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what

did i stutter?

his skin, face, etc. get bad and inconsistent and look like an abomination of Troy Baker in their attempt to Native American-ize him. Like either just get a Native American and style him well or something. Delsin was awful visually.

His allegedly young skin goes from

To

and that all looks bad regardless

 

[Warxard]

Delsin has the face of a thirty year old in the majority of his shots.

Shame because he's a teenager. Whoever did the facial capture for him isn't the best choice.

 

[see5harp]

I disagree, Infamous SS was better in every way beside story, SO was repetitive, boring and too slow.

Sunset Overdrive was slower and more repetitive than Infamous?

I don't think that's possible.

Yea gonna add on. I don't understand how you could possibly think SO was slower than Second Son in simply traversing the world or in combat. Even in the slower defense style areas you could literally chain the entire area without stopping. Second Son was like traversal combat were completely separate things. A lot less variety in the side stuff also, which is basically the story of that entire franchise and the side quests.

 

[cheezcake]

I'm not entirely sold on the comparison bit I will say I had infinitely more fun with SO than I did with I:SS or First Light (admittedly didn't finish either infamous game I got bored).

 

[Fixed2BeBroken]

Second son got boring after i got over the graphics...

it felt very...i don't know...shallow or lifeless? hard to explain but yea...

SO is way better

 

[Zakalwe]

I found SS to be one of the dullest and most unsatisfying games I've ever played. It didn't help that the MC is one of the most annoying and unlikable characters of all time.

I've never played the first two.

SO definitely looks more fun from the footage I've seen. Get a kind of Jer Set Radio vibe from it.

 

[legacyzero]

Nah. Second Son is awesome.

 

[Dunlop]

Infamous 1 and 2 was easily my favorite ps3 exclusives and I don't think I made it half way through SS asd nothing about the game was interesting to me, it was my biggest disappointment do far this gen

 

[Arttemis]

The widespread dismissal of this thread's premise is disappointing. I wholely agree that the traversal and combat mechanics of these games are very similar and comparable.

 

[SystemBug]

Yep. Sunset Overdrive is a more fun Infamous.

 

[Keasar]

I actually would like to give Sunset Overdrive a try, there's just nobody I know who has a xbone (if any at all in Sweden).

From what I've seen though, its combat and traversal does look pretty fun.

 

[_woLf]

I really enjoyed Second Son.

I did not like Sunset Overdrive. It's tone was just...really not for me.

 

[Darksol]

Having played both, I have to disagree. Additionally, I found the attempted humour in SO to be cringeworthy oftentimes.

 

[The Last Wizard]

Great game, damn shame we'lol never get a sequel:/

Also second son should've filled the evil ending of infamous 2. Wouldve made for a more interesting world.

 

[Krappadizzle]

SO is a fucking excellent game. I loved the GAF shoutout. I hope to hear of a sequel or a port.

After Second Son, I don't really care if another inFamous comes out. I beat it and got both endings, but the franchise would have to really do something unique for it to stand out against frankly, better done games.

 

[Warxard]

The widespread dismissal of this thread's premise is disappointing. I wholely agree that the traversal and combat mechanics of these games are very similar and comparable.

Most of the posters are incapable of posting about the mechanics of the game and would rather talk console warrior jargon like sales and/or port begging or complain about the humor and tone -- shit that has no bearing on the actual mechanics

Kind of sad. The two games are fun to break down.

 

[EatinOlives]

Did we play the same game?

Everything here that you said the game doesn't incentivise in traversal, is exactly the sort of stuff it does. With Neon, you don't just hold circle, you have the boost jump too which can launch you high, and allow you to hop over buildings. Similarly with Smoke, you can chain ventilation shaft boosting together to essentially always stay airborne. You also have the floating ability which you mentioned. Add to that, the last power you get gives you exponentially more ground coverage, essentially allowing you to fly, especially if you keep an eye out for satellite dishes and chain them together.

In Second Son, not only are you constantly looking around for things to better enable your mobility, but your mobility does actually improve with each new power, especially the last, which allows for massive ground coverage in shorter times.

I'm talking about Neon, which is by far the most effective way of getting around in the game. Smoke, Video, and Concrete have their "quirks" in how you can get around faster, but despite Smoke being the best-designed around actually looking at your surroundings, it's the slowest even at its top "speed". Video lets you fly as you mentioned, but still is not as effective as Neon, and in terms of being aware of your surroundings, with Video you only ever have to watch out for where satellites are. Compare this with inFamous 1/2 where there's a myriad of different options and things you need to watch out for in order to traverse at your fastest. Concrete grants you top speed with the running and "wheel" ability but does not require you do anything but avoid obstacles. The float lets you levitate for very long periods of time and lets you actually get higher, but again, nothing that relies on where you are in the city and its effectiveness does not rely on the game's world geometry.

