I’m pretty sure I’m in the minority at IGN when I say that the first two Infamous games didn’t quite do it for me. I appreciated the world design, and the act of traversal definitely felt good, but they never clicked with me the way other superhero/open-world adventures like Crackdown, Assassin’s Creed, Spider-Man 2, or the Arkham games had. So that was my mindset going in to my first hands-on with Infamous: Second Son . Greg and Colin have been singing the game’s praises since last E3, but I was definitely still skeptical.

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Well, I can safely say that I’m now a believer.Greg was 100% on point in his preview from November when he emphasized the game’s impeccable focus on fluidity. Delsin’s powers aren’t just simple elemental traits that alter your attacks; they’re fully part of everything you do in the world. The way that your smoke powers cause gorgeous plumes to appear as your dart around the city is incredible. Finding a vent, turning into vapor, and immediately bursting up to the top of a building made we want to explore every nook and cranny of Sucker Punch’s take on Seattle. Same goes for the neon power, which allows Delsin to zip across the world and run straight up the sides of buildings like a fantastic mix between The Flash and a Light Cycle from Tron.The interactive playground of Seattle on display here also something special. It’s not that it looks so far beyond anything we’ve seen in gaming – honestly, I’d say it’s on par with most of the early post-launch PS4/Xbox One games we’ve gotten our hands on – but the way that Sucker Punch has brought life to the world is incredible.You can absorb smoke or neon wherever it would naturally exist in the world. From signs on a storefront to smoke rising out of a sewer vent, you’re never at a loss for somewhere to charge your powers. And once you have enough energy coursing through your veins, you can expel it in a variety of ways, resulting in a glorious amount of destruction. Using my smoke power’s charge shot completely obliterated bus stops, storefronts, and human beings (in no particular order). Also, in a time where too many open-world cities feel lifeless (looking at you, Arkham Origins), it was great to see terrified citizens running for cover as demigods brought the ruckus in their city.My demo ended with a pretty satisfying stinger. After I had disposed of a battalion of troops, and completely obliterated the vehicle that they were guarding, a heavy appeared. I tried to assault him head on, but he brushed me away like I was nothing. That was when Infamous prompted me to hit the down button on the d-pad. Delsin rocketed impossibly high into the air, the camera switched to an overhead perspective, and I found myself guiding this superhuman projectile back down to Earth in what’s definitely a strong contender for “Best Playable Dr. Strangelove Nod of 2014.”IGN’s Chris Carle commented how Second Son’s tone reminded him of the film Chronicle, which I completely agree with. As a huge fan of the movie’s original and minimalist take on the superhero genre, I can only hope that Sucker Punch handles Infamous’ story in a similar fashion. That being said, I’m still not quite sold on Delsin Rowe as a character – he still looks and acts more like a John C. Dudebroski who got lost in the Urban Outfitters at 5th and Pike than a compelling hero. But the demo I played was only a tiny slice of Second Son, so I’ll hold my full judgment until the final game is out.Everything about my time with Infamous: Second Son was simply fun. Running across the police-state, using my smoke abilities to zap up a vent to the top of a building, then gliding off of it felt amazing. Transitioning between smoke and neon powers in the middle of combat, and discovering new abilities and combos as I brought a gorgeous depiction of pain onto my enemies felt incredibly satisfying. Hell, even using the touch pad was rewarding – something as gimmicky as holding my thumb to it in order for Delsin’s thumb to be scanned brought a grin to my face.The last thing I want to say about Infamous is that playing it made me yearn for a Captain Planet game. But that’s a discussion for another place and time. Until then, I'm happy knowing that come March, I’ll be able to turn Seattle into my own personal playground of destruction once again.

Marty Sliva is an Associate Editor at IGN. Greg Miller wanted him to title this preview "InFUNmous: Second Thumbs Up." Cooler heads prevailed. Follow him on Twitter @McBiggitty