The holiday 2010 issue of PlayStation Magazine features Infamous 2 on the cover. The magazine recently got a chance to go hands-on with the game and they’ve put together quite a comprehensive article on it. While I haven’t had a chance to read it myself, IGN took a look and they’ve highlighted a couple of new facts for us.
Here is what IGN had to say:
- Infamous 2, just like the original Infamous, is on target to be rated T for Teen, meaning that while the game might have different themes – even more serious or adult at times – it should still be accessible for a younger audience.
- And finally, collectibles! Nate Fox wasn’t ready to talk at E3 about just what collectibles, if any, Infamous 2 would have in store. The PlayStation: The Official Magazine article seems to answer that question for us, however. A profile piece in the magazine introduces a yet-unknown character named Dr. Sebastian Wolfe. The doctor resides in New Marais and was apparently part of the scientific crew that created the Ray Sphere, which is the mysterious device that gave Cole his powers at the beginning of the original Infamous. Wolfe was responsible for deploying items called Blast Cores all around New Marais, which will apparently give Cole new powers as he finds them. There appear to be not many of these, so this could be construed as being Infamous 2’s version of Dead Drops. But worry not; the article also confirms that Blast Shards are making a return. There were 350 of them in the original Infamous, and finding them gave Cole more and more power. We still don’t know how many will be in New Marais, however.
- Perhaps the single most interesting tidbit from the article pertains to the game’s choices. Infamous was rife with good-versus-evil choices, and Infamous 2 will have the same system. We already know that your save from the original Infamous will somehow affect how Infamous 2 plays out, Mass Effect-style. But what we didn’t know until now is that there is at least a single choice in the game that, once taken, will lead the player down drastically different roads towards the end of the game. It’s unknown how deep into the game this particular choice is made, and it’s unclear whether or not there are more radical choices like this, but one thing appears to be sure – playing through Infamous 2 more than once will be a necessity, just as it was in the original Infamous.
- A map within the article shows part of New Marais. Six specific locations around the map are identified, although it’s unclear whether you’ll be able to explore the interior of these locations or whether they will simply be worked on or around during your adventure (just like in the original Infamous). They are Plantations, St. Ignatius Cathedral, Fort Philip, St. Charles Cemetery, Ville Cochon, and Ascension Parish.
- The cattle prod-like weapon we’ve seen and heard so much about seems to have a name. At least for the time being, it will be known as “The Amp.”
- The E3 demo of Infamous 2 saw the controlling hooligans of New Marais, The Militia, doing battle with a group of monstrous-looking creatures. These guys look a great deal like the Necromorphs from Dead Space, but they didn’t have a name. Now, apparently, they do. According to the PlayStation: The Official Magazine article, this rival group is known simply as The Corrupted.
If you’re still eager for more information, be sure to check out the magazine and read the full article. Infamous was a phenomenal game and one of the PS3’s best, if the sequel turns out even half as good as the first one, I’m certainly going to be buying it. Sucker Punch knows they have a lot riding on the game though and I’m sure they’re going to deliver a ‘game of the year’ quality title. Definitely looking forward to this one.
