Second Son in Review

So I completed Infamous Second son yesterday.
First of all I want to start by saying that yes it is a lot like the original two games, Infamous and Infamous 2. But that doesn't mean its bad. I mean, it was a great couple of games. the gameplay at the very least worked really well. It's how a sandbox environment should work. You're in a city, you have a way of getting around, there's plenty to do in the city ranging from collections, rescues and main missions to fights, drug busts and area captures.
Plus you have super powers, and they aren't your normal stagnant powers. electricity, fire, water, these are the traditional power sets, but Second son uses Smoke - which admittedly is a lot like a toned down Fire power - Neon, Video and concrete.
The powers are fun and creative. They let you get around and play in your own style. Each of the powers allow you to kill your enemy or subdue them for good guy points.

But if you've played infamous and infamous 2 none of this is new to you. Its all pretty standard. In this however there are some differences.
The Characters.
The characters are relatable and interesting. You might not like them, and you might think they're whiny but they are relatable. Infamous's characters were unrealistic, boring and lacked emotion. In Second Son I can understand every one of them. I can see their motivations and I know what they're thinking. It makes things more believable - despite the super powers - and so the story comes together a lot better.
The Story.
The story is much more interesting. It makes a lot more sense and progresses nicely, from the beginning where you think you know who's the good guy and who the bad guy is, right up to the end where things become a little ambiguous.
When you get the villain speech at the end it... well it kind of threw me. I was expecting a super stereotypical villain who was out for big villainy things (world domination or something) but when I get the explanation... yeah not sure I was definitely the good guy. very ambiguous.
The Moral Choices.
One of the major things that annoyed me in the other infamous games - and games in general - was the moral choices. They tend to make you choose between evil and Good at the most extreme ways possible. The choices would be save a cat from a tree or set it on fire with no middle ground. One instance of this that was particularly annoying was Bioshock's endings. One ending you save the little girls become their dad and live happily ever after, die and have them around you at your death bed. the other ending you let all the villains up to the surface and kill the world. It's a bit extreme.
The best example of a mission - that I can think of - is Infamous 2, a mission where you can either save cars of police from trucks that they're being paraded around in or blow up the enemy house and burn the people held captive in it alive. It made no real sense.
Second son, however gives the player much more reasonable choices.
Do you tell the soldier that you're a conduit and save the people of your tribe, sacrificing your self or do you stay quiet and save yourself?
When you find another conduit, do you help them and convince them to be better people? or do you just show let them keep hurting people and just get their help?
When you have a guy who helped kill someone you care about in your grasp do you kill him in your anger with his previously kidnapped daughter a few meters away or to you let him live?
Legitimate decisions, all.

In my opinion it's a good game that you should definitely play. its fun, it has a good story and compelling characters. Seriously, what more do you want?

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- James