The original Infamous caught my attention in a way few other games this generation have. It still stands as the only PS3 game that I’ve platinumed and one of my favorite games on the system. Going into the sequel, I can only hope that it surpasses the amount of fun I had before. Based on the small demo available here at PAX, I’m still unsure if it will do that but all of the basics are most definitely in place. The world is alive and filled with people, the animation is still just as fluid, and the lightning effects are convincingly realized. It’s the gameplay that’s the real test of a game though and Infamous 2’s demo was fun but all too short.

The demo begins with Cole at a dock stumbling across some lobster-like mutants. Players are instructed to use his new cattle prod-like weapon to take them down. It becomes immediately apparent that it was much more effective than Cole’s fists. The extra range makes it a more viable option and the movements were visually impressive even though melee combat is a little basic. I was able to use this fight to see that the shockwave, lightning grenades, lightning bolts, and the hover abilities have all returned and are available immediately. With access to all of these techniques, the lobsters don’t take long to defeat and Cole begins chasing after a limo though the chaos of the city. Once again the fastest way to travel is along powerlines, but Infamous 2 throws in something new by having electrical lines running along building walls as well. Rather than a slow crawl along each building, Cole is faster than ever. This simple addition helps create a much more kinetic feel than the first game.

When Cole finally reaches the limo, a cutscene plays and he is confronted by a helicopter. The demo then introduces Cole’s newest power, an electrical vortex that sends out a tornado and tosses everything in its path while being zapped. It’s a devastating attack that just wrecks havoc on the city and decimates the helicopter. The physics at work are impressive as cars are tossed aside and destroyed in the air while the same happens to pedestrians. The PAX attendees around me were wowed by the display ensuring that this will be one of the most popular powers in the game. The demo ends soon after leaving me wanting so much more.

My experience with Infamous 2 was a good one if a little short. There’s a lot of potential here but it’s only enough to give attendees a teaser. Unfortunately it doesn’t leave the strongest impression, but there’s plenty of time to lure gamers before its release next year.