Digital Foundry vs. inFamous: Second Son

Last week's release of inFamous: Second Son kicked off a fascinating debate about the nature of next-gen gaming. How can a cutting-edge piece of software that breaks so many technological barriers fail to review as well as less advanced titles in the PS4 line-up? Our take on the situation is pretty straightforward: Sucker Punch has created a breathtaking sandbox that is worlds apart from its inFamous predecessors, but the fact that the gameplay hasn't moved on by anything like the same degree has created a curious disparity in the overall experience. It's a game where the lack of balance continually satisfies the senses but always leaves you hungry for something different, something more.

[Jdoki]

I really hope the sequel to inFamous SS has much more destructible environments.

That would really elevate the game and make the player feel more super powered.

[Stapleface]

Definitely. I didn't like being able to shoot, well pretty much everything but the DUP structures and vehicles in the game, and nothing happens. I understand not everything can be destructible. But there needs to be more than there is.

[I_am_Batman]

And it'll still look weird whenever you'll face an undestructable object. We've reached a point in games where everything that doesn't seem to follow the laws of simple physics, we know from real life, doesn't seem right.

However it is simply impossible for a game designer to give the player so much freedom. First of all it wouldn't make sense as the player could destroy objects and buildings that are important for the plot. But beside the logical conflicts it's impossible hardware wise because every single building would have to have an interior. Also it depends on how realistic the destruction is processed. A very realistic simulation in a detailled world could bring pretty much every availiable hardware to it's limits.

[Jdoki]

I normally wouldn't argue with Batman :), but...

Developers implementing more destructible environments sounds much more 'next gen' to me than simply higher res / more impressive graphical effects.

And whilst I know very well the additional effort this would take, my view is that if this gen wants to be remembered as something other than the 'previous gen with better graphics' it needs to do much more.

If I had a choice between the bells and whistles that the DF article explains for inFamous, or a game that had less fanciness but mirrored the action at the end of the Death of Superman comic (for example) - I know what I would choose.

[NeoTribe]

They would have to tone down the graphics dramatically to input full destruction. Im upset you cant throw cars into the sky anymore like you could infamous 2.

[incendy35]

Good article. Effects are awesome but the gameplay is nothing special. Would have loved it if they created an advanced physics system where Delsin could manipulate physical objects similar to the gravity gun but in a much larger scope. Also wish the pedestrian AI had played a much bigger part in the game, where saving lives was a primary objective during combat. For example, you should could use physics powers to save a falling citizen from a collapsed building while also fighting off bad guys. That would have made you feel so heroic.

[Bathyj]

If you think that the gameplay hasn't moved on at all with the speed and ease of movement that neon and power 3 provide you and the way you can use that in combat, and the emergent gameplay options that come with the destructibility of the environments then maybe fast action superhero games just arent for you.

[incendy35]

Games have been doing this for a long time though. Crackdown had very similar gameplay in a large sandbox world. And Ninja Gaiden nailed the quick movements decades ago. Actually I have some major issues with the movements in the game, made no sense that some curbs auto stuck Delsin while others did not. Drove me crazy. They need to patch that. Also the physics for jumping on objects was so off.

[Moe-Gunz]

For the series the gameplay has moved on. That is what Bathyj is saying. I had no issues with movement. The only area they messed up for me is climbing, but then again climbing isn't as important as it was in 1 & 2.

[1nsomniac]

Article seems to suggest that collecting shards spoils the game... It's collecting the shards that give you additional powers, moving the game on & making the game more exciting!

It also says the hidden cameras & the like missions spoil it & I think these missions break the game up really well. Also goes on to slate Alan Wake & its light/shooting mechanics which again I thought was 1 of the best games of the last generation.

Some very strange comments by the Digital Foundry folks in this one in my opinion.

[Stapleface]

It the repetitiveness of the "missions", not to mention the length. Do any of the inFamous side missions take more than 30 seconds to complete? Not that I remembered. Now the shards are understandable, that's the source of your powers. It wouldn't make sense to have a bunch of different sources.

[Kayant]

Hmmm... What's with the criticizing of the story and gameplay in a tech/performance analysis? Reading back recent DF analysis this was never discussed.

OT - It seems to handle demanding situations quite well but when ultimate moves are used framerate can drop below 30 but it comes back up quite quickly.

The game really is a work of art. I love the lighting and particle effects, reflections. Man I need to get a PS4 :p.

