REVIEW: inFAMOUS First Light

One of the biggest reasons I wanted a PlayStation 4 was to be able to play inFAMOUS Second Son. I really liked inFAMOUS and inFAMOUS 2 on the PlayStation 3, so knowing that there was another inFAMOUS game in the works made me excited. By far, inFAMOUS Second Son had the best gameplay, but I felt underwhelmed by its story. inFAMOUS 2 definitely had the better story (even though I really liked Delsin's personality). In my opinion, it still does, but inFAMOUS First Light is no pushover in the story development.

inFAMOUS First Light has us witness events prior to Delsin's adventure in Seattle. In First Light, we play as Fetch, a support character to Delsin in Second Son. Personally, I had a hard time connecting with Fetch. I wasn't too fond of any of the supporting cast besides Reggie and Augustine. That is, until I played First Light. Being able to hear Fetch's story really piqued my interest in the neon gifted conduit.

Much like inFAMOUS Second Son, inFAMOUS First Light looks amazing. My favorite powers in Second Son were the neon powers. It was flashy, bright, and the powers also made you zip through town like no other power in the game. The motion capturing in the game shows just how much of a difference it can make in body language and facial expressions. It brings more life to the game. Fetch's movements felt fluid while running around through Seattle. It was easy to stop flying through town one way and start going another way. That is an improvement I saw in this game.

Although you only get to visit half of the map that was made available in Second Son, I felt that it was enough for me. Even though we are only given on power in this game, Sucker Punch made sure to hold no punches when it came to Fetch's powers. At times, I felt overpowered, which I absolutely loved. You have to build up to feeling that way, but the more powers I unlocked, the more I fell in love with Fetch's unique neon powers.

Since First Light focuses on Fetch's backstory, it was interesting to see what role Augustine had in molding Fetch into the conduit we meet in Second Son. It also made me think about how Augustine attempted to manipulate the other conduits in her possession. The interaction between Fetch and Augustine was one of my favorite moments in First Light.

I personally enjoyed the story in First Light more than what we were given in Second Son. I felt there was a purpose behind the story. It was more engaging and emotional when it needed to be. The game doesn't last long, but it makes good use of the time it was allotted. And to be honest, I think I would have liked a full-fledged inFAMOUS game starring Fetch instead of Delsin.

Despite liking the upgrades found in this game, I did find it get progressively easier as I progressed through the game. That seemed to be the case in Second Son, which was kind of a shame since I was hoping for more of a challenge.

As far as gameplay is concerned, First Light isn't only one fourth the fun that Second Son was. I think I had just as much fun with First Light even though we were given one power to use. The controls are just as tight as they were in Second Son. The amount of powers in your control are great for a game that is only $14.99.

I really liked playing inFAMOUS First Light. I don't know if I will find myself playing through the game again anytime soon because I feel it is a one time experience. There are challenges in this game to complete if you're looking for some replayability. They aren't too difficult, but they do provide a nice challenge for those looking for something beyond the story. I think I managed to get most of them throughout the single player campaign, but there were some that did provide some frustration.

Lastly, if you have a completed save file of Second Son, you can play through challenges as Delsin Rowe. I thought that it was neat to include him into the game. If you like inFAMOUS, you should definitely get this standalone DLC.

OVERALL SCORE:

8.1/10