Neon, as I mentioned before, is simultaneously the fastest way of getting around and the worst way of getting around as a gameplay mechanic that the series has had so far. You press O and you're instantly at top speed regardless of where you are. The launch lets you move vertically, but then again so does the wall run. I can't tell you how many times I attempted a long jump to another building, missed the jump by a bit making me land on its side instead of its top, and then immediately thought "well that's OK, the wall run is about to nullify that in a fraction of a second". The more I played the less I cared about what I was doing to traverse the area, because the mechanics of Neon auto-corrected any failings. I stopped even wondering if I was going to make the jump I was trying to make. Jumping from building to building is in no way faster than jumping off a building and running along the street (it is made faster with the boost "pads" in the DLC, which provided some very badly needed interaction with the world you're traversing, but the "pads" in question are plopped into the world with no real consideration as to how they should exist in that world. The traversal continued its existence "in parallel" to the world you were traversing).

If we contrast this to SO or even previous inFamous games, the world IS what you traverse. It isn't something for you to "hop over" (in your words), but rather something for you to traverse through. You jump Cole or the Sunset Overdrive protagonist off a power line and you immediately start thinking where to go next. What is near you, how far it is, and if it'll maintain your momentum the way you want it to. You don't have the luxury of jumping ridiculously high by pressing O and then X on a whim. This deliberate limitation is something that is a careful balance between supernaturally fast traversal and something that has limitations on its own. Being able to climb a building with neon, regardless of its ledge design, regardless of its shape, height, or anything that is attached to said building, is the biggest gameplay regression of Neon as a traversal device. Literally the only option devices you have are "run fast", "jump high", and "wall run". Since "wall run" is identical in form and function to "run fast" (you're still pressing the same button and holding the same direction), "jump high" is the only other option. It vastly oversimplifies the way you run through the game and it is all the poorer for it. Had the game given us some reason to use any of the other powers for traversal there would've been a reason to go back to Smoke and enjoy the car jumping, vent searching, exhaust gliding goodness.

(I still like the game a lot, but this critique of Neon is something I'm not seeing very often and something that really struck me as I was playing during the game's launch.)

Most of the posters are incapable of posting about the mechanics of the game and would rather talk console warrior jargon like sales and/or port begging or complain about the humor and tone -- shit that has no bearing on the actual mechanics

Kind of sad. The two games are fun to break down.

They really are. Both series are some of the most mechanically interesting IPs I've played, mostly because they take existing formulas and twist them to fit something very particular (inFamous making you a superhero, SO wanting to make this cross between Ratchet & Clank, Tony Hawk, and a bunch of other things).

I don't mind people just dropping their two cents on which they think is better. Not everyone's as interested in picking the games apart as I am

 

[Anion]

Damn I still have to finish this game. My favorite game after FH2 on the x1

Just haven't had time in life to settle down and play gloriously

 

[LoserMakesGood]

I agree with the OP on the neon power. Thankfully they fixed it in First Light.

 

[Apt101]

Great post OP, but I disagree. Straying too far from the core mechanics and gameplay of inFAMOUS would have been a let down for me. SS was basically a refinement of everything from 1 and 2. I enjoyed the game a lot. It's probably still my favorite PS4 exclusive.

I've been digging into Sunset Overdrive, and while it's novel and different, I can't say I am enjoying it as much as SS.

 

[nib95]

I'm talking about Neon, which is by far the most effective way of getting around in the game. Smoke, Video, and Concrete have their "quirks" in how you can get around faster, but despite Smoke being the best-designed around actually looking at your surroundings, it's the slowest even at its top "speed". Video lets you fly as you mentioned, but still is not as effective as Neon, and in terms of being aware of your surroundings, with Video you only ever have to watch out for where satellites are. Compare this with inFamous 1/2 where there's a myriad of different options and things you need to watch out for in order to traverse at your fastest. Concrete grants you top speed with the running and "wheel" ability but does not require you do anything but avoid obstacles. The float lets you levitate for very long periods of time and lets you actually get higher, but again, nothing that relies on where you are in the city and its effectiveness does not rely on the game's world geometry.

