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Wednesday, October 15, 2014

InFamous: First Light PS4 Review

Serving asa prequel to the events of the main game, Delsin Rowe’s protégé Fetch roams of the streets of Seattle in search of her kidnapped brother some two years before the events of Second Son.

Undertaking a series of missions from laconic thug Brett, Fetch more than holds her own as a protagonist a refreshing change of perspective from the usual smirk-loaded male antihero that unapologetically dominates the medium. In InFamous: First Light , Sucker Punch has created a generous portion of add-on content for playStation 4-exclusive Second Son that recasts one of the game’s most engaging supporting characters as the lead and offers a truncated open-world experience that rarely slows down to catch its breath.


But while Fetch asa character offers something different to InFamous fans to get behind, the gameplay falls back on the same tired tricks: rush to waypoint, blast some goons, quick pause for exposition and repeat. The scenarios alternate between curbside brawl, sniper mission and vehicle protection(ridingontopof a vanwhile taking out pursuing cars behind), only deviating from this structure in a misguided final act that throws players into a corridor shooter.

For the most part this creates, quite appositely for a speed-focused super-being, an admirable pace to proceedings. Fetch bolts from one chapter to the next, with a scant few side-mission to distract, and an energising sense of urgency that was missing from Second Son’s campaign.

It says a great deal about the lack of personality in Second Son’s Seattle when the condescend map, campaign and objectives in First Light are remarkably better suited to the un d e r wh e l ming location. It makes for an open-world game with a breathless sense of momentum, establishing everything it needs to within its serviceable four-or-so hours.

First Light also switches between two time periods: while all the action in Seattle is set two years before the main game’s events, the narrative also jump forward to just before Second Son’s story as Fetch gets honed into a weapon by DUP. These sections are set within a training facility and are seemingly designed to offera narrative context to a series of well-constructed challenge rooms and offera little insight into Fetch’s motivations before we meet her in Second Son. It also adds a competitive element as well that stretches the longevity somewhat with combat arenas tiedtoonline leaderboards, as well as offering new powers to unlock.

But, once again, this isn’t anything we haven’t seen before and First Light struggles to display any new ideas. But taken as a quick-burst of generic missions, it’s a satisfying return to the world of Second Son that just about manages to not outstay its welcome.

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