InFamous: Second Son – What We Want To See
One of my predictions for Sony’s PS4 reveal a couple of weeks back was the announcement of a new InFamous game. It felt like a long shot but amazingly my prayers were answered with the reveal trailer for InFamous: Second Son from Sucker Punch. With my adoration for the InFamous series, I can’t wait for another instalment so with the prospect of another, here are the things I want to see from InFamous: Second Son.
X-Men/ Multi Characters
Sucker Punch’s presentation of InFamous: Second Son discussed the idea of a group of people ‘mutating’ and gaining powers, sounding incredibly similar to X-Men, the ultimate mutant superheroes. Whether or not this hints towards a multi-character game with numerous characters and perspectives or just a singular character in the midst of a ‘powers for the good’ or ‘powers for the bad’ battle, a new era of mutants is an incredibly promising concept.
The trailer showed a Prototype-esque hero but I hold hope for more characters. Obviously you can never beat the X-Men (mainly due to Wolverine), but InFamous Second Son could be pretty original in the gaming world with multiple playable protagonists, especially multiple playable superhero protagonists.
New Powers
Now this may seem a little obvious as the trailer showcased a new power – the control over fire and smoke – but I would love to be given a new array of elemental powers to wreak havoc with. Cole partially had power over fire through Nix in InFamous 2 so a larger variety of new powers would be very welcomed.
The guy in the trailer looked as though he shared some characteristics with Nix such as teleportation, but I can’t wait to see his increased arsenal when more information is revealed. A return of the differing power tree like the fire/ice in InFamous 2 could open up Second Son for even more superhero joy.
Better Karma or no Karma
The Karma system in InFamous is pretty poor to be honest being as black and white as, well, black and white. InFamous: Second Son needs to either create more grey-ish scenarios such as decisions from the Walking Dead or just scrap the concept entirely. I don’t know how much Sucker Punch believe in their Karma system but I don’t think it would hold back Second Son at all if it were to be abandoned. However, it could be cool if the Karma system reflected your Xavier vs Magneto stance on the new mutant race.
Improved Story
The InFamous storylines are always pretty solid, especially for a comic book game. However, they never achieved anything on par with the more narrative driven games such as Bioshock or the GTA series. As a comic book fan it would be great to see a much improved story in InFamous: Second Son, dealing with the problems of being a hero in the real world more deeply than the previous games, similar to the Nolan Batman trilogy.
I wouldn’t mind seeing Sucker Punch stealing a few classic X Men story arches too. The InFamous universe is rich with folklore and the InFamous graphic novel from 2010 utilised the deeper world to great effect. Although the character from the trailer looked a bit of a ‘douche’, InFamous: Second Son could push story telling in video games to new territories.
Environmental Destruction
There is some destruction in InFamous with crumbling verandas, exploding gas stations and collapsible antennas, but its only there on combat-aiding terms. With the newly found power of the PS4, InFamous: Second Son could feature even more environmental destruction.
It would be a small touch but would give the world of Second Son a bit more life, history and realism. Getting environmental damage to work in an open-world could be difficult though. But it would make you feel even more badass. Like the Hulk. On steroids. With lightning powers. Like Thor. The Thulk!
Multiplayer
Wait! Don’t attack me! Multiplayer is usually credited with the downfall of the single-player experiences and although I am in no way insinuating that online should replace Second Son’s single player, a co-op mode for InFamous could be awesome. If done right that is. InFamous 2 hinted at two players joining explosive forces with levels featuring Kuo and Nix and the potential for co-op cannot be ignored.
There may be the discussion that two over-powered characters would be too screen tearing, but if the recent God Of War: Ascension beta showed us anything, it was that with enough care and attention, balls-out multiplayer can work. Partner a co-op mode with the PS4’s spangling online capabilities and InFamous: Second Son could be an all round super hero, multiplayer brawl.
What did you think of InFamous Second Son and what do you want to see? Are my suggestions of an online mode traitorous or do you think it could be a good idea? Let us know in the comments below!