Neon, as I mentioned before, is simultaneously the fastest way of getting around and the worst way of getting around as a gameplay mechanic that the series has had so far. You press O and you're instantly at top speed regardless of where you are. The launch lets you move vertically, but then again so does the wall run. I can't tell you how many times I attempted a long jump to another building, missed the jump by a bit making me land on its side instead of its top, and then immediately thought "well that's OK, the wall run is about to nullify that in a fraction of a second". The more I played the less I cared about what I was doing to traverse the area, because the mechanics of Neon auto-corrected any failings. I stopped even wondering if I was going to make the jump I was trying to make. Jumping from building to building is in no way faster than jumping off a building and running along the street (it is made faster with the boost "pads" in the DLC, which provided some very badly needed interaction with the world you're traversing, but the "pads" in question are plopped into the world with no real consideration as to how they should exist in that world. The traversal continued its existence "in parallel" to the world you were traversing).

If we contrast this to SO or even previous inFamous games, the world IS what you traverse. It isn't something for you to "hop over" (in your words), but rather something for you to traverse through. You jump Cole or the Sunset Overdrive protagonist off a power line and you immediately start thinking where to go next. What is near you, how far it is, and if it'll maintain your momentum the way you want it to. You don't have the luxury of jumping ridiculously high by pressing O and then X on a whim. This deliberate limitation is something that is a careful balance between supernaturally fast traversal and something that has limitations on its own. Being able to climb a building with neon, regardless of its ledge design, regardless of its shape, height, or anything that is attached to said building, is the biggest gameplay regression of Neon as a traversal device. Literally the only option devices you have are "run fast", "jump high", and "wall run". Since "wall run" is identical in form and function to "run fast" (you're still pressing the same button and holding the same direction), "jump high" is the only other option. It vastly oversimplifies the way you run through the game and it is all the poorer for it. Had the game given us some reason to use any of the other powers for traversal there would've been a reason to go back to Smoke and enjoy the car jumping, vent searching, exhaust gliding goodness.

(I still like the game a lot, but this critique of Neon is something I'm not seeing very often and something that really struck me as I was playing during the game's launch.)



They really are. Both series are some of the most mechanically interesting IPs I've played, mostly because they take existing formulas and twist them to fit something very particular (inFamous making you a superhero, SO wanting to make this cross between Ratchet & Clank, Tony Hawk, and a bunch of other things).

I don't mind people just dropping their two cents on which they think is better. Not everyone's as interested in picking the games apart as I am

Firstly, why focus on Neon when there are other powers you can switch to any moment? That makes no sense at all.

Secondly, Neon is no where near the quickest way to traverse, video with chained satellite boosts is considerably quicker.

Thirdly, Smoke is quicker at different things compared to Neon. The latter is quicker at horizontally spanning movement, whilst Smoke is quicker at vertical movement, as you can shoot up the largest building in a second or two so long as it has a ventilation point. It also allows for far longer periods of air time if you chain vents together, which Neon can't, no matter what you do.

Regarding Neon and missing a jump, that's down to timing of course, mostly based off of player skill, but if you want to stay high, Eg to scope out enemies, locations etc, it's still much quicker Neon boosting and high jumping from building to building even if you miss jumps from time to time, because it's better to have to Neon boost up the side of only the top of a building, than it is to have to boost up the entire thing. But yea, Neon is indeed quicker around street level, and that's the whole point. The different powers are good at different things, in terms of both offensive ability and traversal.

What you described here...

If we contrast this to SO or even previous inFamous games, the world IS what you traverse. It isn't something for you to "hop over" (in your words), but rather something for you to traverse through. You jump Cole or the Sunset Overdrive protagonist off a power line and you immediately start thinking where to go next. What is near you, how far it is, and if it'll maintain your momentum the way you want it to.

Is exactly how I approached InFamous Second Son's traversal. I use Smoke to vent boost up a building, and as soon as I emerge and am momentarily airborne, I look for the next shaft to glide or swoosh towards, to enable me to boost or glide further. Same thing when I'm grounded, in looking for the next vent to shoot up. Likewise with video and satellite dishes. I don't see how that's any different to power lines in games like InFamous or SO, only a little bit more creative if anything. Your entire basis of criticism only works if you focus on Neon alone, which is silly because there's other powers that offer exactly the thing you're claiming is missing from the traversal, only more diverse in the breadth of options and styles.

 

[Smutpeddler]

Sunset is the best game this gen, and it's not even close. Other developers should be reminded what fun is.

 

[N30RYU]

Sunset is the best game this gen, and it's not even close. Other developers should be reminded what fun is.

