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Infamous 2 pre-order bonus powers demonstrated on video
We were pretty sore about the splitting-up of Infamous 2's pre-order bonus abilities across different retailers -- now that we've seen them in action, we're double-sore. Check out a few video demos of the Electrocution Grenade, 24K Gold Amp and Lightning Hook after the jump.
inFamous 2 mission designer mode dissected on video
Want to know the ins and outs of the engine that powers inFamous 2's user-generated content? PlayStation Blog recently showed off the customizable innards of the open-world superhero sim's mission creator -- check out the steamy video exposé just past the jump.
Uncharted 3 beta begins July 5, early access for InFamous 2 buyers and Plus subscribers
You won't have to wait until November 1 to try out Uncharted 3's impressive multiplayer experience. Naughty Dog is putting the mode through an open beta test that director Justin Richmond says should "teach us a lot." Early access to the multiplayer beta will be granted on June 28 for PlayStation Plus subscribers and for those who have purchased inFamous 2 (recalling a similar promotion tied to the first inFamous). The beta will launch for all PSN members on July 5. Uncharted 2's multiplayer beta attracted more than 130,000 participants and saw an awesome prize gifted to a few lucky players, so expectations are high for the new beta. After the break, check out a thumping trailer for the new multiplayer features, including the deeper character customization -- and get a look at that spectacular Airstrip map! Mark your calendars: The real fireworks begin on July 5. %Gallery-121445%
New inFamous 2 footage shows off Behemoth, user-generated missions
A new inFamous 2 video reveals "The Behemoth" enemy in all its rancid glory, while a second movie showcases the possibilities of a user-generated mission. If you're trying to avoid spoilers, now is the time to bail out. inFamous 2 will be available June 7th on PS3. Check out the the 3:30 mark in the first video for a passive jab at the Xbox 360.
inFamous 2 trailer unleashes Cole's wrath
A new trailer for inFamous 2, originally surfacing on the PlayStation EU Blog's YouTube account only to be pulled shortly after, shows off some of Cole's expanded abilities in the sequel -- specifically, awesome stuff like car projectiles and the ability to incinerate everything.
inFamous 2 preview: A tale of two side characters
Sucker Punch isn't interested in subtlety when it comes to inFamous 2, and you needn't look further than the game's two companion conduits, Kuo and Nix, for that to be apparent. In a preview session earlier today, reps from SP walked me through a mission midway through the game wherein Cole fought alongside both characters during separate points -- and like in the first inFamous, he was eventually faced with choosing one side or the other. Only rather than choosing "good" or "bad," Cole had to choose his favorite lady of the two. When the rep picked Kuo (the "good" side), Nix's reaction was ... less than savory. She seemingly channeled Mass Effect 2's Jack, going from Cole's partner in crime, to a sniveling, vengeance-filled brat in under 30 seconds. After her tantrum subsided, Cole was blessed with the power of ice, borrowed from Kuo. And that's where the demo ended, unfortunately.%Gallery-119960%
inFamous 2 user-generated content beta signups now open
As promised during GDC 2011, Sucker Punch has delivered the specifics on its beta test of user-generated content creation for InFamous 2. Beginning now and running through March 21, those interested in taking part can sign up at infamousthegame.com to get the chance -- the developer will choose an unspecified number of applicants at random, who will begin receiving beta vouchers in "early April." Since this is technically a sweepstakes, there are a couple of hoops to jump through at the site -- such as re-registering if you're already signed up there and, er, opting into the contest -- but once that's handled you need only sit back and hope that the Sucker Punchers smile upon you. The best user-created missions from the beta will be featured as "Sucker Punch Selections" when the game launches on June 7. Check out our UGC preview for more on what to expect in the beta.
