The latest issue of Game Informer (July 2008) has a cover story for Sucker Punch’s inFAMOUS. We haven’t heard about this title since last year’s E3, in which it wow’ed the crowd. Lets take a look at the breakdown.

• “inFAMOUS begins with a serene, panoramic skyview view of EMpire City on the title screen, with the words “press start flashing”. ..once you push start, a massive explosion rips through the heart of the city. Six city blocks are consumed by flame…in the center, a man named Dylan staggers to his feet.”

• Dylan doesn’t know how he got his powers and starts out apathetic. He then becomes invest in the city…or you can choose not to be at all.

• Dylan can run up rooftops, scrambles across building archtecture, and can seek cover in unlikely nooks and crannies.

• Sucker Punch striving for simple controls to do not so simple things.

• Empire City has 3 islands.

• After the explosion, the city falls into chaos. A plague makes the govt. quarentine the city. Gangs are formed.

• Dylan’s abilities evolve throughout the game.

• One fight saw Dylan and his friend Zeke against a bunch of guard. A couple of choices include zapping the mobs and flinging them off the bridge, or using your electricity on the environment (i.e. power generators that may be nearby) to create explosions.

• Sucker Punch says “The hero’s powers and the storyline are in support of the gameplay.”

• Dylan cannot use firearms since his powers are “always on” (meaning he would set off the gunpowder in bullets). The powers can complicate your actions within the world.

• There will be other “villians” with their own powers that come into play. As well as other normal enemies with powers.

• inFAMOUS isn’t structured like other open world games with a marker on the mini map for your next mission. The team’s goal is to create a world where events unfold naturally.

• For example, you’re on your way to disarm a bomb, but you notice a woman in the street bleeding and screaming. Time is ticking. What do you do? Your actions affect the world at large. Hence “inFAMOUS“.

• Karma system keeps track of your actions ( I assume without showing you? Not sure). Your actions affect the actions of the citizens of the city. They may fight with you or ignore you or even help fight against you. Karma also factors into how your abilities develop.

In other news, Metal Gear Solid 4 scored a perfect 10 along with an almost perfect 9.75.

[GameInformer Issue 183 (July)]