Infamous

Infamous could best be described as a jack of all trades. It is a GTA-style open-world sandbox game that takes place in a dystopian city. It is also a lot like BioShock and Fallout in that karma plays a large role in both the in-game gameplay experience and also the way the story unfolds and the way the other characters perceive and treat you. And the very free-flowing and easy to use control scheme that allows you to climb walls like a monkey and ride across the city on electrical wires like you're Tony Hawk on a skate board absolutely reminded me of Prince of Persia. I guess the worst thing you could say about Infamous is that it lacks its own identity in the gaming world today. All truly great games have one, be it an unforgettable story or innovative gameplay or a unique concept deployed here or there. But Infamous can't boast one of its own, and that's probably the biggest reason that I can't consider Infamous an instant classic or one of the greatest games out there today. Of course, it's still a very good game, as any GTA-BioShock-Price of Persia "clone" should be. I enjoyed it a great deal, lack of "it factor" and all. You play as Cole, an every-man who is at the center of a mysterious blast one day and wakes up with the power to control electricity. Think of him as the guy in Crash 2. Or maybe Pikachu. Regardless, the city becomes quarantined as the government investigates, and suddenly you're thrust into a role of your own choice. Will you become the city's guardian with your new found powers, fighting for what's right? Or will you turn the city into a sandbox and its inhabitants into your playthings as you seek more and more power and glory for yourself? Unlike in BioShock, where the greatest rewards (and trophies and achievements) are given for being a good person, in Infamous there is total balance between both choices. Just make sure to commit to whichever one you choose. There's a karma meter that ranges from "Hero" al the way down to "Infamous," and the greatest powers and abilities are unlocked only by achieving one extreme or the other. I chose evil over good. For one thing, that's how all the GTA games played out, what with all the civilian carnage and wanted levels and all. For another, the evil extreme carries the same name as the game itself; it just felt fitting. And I guess a distant third reason was that so many video games thrust you into the good guy role anyway and I wanted a change of pace. Even though the main story progresses the same way whether you choose to be a hero or a dick, there are little choices to make along the way that affect your reputation. The plot felt a bit zany and confusing at times, but that's forgivable as this was a video game and not a book. Great plots with great characters are the exception (Final Fantasy VI and VII, BioShock) rather than the norm. Anyway, there are 39 regular story missions and there must be at least a hundred side missions. I never went out of my way to do the side missions, but plenty were achievable on the way to the next main mission and so it isn't like I avoided doing them either. There are also a number of collectable items - satellite uplink messages, lightning shards - that make this game a completionist's dream. Or nightmare, I guess. The sequel is due out in June, but I probably won't rush off to buy and play it. Not for lack of interest, but because I still have seventy games in my backlog. Infamous was a lot of fun, but time will tell how memorable it was.