Finished Infamous

Wow, what a game.  As you may know, this game came out for the PS3 in the middle of 2009 but I just got to it recently.  I made it through the end game last night (via the good-guy play through - I always play as a good guy) and I am mighty impressed.  The graphics are top-notch.  It's an open-world sandbox style of game and the environment is a living and breathing metropolis.  I can't imagine the work that went into creating the world of Infamous; in that regard it reminds me a lot of Assassin's Creed II.  The Gameplay is pretty easy to get into with fluid controls that rarely frustrate.  Moving Cole (the protagonist) around the map is easy and fun.

The mission variety gets a little old as you dig deeper into the game: if I never have to escort prisoners to jail again it will be too soon for me.  But overall the game remains interesting throughout with a solid story, good voice acting and some killer action. The different powers you learn as you make your way through the game are awesome and handed out in just the right fashion.  You get to choose which powers to improve upon and which to use as your main weapon(s). 

I have a lot of games left to dive into still, but I may actually play through Infamous again and see what happens when you choose the evil path. (You get different powers and of course the story plays out differently as well.)  That says a lot considering the game is quite lengthy in just a single play through.  It's already a tremendous value if you only play through once.  And as a bonus, once you finish the game, you can keep playing in free roam mode.  Gotta love that!

I am not sure where else the story could go from here but if there is a sequel you can sign me up.   I wish I had played Infamous early enough to qualify for my yearly gaming awards.  It would have definitely been in the running for some hardware.  As it is, I would put it in a tie with Assassin's Creed II for 3rd place in my Game Of The Year awards for 2009.  Lofty praise indeed.