third person perspective. Unlike the main games, players must choose whether they want to use their powers for bad or for good before the game starts. The game only consists of three levels.

Infamous: Anarchy (2011)

Infamous: Anarchy is a spin-off game on Facebook, released along with Infamous 2. The game allows players to make a custom avatar, build their own city, help friends expand their cities, fight enemy players, and others. The game has since been updated with more features such as screenshot taking and competition among players. When players reach an unknown criteria, they are rewarded with a code that can be used to unlock additional items in Infamous 2.

Other media

Comics

Main article: Infamous (comics)

The Infamous comic is a six-part comic released in March 2011 and was published by DC Comics in association with Sucker Punch to coincide with the release of the second game in 2011. The comics take place in between the events of the first and the second game showing how Cole escapes from Empire City to New Marais. The comic series will be written by William Harms and drawn by Eric Nguyen, and also includes covers drawn by Doug Mahnke.

Film

On July 25, 2009 it was announced that Sony had chosen screenwriter Sheldon Turner to adapt the Sucker Punch game into a feature film in a seven figure deal. Avi Arad and his brother Ari (who are also making an Uncharted: Drake's Fortune film) will produce, and Sony executives Matt Tolmach and Jonathan Kadin are handling for the studio. Turner told The Hollywood Reporter he was excited that the game had a "big idea and a character arc," which he believed was "the future of gaming." He believed the game was essentially "a love ballad to the underachiever".

Graphic novels

Main article: Infamous: Post Blast

Characters

Cole MacGrath

• Voice actor: Jason Cottle (Infamous), Eric Ladin (all other appearances)

The protagonist of the Infamous series. Cole was a simple bike messenger who was delivering a package for someone to somewhere in the Historic District of Empire City. In the midst of his delivery however, his package exploded, destroying part of the island and killing thousands. However, this event resulted in Cole gaining power over electricity.

Cole has appeared in several other games outside the Infamous series, including a downloadable skin as part of the PlayStation Hero Pack for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves along with Zeke, as well as a costume for LittleBigPlanet. He is a playable character in the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita versions of Street Fighter X Tekken, and as both his good and evil forms in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale.

Zeke Jedediah Dunbar

• Voice actor: Caleb Moody

Cole MacGrath's best friend, and also his most trustworthy companion both before and after The Blast in Empire City. He helps Cole in various ways using his knowledge in electrical engineering, providing some back up with his pistol, and most importantly, providing spiritual support for Cole as his only friend after the Empire City Quarantine, for better or for worse.

Trish Dailey

• Voice actor: October Moore

Cole MacGrath's girlfriend, who lived and worked in Empire City as a nurse prior to The Blast. As she met with Cole there, the local pirate broadcaster, "Voice of Survival", began to blame Cole for being "the terrorist" and the cause of the Blast. Trish then immediately lost faith in Cole, believing him to be responsible for her sister's death, walking away and ended their relationship. Depending on the player's choices, Trish will either rekindle her romance with Cole or distance herself more. She also dies near the end of the game, no matter which side you're on.

Sasha

• Voice actor: Jessica Straus

The former lover of Kessler and the secondary antagonist in Infamous. She is the leader of the Reapers faction in Empire City and is one of the few people whose conduit powers had developed before the blast. Like Kessler, she was working with the First Sons, and was a specialist researching mind-control techniques. For a time John White was assigned to work with Sasha when he was undercover within the organization. Post-Blast, she is the leader of the Reapers who dominate the Neon District.

Lucy Kuo

• Voice actor: Dawn Olivieri

An undercover agent working for the NSA to investigate the organization known as the First Sons, stationed at New Marais while working with an inside man, Dr. Sebastian Wolfe. Afterwards, experimentation performed on her turned Kuo into a Conduit, able to manipulate ice and fly. As all of them contemplate on a decision, Kuo, fearful of death, decides to side with John's plan, mentioning that its the only way anyone will live through the plague. This leads Cole to say "I never thought Kuo would lose her nerve and become selfish." If one chooses to go through with the good ending (Cole decides to use the Ray Field Inhibitor), then will Kuo attempt to steal it before they can utilize it. Stopped on her attempt, Kuo angrily remarks that they will all regret their decision, right before leaving the area. She then meets up with John in order to assist him in his plan. If one chooses the evil ending, then Cole will work with Kuo to destroy the RFI.

Nix

• Voice actor: Nika Futterman

One of New Marais's native citizens, and is against the Militia due to Bertrand killing her family. She is described to be uncaring and cold, often preferring more destructive methods. She represents the evil side of Cole MacGrath's Karma and is a Conduit of oil/napalm and fire, able to manipulate the two elements to her will. She can be considered the opposite of Lucy Kuo. At the end Cole is given two choices for the ending: good and bad. If Cole chooses the evil ending at the end of the game, then he must kill Nix. If he chooses the good ending, then, despite a subtle uproar among the team, Cole will decide to go through with the plan regarding the RFI, and asked Zeke if he could help fix it, right after he nearly smashed the device. After a failed attempt to steal the device, Kuo leaves the roof. After this, Nix listened to Zeke's plan for the Beast's advent.

John White/The Beast

• Voice actor: Phil LaMarr

An undercover agent working for the National Security Agency, and was given the assignment to investigate the First Sons, along with Lucy Kuo and their inside associate, Sebastian Wolfe. Though, he was nearly successful in his time undercover, he was ripped apart and pulled into a vortex during a freak accident with one of the First Sons' inventions, namely the Ray Sphere. After some time, his sub-consciousness awoke, and was reborn as "The Beast", a Conduit with immense power, and becomes Infamous 2's primary antagonist.

Kessler

• Voice actor: Sam A. Mowry

An alias used by Cole MacGrath when he returned to his past to save his former self from a desolate future. Usurping control of the mentalist faction known as the First Sons, Kessler would later use its assets to accelerate the chain of events that lead to his conception. Possessing double the power of his past self, Kessler was a very powerful Conduit, capable of manipulating electricity and several other abilities. Kessler is the primary antagonist in inFamous. A Kessler skin is available as downloadable content in Infamous 2.

Reception

Aggregate review scores
As of April 5, 2013.

Game	GameRankings	Metacritic
Infamous	86.17%	85
Infamous 2	84.37%	83
Infamous: Festival of Blood	79.71%	78

The series has received highly positive review from most of the major video game review sites and magazines. Review scores range from 70% to 100% approval ratings. Game Informer preferred the first game over the second, giving the first a 9 and the second an 8.75. Infamous has been packaged with some PlayStation 3 systems, and the great sales from the game made the Hero Edition of the second game a possibility.

External links

• Official website