If you want to see the difference that good writing and voice acting can make in a video game, play through inFamous and inFamous 2 on the Playstation 3.
inFamous is a competent sandbox action hero game that I played only because I got it for free and finished only because it was very well built. The animations were well done, and the action was frantic, yet manageable. In all other respects (plot, dialogue, voice acting, pacing, etc.) the game was a shitty B movie action grind with serious manchild/woman issues that was best endured rather than experienced.
When my friend recently purchased a PS3 with inFamous 2 packed in, he let me play the disc while he worked through the first game in the series to catch up. After playing the sequel for just an hour or so, I called him and told him not to bother with the first game. The two games may have shared a title and parts of a story, but they are worlds apart. Of course, inFamous 2 expands on the gameplay of the first in every way that makes nerdcore game reviewers swoon – more powers, more weapons, etc. But it was the sharp upgrade in acting, animation and writing that caught my attention. The themes were more subdued; the characters were three-dimensional and dynamic; and the acting was superb. The main character had evolved from a growling, sneering Clint Eastwood knockoff to a more complex cipher with a sense of *gasp* humor. It looked like developer Sucker Punch had spent some time reviewing the excellent Uncharted series. This game seriously deserves a game-of-the-year nomination. And it certainly doesn’t deserve to be lumped in with its pedestrian predecessor.
For all the good excellent stagecraft did for the inFamous series, it wasn’t enough to save L.A. Noire. This title was a painful disappointment, because it suffered from the opposite problem of inFamous – all style, no substance. I’m not sure why the open world conceit was even used. A meticulously rendered 1940s L.A. is a waste if you don’t have much reason to explore it. The game ends up being a meticulously curated 1980s point-and-click adventure with great acting from the 80 percent of cast of Mad Men.
