I'm a sucker for sandbox games and solid third-person action titles, but Infamous didn't intrigue me leading up to its 2009 release. Superheroes and comic books aren't my thing, and I figured I would be just fine ignoring it while waiting for something more alluring to come through. But I was wrong. Having been tasked with writing the IGN Guide for Infamous, I jumped into an experience I thought wouldn't interest me and ended up loving every second of it. I beat Infamous four times. No matter how many times I played, Infamous never got old, and it quickly became one of my favorite games of the entire generation.

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I'm happy to report that, in many ways, Infamous 2 is even stronger than its predecessor.Tangible allusions to Infamous are scarce in Infamous 2 Infamous 2's story is a deep, character-driven affair -- Cole's best friend Zeke is back and joined by a new foil named Bertrand and his anti-Cole Militia -- but what good would it be without great gameplay to accompany it? Infamous 2 plays nearly identically to how the original played, and that's a good thing. You'll once again control the electric superhero (or supervillain as you get to choose your moral alignment) in third-person. You'll once again have the ability to use his superpowers as well as take advantage of his increased melee capabilities thanks to a weapon called the Amp. And experience points can be used to unlock new, more powerful attacks, allowing Cole to inch closer and closer to the strength necessary to take on The Beast.All of this boils down to gameplay that is superb. Cole handles smoothly, and better yet, he feels powerful. Cole in Infamous 2 is a continuation of Cole from the original, so he should feel like a powerhouse, and he does. Certain skills you had to learn in the original Infamous, such as the abilities to float and grind, are already learned as Infamous 2 gets underway. The goal here is simply to make Cole even more outrageously powerful than he already is, as opposed to starting again from scratch. This is definitely a nice touch. And while melee combat isn't as strong as it could be (and in fact causes Infamous 2's most serious problems in terms of a wonky camera), fighting is still incredibly satisfying.Aesthetically, Infamous 2 pleases both the ears and eyes. Sucker Punch has created a telltale art style that fits perfectly in this series, and the game's overall look, including animations, is improved from the original. The sounds of New Marais are also great, from the basic sound effects of a bustling city to the voice acting. I certainly miss Cole's original voice, but the voice acting in Infamous 2 is still top-notch.New Marais is a totally unique location that is a more living, breathing locale than Empire City ever was. There's real diversity in New Marais from the neon-lit red light district to the Katrina-like devastation of Floodtown, and it is all there for you to explore with the game's trademark parkour and climbing moves. Plus, there are plenty of enemies to fight, with a more robust cast of foes in both type and size. There are normal pedestrians who will rebel if you go the evil route to massive ice creatures looking to pulverize anything and everything.