Edit - I do agree with the suggestion of a 30fps v-sync option like in KZ:SF for people who are sensitive to juddering.

[Stapleface]

You know, I'd have to agree, I thought this was a tech review and not a whole game review. It's a beautiful game especially this early on in the consoles life. I do agree that they should have locked it at 30fps, or at least make that an option for the users. But that's not a super huge big deal. The game is beautiful, I don't think anyone can argue that.

[Silly Mammo]

About halfway through it now and having a great time. I would give the game a 8.5. I do believe there is room for improvement and look forward to seeing how SP improves on the excellent foundation its built with this one.

[ntkennedy]

Agree, I give it at 8.5-9 but graphically a 10. I believe this was a launch day title that was delayed and the story/side missions lacked a little because of it.

However, Papertrail looks like it will keep adding content and Infamous:SS 2 will be amazing with what they have started here.

[stubee34]

Well i have finished both the good and evil campaigns and i feel the game looks great,controls great but the story is pretty bad and there just is not enough interesting things to do in the game world.Side missions are very dull,there is so much they could have done to add variety but it seems to me they spent so much time polishing the visuals that they forgot about the meat of the game.

Maybe that is why they held off revealing the concrete power and spoke mostly about the visuals in interviews,i remember when asked "what sort of variety can we expect from side missions" sucker punched basically said "DUP towers will keep everyone busy for a very long time" Well that was BS! The game is far too short.I actually prefer infamous 2 to this game.

[Visiblemarc]

Am sick of the spoiled gaming culture. "Sure it's incredible, but it could have been even more incredible: 5/10."

Just appreciate it for what it is, not what it isn't. It's super fun.

If these critics think it's so easy, I'd like to see them give it a go.

[MajorLazer]

One should always aspire to do better. Giving a 10/10 suggests there is no room at all for improvement, which is never the case. Also, criticism does not work like that, otherwise there would be very few critics in the world..

[Hicken]

Not true. A top score means it was executed about as flawlessly as can be, not that it was the best it could ever be. Even a 10/10 game could get better with more development time and/or funding. But sometimes, it just means that the game did everything it was supposed to do exceptionally well, with minimal mistakes.

That can still be improved upon.

[NaAsAr]

the positives of this game out weigh the negatives of the below 30 frames performance in a few instances. i have never seen it come to a crawl in my experience. i am just now only getting the 3rd power and i can say i am really enjoying this game. it is presented very well.

[BattleTorn]

I just find the game lacks much of what I enjoyed about inFamous 2.

Remember picking up cars and throwing them into the verandas?

Or throwing those super tornados down an alley cause tons of destruction..

I have yet to feel as power as that in SS..

[scott182]

For me, this is the most impressive game out technically. The best Anti Aliasing per the article. The most particle effects by far. Most impressive lighting effects. Tons of Volumetric fog. Full HD 1080p. Stays above 30 fps besides the random dip to 26. The greatest draw distance. But also the best looking game art style wise.

[aquamala]

our superhero can't swim, why?

and the game world is a lot smaller than I expect, I remember looking at the map for the first time and thought these grey areas will be unlocked as you progress thru the game, nope that's all there is

[yewles1]

"but while Second Son's list of technical accomplishments may be a mile long, the game itself almost feels like it could be summed up in a single paragraph. The massive leap in visual fidelity winds up contrasting against the familiar game design, ultimately leading to a feeling of mild disappointment and a sense that the game only partly delivers on the next-gen dream. After all, when you have access to such a remarkably detailed world and a huge arsenal of superpowers, somehow the act of collecting a hundred shards or finding hidden cameras feels a bit underwhelming. Even the notion of integrating elements of this phenomenal technology more directly into the gameplay could have transformed the experience. In this respect we're reminded a little of Alan Wake - an Xbox 360 game that effectively weaponised light and shadow, opening up a wealth of of new gameplay potential, only to waste it on a simple point and shoot mechanic."

It's the Uncharted 3 "second review" all over again... in an article about the game's tech.

STICK TO THE SUBJECT!!!

[frostypants]

Agreed. The author needs to take some courses in writing.

[mediate-this]

They should make a character with super flight, super strength, telekenis

[strickers]

Climbing was different. I hated it for 5 min. The. Realised that x,x,x didn't work. Hover gets in the way. However, x...x...x does work. It's easy. Not that you need it most of the time.
Can someone point me to the next gen gameplay games this gen??
Sick of this lazy bullshit nonsense. Explain next gen gameplay to me???