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7 Things We Want From the Next Infamous Project

AccountNGT, a credible leaker, suggested last week that a new Infamous game is in development and will debut during the next PlayStation digital event. Infamous was one of my favorite PlayStation games, but it has gone dark ever since the release of Infamous: Second Son in 2014. It’s been too long since I’ve explored a city with superhuman powers and shot enemies with colorful elemental blasts, so I’m hopeful that this is more than a rumor. If a new Infamous game is, indeed, in development, here is everything I would want to see.Connected, MCU, Style Universe Marvel’s success on the big screen is largely attributable to its interconnected universe in which several storylines weave through a series of movies. Ever since I discovered the super-powered world of Infamous, I envisioned PlayStation’s own Marvel or DC, a web of heroes and villains within the Infamous paradigm. When the reigns switched from Cole MacGrath to Delsin Rowe, we started entering a broader universe, however, Delsin’s story was independent of the first two games. Every Infamous game has had diverging and shocking endings, and I would love to see the continuation of those in the next game, and perhaps, through the magic of storytelling, she the two Infamous protagonists interact. An Online Free Roam Option Infamous 2 flirted with the idea of multiplayer with its user-created missions, but it did not deliver the multiplayer experience I had envisioned. I don’t want the single-player campaign to become intertwined with co-op or become a live service, but I do want a separate open world to explore with friends. Consider something akin to Grand Theft Auto or Red Dead Redemption, where players can create their characters and powers then undergo co-op missions within an open world. In a perfect scenario, developers would launch a single-player game and support it with a future multiplayer expansion similar to Ghost of Tsushima: Legends. A Singular Yet Expansive Power Set Cole MacGrath’s abilities were powered by electricity, which he harnessed in multiple ways. He could create an electrical shield, hover above the ground, and launch electric missiles. The power was both focused and diverse. Delsin, on the other hand, could absorb the powers of other conduits, granting him the abilities of smoke, neon, video, and concrete. Though it was fun to switch between powers, by absorbing different resources, the ever-expanding elemental usage made Delsin feel overpowered and like he lacked a central hero/villain identity. It’s difficult to explain, but I always gravitated toward characters like The Flash more than someone like Superman. Whoever the next protagonist is, I would like them to hone in on one power set and master that power set. That doesn’t necessarily mean their powers will stay stagnant, but, instead, they will continue to expand as the character discovers new abilities.Infamous 1 & 2 Remastered It’s difficult to choose between a new game or a remaster of the PlayStation 3 era of Infamous. The super-powered fantasy is what first enticed me to buy a PlayStation 3 and continues to be one of my fondest gaming memories. I replayed both games several times to experience the good and evil endings and even sought out the platinums. Nostalgia has often driven me back into the life of Cole MacGrath, but the technical limitations have often lessened my enjoyment. The original games could be improved in several ways, including the frame rate, graphics, and the overall janky feel. Infamous: Second Son looked excellent on the PlayStation 4, especially in regards to particle effects, so I can only imagine how good a remaster of the originals would look on the PlayStation 5. Mass Effect Style Choice ContinuationOne of the main issues with Infamous is the shallow choices that hinge on the black and white decision of good or evil. I made my decisions, not based on a moral conundrum, but on my already decided good or evil playthrough. The next game should have more nuanced choices where the lines between good and evil are blurred. In this format, the choices would not be labeled by a shade of blue and red, but, instead, the good or evil outcome is unknown until the players make their choice. In addition, it was annoying that choices did not carry over between installments, with the developers instead picking the best outcome from a story perspective. Consider doing an evil playthrough of Infamous 1, only for that storyline to be scrapped for the sequel. Infamous could take some notes from Mass Effect in this area, a game that took every player’s decision into account, even across multiple games. Naughty Dog Style StorytellingWhen it comes to movies, Infamous is more like DC than Marvel. It is darker and moody, with Second Son bringing a little levity to the equation. In all three games, the focus was equally on narrative development as it was on gameplay. The plot was average but it never hit the heights of Naughty Dog when it comes to cinematic presentation and deep, character-driven storytelling. Since Infamous already toys with deep storytelling, I would love for the next game to embrace its narrative and provide thrilling twists, emotional drama, and deep character development based on player choice. A Truly Open World Elden Ring has forever changed the way open-world games are perceived. In the end, I don’t know if I would want the Elden Ring formula for every free roam experience, but, nevertheless, there needs to be less handholding in the genre. Perhaps it’s because I just played Horizon Forbidden West, but these types of games tend to tell the player exactly what to do and where to go. The maps are filled with icons that ruin the sense of discovery. The next Infamous should shed some of the open-world formula it established back in 2019 for a greater sense of discovery. It doesn’t have to become as directionless as Elden Ring, but it does need to escape the Ubisoft, checkmark cliche. When it comes to the actual setting, I’d like to see something beyond a city, such as a journey through different biomes with varying effects on the character’s abilities. Besides a few swamp areas, Infamous has always revolved around a city, and the next game should have the tech and scope to expand beyond those confines.