Not all games need to be fun... I don't want Dark Souls 3 to be fun but challenging.

Both Sunset and Second Son are great games, but is true that SS is clearly the worst of the inFAMOUS saga, being also the shortest of the 3.

 

[Nick]

Sunset Overdrive is my favorite Xbone game by ten miles. I wish every Xbone owner had a copy. Has a sequel been confirmed yet? It was serving me Jet Set Radio meets Infamous meet Crackdown teas, and I was living for it.

 

[The Goat]

SS was ok. SO was ok. Give the nod to SS, since it didn't have a bat-shit crazy camera that made me want to puke.

 

[Smutpeddler]

Not all games need to be fun... I don't want Dark Souls 3 to be fun but challenging.

Both Sunset and Second Son are great games, but is true that SS is clearly the worst of the inFAMOUS saga, being also the shortest of the 3.

Different strokes and all that, but not wanting to have fun seems... Off.

 

[statham]

Not all games need to be fun... I don't want Dark Souls 3 to be fun but challenging.

Both Sunset and Second Son are great games, but is true that SS is clearly the worst of the inFAMOUS saga, being also the shortest of the 3.

challenging and fun I hope you meant, because just challenging sounds like work.

 

[PrinceKee]

I need to get back to Sunset Overdrive, but I was turned off by the humor in the game. I only played for like 3 hours and didn't go back and I bought it at launch. I'll give it a second chance. But, I enjoyed Infamous SS...

 

[LordBaztion]

Never played an Infamous game but live Sunset, it's my funniest experience this Gen. I enjoyed a lot the navigation and how rewarding was to master it, the game always encourage you to get better with the momentum system and there is a huge variety of weapons of rich I only used a set of them because they're is not much content outside the campaign. A new game plus would be great for this game.
Hope MS gets in the boat for a sequel.
Actually, I would like a sonic game based on SO's navigation. mechanics

 

[VanWinkle]

I played and beat both of those around when they came out, and I thought Sunset Overdrive was a MUCH, MUCH better game. Way better side content, better story mission variety, better and more varied combat, etc. It's just a much better game. HOWEVER, traversal (along with graphics) is one of the few areas that Infamous SS just NAILS. Granted, SO is fantastic in this regard, too, but there is nothing that I would change about Infamous with respect to traversal. I also prefer how Infamous allows you to walk around if you want, whereas you pretty much have to stay moving on SO.

It's also a little difficult to include some of the greatness of SO in ISS, since SO is so silly that they can do pretty much anything, while ISS is a serious game. That doesn't excuse the horrible side content and mediocre story missions, though.

 

[Booker.DeWitt]

sunset is the best xbox one game released so far IMHO

 

[ZoddGutts]

Always felt Infamous games were overhyped, their good games but nothing I would consider them to be great.

 

[Megatron]

Second sun didn't have to be like sunset overdrive because we got both games. I liked both. SO was the better game, of course.

 

[neurosyphilis]

Nah I love InFamous. No one is doing open world super hero games like Sucker Punch is. Sunset Overdrive is too cringe worthy for me. All the characters are weirdos and the game tries way too hard to be funny, when it's just corny as hell.

 

[Unknown One]

Infamous SS has good gameplay, but the huge weakness is it failed to capitalize on it. The side missions were terrible and very few. Sucker Punch, you need to have more mission variety and lots of them. I also thought some of the traversal powers made traversing too effortless. It wasn't as fun as grinding on wires like in Infamous 1-2.

 

[StrongBlackVine]

Always felt Infamous games were overhyped, their good games but nothing I would consider them to be great.

Same way I feel about this 81 rated Sunset Overdrive. Both games have almost identical scores(80 and 81), but you would think Sunset Overdrive was a 90+ one of the best games ever made according to many on here. Clearly it just has a rabid fanbase on here, like many of those Platinum games.

 

[Lion Heart]

I need to play SO, literally not single other game on the Bone interests me. Halo box is extremely accurate atm.

Game looks decent, I can probably find it cheap but this is desperate times.

Also I enjoyed SS but the traversal abilities weren't as good as previous games. There's no challenge to it, it should feel rewarding like Tony hawk. Funny enough it's the only infamous I beat.

 

[reKon]

Stated Infamous: SS a few weeks ago and had to pause do to work, but the gameplay just feels realllly good in that game. My experience with that one, makes me want try SO even more. I don't think it's a game worth owning an Xbox One from what I've seen. Rather I might buy it and beat it on my sister's fiances Xbox One, lol..

