tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074451.post1170592011134520831..comments2024-02-05T05:56:50.392-05:00Comments on Insult Swordfighting: Friday afternoon tidbitsMitch Krpatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15987162934932391765noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074451.post-5602115578991394042009-06-01T15:49:44.872-04:002009-06-01T15:49:44.872-04:00I've found a number of people, myself included, ha...I've found a number of people, myself included, have complaints with inFamous, but we keep playing likely because it's, dare I say, fun. I enjoy bouncing around rooftops blasting ne'er-do-wells and citizens alike (explosive chain lightning and crowds of hostages are my peanut butter and chocolate). inFamous, while I complain that the moral system is less than superb and the choices we're given really only come in black or white, is enjoyable. <br /><br />In fact, you could make the case that, if your every decision had such a deep and lasting impact on the story, suddenly the game would be less fun because players would be more focused about their actions. inFamous is fun because, when I need to save those hostages from the Reapers, I can leap off a building, landing with a powerful thundershock and knocks everyone off their feet killing most of the kidnappers, some of the hostages, and doing thousands of dollars in property damage to the neighborhood. Sure, my "evil reputation" grows as a result of my careless and wanton destruction, but that's what I would expect from my actions.spnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074451.post-210494337740045242009-06-01T13:48:31.020-04:002009-06-01T13:48:31.020-04:00I was wondering about that myself. I decided to pl...I was wondering about that myself. I decided to play as good, and have yet to be even remotely tempted to do any bad actions. I've read that the decisions get harder as they go along, but I've almost cleared the second island and so far I am not finding that to be the case. It's always like, "I can kill this group of people here and get some blast shards, or I can kill that group of people over there and get some blast shards." <br /><br />The Bioshock comparison was apt, but the decision-making process was much more immediate and visceral in that game -- at least before you realize that saving the sisters will ultimately net you more ADAM. I am not a fan of Cole's musing on the choice before him. I'm also remembering Fallout's morality system: that wasn't perfect either, but at least the "right" path was sometimes appropriately ambiguous.<br /><br />I should also say that I've been griping non-stop while playing Infamous, but I haven't been able to stop playing it, either.Mitch Krpatahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15987162934932391765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074451.post-67934329885863746482009-06-01T13:29:30.983-04:002009-06-01T13:29:30.983-04:00Having just completed inFamous choosing “evil” 100...Having just completed inFamous choosing “evil” 100% of the time, I wanted to mention something that bothered me. The game presents many opportunities for the player to choose to be selfish and vindictive or benevolent and merciful; however, since the growth of all of your powers are tied to how <I>extremely</I> good or evil you are, the game does not promote actual moral decisions as much as forcing the player to pick a path and follow it blindly. <br /><br />I’m currently playing through the game a second time and selecting the “good” option at every opportunity and I’m not finding any difference in the game besides a little “flavor” in the cut-scenes. I like to call this the BioShock Morality System: not so much “what are the consequences” as much as “what are the rewards”.spnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074451.post-11071780594236606922009-05-31T04:50:41.306-04:002009-05-31T04:50:41.306-04:00I can agree about Cole. By trying to give you cho...I can agree about Cole. By trying to give you choice, they end up unwilling to commit his character to any distinct personality. He's almost like a silent protagonist that way, where his personality is based on what we imbue unto him. The dramatic storytelling got me through that, so I didn't mind (much). Kind of reminded me of MGS that way. I mean Snake never had much personality, but we felt for him anyway. Cole's story is epic, even if he's not particularly well developed himself.<br /><br />I'd have to respectfully disagree about the game feeling joyless. Maybe it's because I loved Sly so much, but inFamous clearly feels like a labor of love from someone (Nate Fox and co.) who clearly really, really, loves superhero comics. It's darker and drabber than Crackdown, but I found it to have at least as much personality. I guess Crackdown is more arcadey whereas inFamous is far more ambitious and narrative heavy. It provides context for the sandbox platformer/third-person shooter magic. While it may not make good on all of its potential (the black and white moral system is a bit at odds with a surprisingly linear story, ala Mass Effect. Another game I loved in spite of that), but I personally found it even more fun to control than Crackdown with a better story. And I loved Crackdown. A lot. I just love inFamous more.Mr Durand Pierrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14942907377044744031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074451.post-89452971845613166122009-05-30T10:26:14.176-04:002009-05-30T10:26:14.176-04:00The Crackdown comparison is unavoidable, but IMO i...The Crackdown comparison is unavoidable, but IMO it's not favorable for inFamous. There are a lot of reasons why, but mostly it's because Crackdown seemed joyful whereas inFamous seems joyless. That is due in large part to the setting, which I'm finding to be drab and unmemorable. And I do wish Cole had more personality. I never played the Sly Cooper games, but I think I'd much rather play as a thieving raccoon than Some Angsty Dude.Mitch Krpatahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15987162934932391765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074451.post-17103538790042716762009-05-29T16:36:33.324-04:002009-05-29T16:36:33.324-04:00I've been playing inFamous as well, and loving it ...I've been playing inFamous as well, and loving it to death. It feels like a great mix of Sly Cooper and Crackdown, two of my favorite platformers ever. I'm actually in the process of writing about it now, but probably won't have time to finish it for awhile due to E3 shenanigans.<br /><br />@Gary,<br /><br />Maybe I'm viewing inFamous under a different lens than you as I was a huge fan of Sly Cooper, but I'd say that inFamous looks really stylized and unlike almost anything else out there (whereas something like say, Prototype, looks rather generic to me aesthetically). The character doesn't look "uberkewl" to me. His design is fairly minimalist with the buzzed hair and athletic gear. It's not like he's covered in chains, pins, tats, and has a goofy haircut. The world maybe isn't quite as diverse as I'd like, but what's there is really good. It looks appropriately post-apocalyptic, but not like most games. There's a certain unique, junky, almost collage-like look to the world. To me, it seemed like they really nailed the comic-book superhero thing down pat.Mr Durand Pierrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14942907377044744031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074451.post-88493516951656644002009-05-29T14:58:32.788-04:002009-05-29T14:58:32.788-04:00I'm looking forward to your thoughts on Infamous. ...I'm looking forward to your thoughts on Infamous. I have picked it up and put it back (oh alright: clicked Add To Cart and then deleted) a few times the past couple weeks.<br /><br />I LOVED Crackdown, so something even sorta-kinda as good would be neat. On the other hand, I am so thoroughly burned out on the game's look (i.e., the look of 78% of games these past few years). I'm not a moody teenager anymore, I don't get a hard-on for gritty environments and an uberkewl main character.Garyhttp://web.mac.com/gwhodgesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8074451.post-63618505675360160912009-05-29T13:58:44.922-04:002009-05-29T13:58:44.922-04:00Are touchscreens really the new shoulder buttons? ...Are touchscreens really the new shoulder buttons? Call me old fashion, but I'll take the basic controller set-up of my DS over trying to use the little wand any day. Maybe it's an iPhone thing?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com