inFAMOUS 2

I have some trouble judging this one. There's a lot of technical improvements over the first. The graphics are sharper, the surroundings seem more detailed and lively for the most part. The storyline continues and concludes, with an ending that does wrap things up, if perhaps in a way that's bittersweet at best. The side missions feel less repetitious.

Some changes are a little baffling. The double-/triple-unlock requirements for powers (some require minor achievements, lower-tier powers, or plot to reach a certain point, but almost all require XP as well) are overly complicated. Rocket abilities come really late, it feels like, and I almost didn't use the Precision ability which was so awesome in the first. I've seen reviewers say they prefer the new voice for Cole, but I actually liked the old one better - even if the "heavy smoker" sound of it was more fitting an injured Cole than a healed one.

Nix and Kuo are interesting, though their places in the story get a little twisted later on. Zeke is still good. I miss Sasha and Moya from the first one, though, and wish they hadn't met their fates between games. Bertrand is okay, I suppose, but neither he nor the Beast are as interesting an opponent as Kessler was.

And yet... I didn't like this as much as the first one. Something is missing, and I repeatedly asked myself what it was as I played through a lot less seriously than the first. This is where I'm at a loss. It's less... "charming" in some way. The sequel seemed to push more realism and that, while neat in its own right, just didn't appeal to me as much. So... probably worth playing. I don't regret it myself. But it doesn't measure up to the first game for me, and that's a bit disappointing.

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