Review by: Mitch Dyer

Infamous is like an abusive spouse. When we’re together, I get hurt, angry, and sad. But I have feelings for it regardless, and when I’m away from its deliciously smooth platforming and exciting action sequences the craving becomes unbearable. Then, when I’ve snuggled into its sweet caress again it gives me a big ol’ shiner and sends me packing to my sister’s place.

Uh, metaphorically speaking.

When courier Cole McGrath accidentally sets off a funky, glowing bomb, Empire City becomes a wasteland. Crumbled and broken, it descends into chaos started by hobo gangs with mystical leaders and raving scientists with an unclear objective. Rather than turning him to dust, however, the exploded device gives Cole extraordinary abilities fueled by electricity. With the ability to shoot lightning from his palms, the Zeus-wannabe must make the choice between saving the ruined city or crushing it.

Believe me, it’s not as interesting as that sounds.

The swaying of the typical Good vs. Evil moral pendulum is dependent on both your actions and your choices. Playing nice makes you an adored hero, while being a big meanie means you’ll strike fear into the populous of Empire City. But because the outcome of the obviously-paragon or blatantly-malevolent decisions is inconsequential there’s nothing to make you contemplate karma. With no ethical payoff you’ll ponder personal gain instead – which powers will benefit me most: good guy, or bad guy? The stable of superpowers is an impressive lot, and with Cole gaining advantageous abilities on both sides it becomes a choice of what kind of badass you want to be, not where you stand.

The binary choice restricts one side’s powers from you, limiting your potential. It’s annoying when there’s no moral gray area, but Infamous consistently rewards you with enough new skills to make you forget about losing out on others. Grinding on rails with electro-powered rocket-shoes and slow-motion lightning-bolt sniping, as well as new attacks like charged grenades and high-voltage rockets is pretty badass if you ask me. Each kill, completed objective and secret found earns you experience points to exchange for enhancements, while special missions unlock separate skills based on your alignment. Infamous paces its upgrades brilliantly, allowing you to boost your skill set and overall power regularly. If something new is always within reach there’s always incentive to keep playing.