Game review: `inFamous' an electrifying experience

It's fitting that "inFamous" (Sony, for the PlayStation 3, $59.99) is being released at the same time as summer blockbusters such as "Terminator Salvation" and "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" because Cole, the sizzling superpowered protagonist of this open-world action game, can be just as ferocious as Wolverine or as inspirational as John Connor.

But it's up to the players to decide just how good or evil Cole will be after he awakens at the epicenter of an explosion that has morphed Empire City into a chaotic quarantined metropolis and has transformed the throaty messenger bag-toting courier into a morally confused, walking third rail.

As he tries to discover the source of the explosion and his electrifying new abilities, Cole has his karma tracked on a color-coded dial. His itinerary and superpowers fluctuate depending on whether players direct him to be naughty, like mercilessly leeching innocent citizens for more power, or nice, like providing sick folks with a whiz-bang healing touch.

In one instance at the beginning of "inFamous," players must choose to either blast a group of starving civilians huddled over a pile of air-dropped rations so Cole and his pals have enough supplies to survive or divide the grub evenly among everyone. Such decisions aren't superficial. The consequences of Cole's actions are neatly woven into the plot.

Just as provocative as the game's narrative is Empire City, which is divided into three islands. The decaying urban locale is punctuated with elevated trains, skyscrapers, water towers and - of course - plenty of power lines. As the story progresses, the time of day and the color of the sky shift throughout the sweeping city, always striking the right mood.

While Cole can scale the urban trappings like Spider-Man, pound down on the game's baddies like Thor and eventually streak across the cityscape like Superman, he never really comes off as a clone of superheroes who have come before him, which perhaps makes "inFamous" a more engaging experience than a summer action flick.

Sucker Punch Productions started from scratch, creating an epic story that's not at all familiar. Without a back story to debate or previous editions to parallel, everything about "inFamous" feels fresh. From the moment players first hit the start button, there's no reinvention, just imagination.

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On the Net:

http://www.us.playstation.com/PS3/Games/infamous