Empire City inFamous’ ravaged city is pulsating with carnage and despair; a band of neo-terrorists called the Reapers are pillaging the city, killing the innocents and draining this once prosperous metropolis of its power.
Enter Cole, buzzing with power and eager to use it, this human power socket can crush enemies with bolts of lightning, move giant obstacles with exhalations of power and repower the city with his own internal electricity. With a mixture of deadly power and graceful acrobatic ability, he will either save the city, or bring it to its knees.
Through preview builds and demos, here are some adventures we’ve experienced in Empire City so far.
Crazy Train
To save a train station full of petrified citizens, Cole must use his powers to get a stubborn locomotive moving and usher it through the city. Every now and again the train will screech to a stop as the low voltage feeder box under the track loses juice and must be refilled with a few lightning bolts.
Along the track low level reapers hang out on rooftops and balconies, waiting for Cole with AK-47s and Rocket Launchers. It’s up to Cole to leap off the moving train, ascend the rooftops and take out his assailants. The power chords that string buildings together would be deadly impediments for the common folk of Empire, but Cole can grind down them like a surfer. Zig-zagging between buildings gives ample protection from gunfire, and a perfect vantage point for lightning bolts.
On this mission we see the versatility of Cole’s free-running abilities, allowing him to chain leaps and grabs in true acrobatic fashion. Poles, streetlamps, girders and pipes can be clung onto as Cole zips from street level to the rooftops, showing off a level of verticality that would make Crackdown proud. He’ll also leap from roof top to roof top, grabbing on to the side if he misses, or clenching tight on tiny window sills if the jump is really off. He can also ride the storm and get a slight airborne aid for the trickiest leaps.
Getting the train to its station and saving the people inside deals you bucket load of positive karma and a bunch of EXP to spend on new moves.
Jailhouse Rock
This time it’s the local detention centre that needs Cole’s helping hand. His buddy Zeke is aiding the police in getting the prisoners across the yard safely and has rigged up a sparking electric walkway to feed Cole’s power.
You see in the field each special move, such as a shock grenade or a giant lightning storm, saps your energy which must be replenished by devouring energy from street lamps, cars, generators and all sorts of other power sources.
The prison walls come down and massive fire balls plummet towards the fence. Cole’s handy energy explosion helps send the projectiles back the way they came, for an easy success.
But the power grid is shot and Cole needs to get to the roof to replenish it. From here you’re presented some excellent platforming action as you clamber your way to the top of the jail. Entire cell blocks have been demolished, walls stripped away to their foundations and massive sections of the prison left dilapidated. Several leaps of faith are required as rubble falls underneath your feet, making fast movement a necessity. Nuisance reapers are waiting for your arrival so being able to shoot straight while hung from pipes or girders is a useful skill.
Once at the top, the generator is shocked with a few blasts before Cole leaps back into the courtyard for a final showdown at the prison.
My Old Man’s a Dustman
The reapers have commandeered an old dust cart and decked it out with armoured plating and machine guns on any side. Don’t even try and get near it on ground level or you’ll know how swiss cheese feels.
There are multiple trucks parading the city and you’re given complete control how to deal with them. One thing’s for sure though, you’ll need to get over your fear of heights.
The trucks are controlled by a power generator on back, so you’ll need to find a way to drop onto the roof to attack it safely. Luckily power chords dangle above the city scape on almost every building and the heightened train tracks provide both safety and speedy access (as Cole can grind down the rails with massive acceleration). Small radio towers that sit on rooftops can be toppled to provide diving boards onto the city streets.
No matter how you get there, you’re going to have to drop onto the roof of each truck and overload the generator to put them out of commission.
inFamous will be released on May 29th.
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