Infamous: First Light Review
Speeding Solo
As stand-alone expansions go, Infamous: First Light
has a lot going for it. It’s another four hours worth of the same
superhero action that powers Infamous: Second Son, and its prequel plot
adds some good backstory to the neon-powered speedster, Fetch. She’s a
far more interesting and likable character than Delsin Rowe.
The downside is that by putting us only in Fetch’s shoes, First Light
limits us to just one of the four Second Son power sets. Super speed is
a great power, and all the most important aspects, like endless speed,
are unlocked from the get-go. The only thing is, it was a bit of a drag
to spend about four hours with access to just one power set after
playing with four as Delsin.
Maybe that would’ve been less of an issue if Sucker Punch had come up with some really new and interesting stuff to do with the neon powers, but there’s not
enough of that here. Fetch has a few new tricks, like running through swirly pink clouds placed on the streets and rooftops of Seattle for speed boosts – that makes running from point A to point B a little more entertaining, because we have small objectives to go for, and hitting one gives a sense of speed that makes Fetch's normal pace seem like a jog. There are some combat upgrades too, like neon homing missiles and melee finishers. They’re neat, but not a big deal – I had to go back and check to see if some of these were in Second Son because they didn’t really stand out. That, and none of the fights against gangsters in First Light stack up against the more spectacular battles to take out DUP Mobile Command Units in Second Son. Too many of these missions are repetitive sniper-mode shooting galleries, too. I do like how the story is framed as Augustine prodding Fetch to recall her emotional effort to save her brother in flashback sequences. Every few missions we’re brought back to the present, where Augustine puts Fetch through training missions. Those are plainly padding, because they’re just the new challenge maps presented in a story context.
Not that I have anything against the three challenge maps, because they’re a great way to hone your powers and compete on leaderboards for high scores and unlock Trophies. Fighting as Fetch in the open world map is low-risk, because you can always just bail and heal if you get into trouble, but here you’re locked in with the enemies in a fight to the death. Staying alive is a good test of skill. If you own Second Son (and you should, before you play First Light) you can play the challenges as Delsin, too.
Maybe that would’ve been less of an issue if Sucker Punch had come up with some really new and interesting stuff to do with the neon powers, but there’s not
enough of that here. Fetch has a few new tricks, like running through swirly pink clouds placed on the streets and rooftops of Seattle for speed boosts – that makes running from point A to point B a little more entertaining, because we have small objectives to go for, and hitting one gives a sense of speed that makes Fetch's normal pace seem like a jog. There are some combat upgrades too, like neon homing missiles and melee finishers. They’re neat, but not a big deal – I had to go back and check to see if some of these were in Second Son because they didn’t really stand out. That, and none of the fights against gangsters in First Light stack up against the more spectacular battles to take out DUP Mobile Command Units in Second Son. Too many of these missions are repetitive sniper-mode shooting galleries, too. I do like how the story is framed as Augustine prodding Fetch to recall her emotional effort to save her brother in flashback sequences. Every few missions we’re brought back to the present, where Augustine puts Fetch through training missions. Those are plainly padding, because they’re just the new challenge maps presented in a story context.
Not that I have anything against the three challenge maps, because they’re a great way to hone your powers and compete on leaderboards for high scores and unlock Trophies. Fighting as Fetch in the open world map is low-risk, because you can always just bail and heal if you get into trouble, but here you’re locked in with the enemies in a fight to the death. Staying alive is a good test of skill. If you own Second Son (and you should, before you play First Light) you can play the challenges as Delsin, too.
Comments
Post a Comment
Kindly Comment Only related to Post