Flexibility is vital when engaging in combat, especially when taking on some of the tougher enemies. Each of the islands in Empire City are run by a different gang possessing specific combat abilities and powers. Along with the basic human Reapers equipped with guns that can easily be dispatched with a quick zap of electricity, Dylan runs into much stronger foes. One Reaper has the ability to teleport himself and summon concussive blasts that obviously demands a different set of tactics.

Running in the background through all of this is a karma system that tracks your actions and affects how the town's citizens treat you as you make your way through the game. Obviously frying a bystander won't bode well for your image, but helping out citizens being harassed by Reapers might boost your standing. Whether or not you cull favor with non-player characters impacts how they behave toward you and influences the likelihood of helping you later on. Rough up too many innocents and you may find yourself being hunted down; on the other hand, they may lend support in a tough battle if they've grown to trust your good judgment. Interestingly enough, this also affects how your abilities progress with some powers advancing in lieu of others based on your karma.

It's all part of an effort to play with the game's namesake, exploring the meaning of infamy. Whether the game can manage to execute the complexity of such a theme amid the freedom of an open-world and superpowers is a serious question. inFamous is an extremely ambitious undertaking that could easily end up an utterly underwhelming mess or total triumph. We'll know when the game ships in spring 2009.

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