 

[Pinkish Phoenix]

Infamous was way better and I wasn't at all impressed with what I played of SO. From the art style to the dialouge, nothing was doing it for me. The thing that annoyed me the most is how Sunset Overdrive thinks it's so much smarter than it actually is. It makes fun of other games mechanics, design, writing, ect... it acts like it wants to be the anti-game more than anything. But then you soon realize that all the game has to offer are the exact tropes it pokes fun at. It's honestly one of the most obnoxious games I've ever played. I guess Sunset thinks it gets a free pass because it laces humor into it's hypocritical design but since the game failed to get even a chuckle out of me I saw through that pretty quickly.

 

[Phreakuency]

Nothing wrong with liking the game but the thread title and comparison is laughable.

 

[King Gilga]

Second Son was the only Infamous game I really enjoyed, thought both the PS3 ones were pretty mediocre, quit mid of the 1st one, and early in 2nd, but SS is my favorite PS4 exclusive by far. My only real complaint is how tryhard delsin's character is, but he's better than cole. Think I'll 100% finish it. I do miss Cole's backpack though, probably because it's the same style I use.

SO is good, but not really comparable, and like delsin, the whole game seems 'tryhard'like, really turned me off.

 

[ClivePwned]

I liked the PS3 Infamous games a lot, particularly the second one. Second Son was a just a bit, i don't know, soul-less. First Light was definitely a lot better (maybe just down to a better playable character). "Oh look, it's sort Seattle," wasn't enough of a bullet point to make SS stand out, even though it was released in a relatively quiet period.

Sunset overdrive makes a TERRIBLE first impression. It just looks like its aimed at 15 year olds from 1998. But about 5 minutes in, the game's sense of humour either clicks with you or it doesn't. If it does and you enjoy the gameplay, the silly presentation becomes part of the ride. The only thing I disliked was the power up system, and especially those lead overly long tutorials about amps and the like at the start of the game.

Gameplay in both is pretty similar. It's really the presentation that differs. One is darker and muted and the other is loud and brash.
So in the battle of the try-hard, sorta superpowered open world games, Sunset Overdrive is just more fun.

Personally, I liked SS, really liked First Light, totally loved Sunset Overdrive.

 

[VanWinkle]

Infamous was way better and I wasn't at all impressed with what I played of SO. From the art style to the dialouge, nothing was doing it for me. The thing that annoyed me the most is how Sunset Overdrive thinks it's so much smarter than it actually is. It makes fun of other games mechanics, design, writing, ect... it acts like it wants to be the anti-game more than anything. But then you soon realize that all the game has to offer are the exact tropes it pokes fun at. It's honestly one of the most obnoxious games I've ever played. I guess Sunset thinks it gets a free pass because it laces humor into it's hypocritical design but since the game failed to get even a chuckle out of me I saw through that pretty quickly.

The game has way more mission variety and way better side content than Infamous SS. Like, it's no contest in those regards. It sounds like you just had a problem with the game's style of humor and dismissed it as a whole based on that.

 

[the21O]

I just couldn't get into SO at all. The whole extreme attitude coupled with forced movement was just a major turn off to me. I never got the controls down and I hated the grinding. I really liked SS but I admit its content was really limited compared to the first two games. Anyway I don't see the games being all that similar outside of quickly moving around an open world.

 

[Bio]

The style makes me want to gag. Still hoping on a real Infamous 3.

 

[TheUnsunghero26]

Same way I feel about this 81 rated Sunset Overdrive. Both games have almost identical scores(80 and 81), but you would think Sunset Overdrive was a 90+ one of the best games ever made according to many on here. Clearly it just has a rabid fanbase on here, like many of those Platinum games.

You know a thread is starting to get good when the Metacritic numbers start coming in!

 

[Kickz]

This game is seriously awesome. The sequel can't come soon enough!

Yup it edges out the gray and dreary Infamous SS for me

 

[jpd1408]

I enjoyed ss a lot better the overdrive.

 

[RoKKeR]

SO is an excellent game, still one of the most fun and enjoyable games I've played this gen. Desperately hope a sequel is in the works.

 

[NawidA]

Interesting. The GIFs of Sunset look more dynamic than Second Son is. Second Son has a lot of effort put into the powers (and it really is amazing) but the rest of the game is lacking. You end up doing the same tasks for the entire game, with new powers being the only differing thing. The city isn't as interesting as inFamous 2. The story is like all inFamous games, very cheesy.

I like First Light a lot more because it actually made the most of its brevity and I felt it's power set was best. And yeah Fetch is a waaaaaay better character than Delsin.