InFamous 2 preview: User-generated chaos
Before presenting the latest milestone in the development of InFamous 2 at GDC today, Sucker Punch Productions development director Chris Zimmerman told his captive audience, "What we saw as the biggest problem with InFamous was that, at some point, it ended." That won't be an issue in this sequel, thanks to user-generated content. Zimmerman says that the developer has planned to integrate user-created missions from the outset, keeping the feature secret for two years. "That's hard to do," he said with laugh. Players will have access to "All of the good guys, all of the bad guys, all of the props that we built for the game -- vehicles, weapons and other stuff -- and then a whole bunch of special stuff we built just for making user-generated content," he confirmed. " We figured we'd throw that all out there and let people create, because we think there are lots of people out there that dream of being a game designer, and this is our opportunity to give them the opportunity to share what they can do. To take all of this content we've built over the past two years and putting it together to make something we never thought possible."%Gallery-118056%
Infamous 2 lets you play, create, share your own missions; public beta coming soon
And just like that, inFamous 2 joins Sony's "Play, Create, Share" suite of games by allowing players to make their own missions. Developer Sucker Punch unveiled the surprising new feature at GDC. Using the new creation tool, you'll be able to create "any" kind of mission. Creators have "access to the same set of characters, creatures and props" that the designers have. A "limited" public beta will be available in April. Details on how to get in will be announced on the game's official website in two weeks, on March 14th. Update: A video, after the break!%Gallery-118056%
inFamous 2 saves the day on June 7, Hero Edition confirmed
The identity of the gaming industry's first big 2011 summer blockbuster has been revealed: Sony Computer Entertainment and Sucker Punch Productions have announced that the follow-up to 2009's ionically-charged sandbox title, inFamous, will hit U.S. store shelves on June 7. The publisher also confirmed that the inFamous 2 Hero Edition is a real thing you'll be able to buy for $99.99, which nets you the game, an 8.5-inch statue of Cole, a replica messenger bag, a mini-comic, the game's soundtrack and a bevy of vouchers for downloadable content. If you want to snag said content without springing for the deluxe edition, it's been broken down piecemeal as pre-order bonuses from various retailers: Folks who reserve the game on Amazon will get the 24K Gold version of Cole's "Amp" weapon. Shoppers at Best Buy can grab a character skin modeled after inFamous' antagonist, Kessler. Pre-orders at GameStop net you the telekinetic "Lightning Hook" power. Walmart is offering pre-orderers the radical-sounding "Electrocution Grenade" ability. Personally, we think it's totally awesome that they chose to release the game on the first day of E3, ensuring that we'll have to go the better part of a week after its release without playing it. We hope you guys don't mind showing a little solidarity by holding off your enjoyment until we get back. (Or, at the very least, just don't Tweet about it. Please?) Check out all the pre-order bonuses and pack shots you can handle in the gallery below! %Gallery-117109%
inFamous 2 trailers show off the moral dichotomy of destruction
For all its strengths, inFamous's black-and-white morality system left more than a few players feeling fairly cold. Developer Sucker Punch is taking those criticisms to heart for the sequel, making the players' decisions affect their world and their missions in more clear-cut ways. PlayStation Blog recently showed off a pair of videos, one showing the "Good" way to handle a rescue mission (save some cops, and let them take care of it), and the other showing the "Not So Good" method (hijack an explosive-filled streetcar and drive it into the enemy hideout). Check out these two trailers posted after the jump. Even if you're still not sold on inFamous 2's moral dichotomy, you can still watch Cole totally wreck shop for three whole minutes. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
inFamous 2 'Hero Edition' appears briefly on Amazon, includes Cole's bag
If a recently uploaded (then swiftly removed) Amazon listing for an inFamous 2 "Hero Edition" was legitimate, then the gaming community might just solve one of life's great mysteries when the Sucker Punch sequel comes out later this year: What the heck is in Cole McGrath's little backpack? The answer: A thermos, a Nintendo DS, some comic books, a half-empty bottle of flat soda, an ancient Crunchy Peanut Butter Clif Bar, and a tube of assorted Pogs and Slammers. In other words, the essential objects we carry with us when forced to leave the safe confines of our domestic abodes. Yes, one of the bonuses listed with the Hero Edition -- alongside an 8.5" Cole MacGrath statue, a voucher that gives access to new powers, weapons and character skins, an inFamous comic from DC Comics, and the game's soundtrack -- is a "Replica Cole MacGrath sling pack." We must have one, if only so that we can be halfway to becoming a city-climbing crimebuster. (All we'd need is, you know, powers. And courage. Like, any courage at all would help.) The special edition also includes a $99.99 price tag, and a super unofficial May 24 release date. We've contacted Sony for more details about ... well, everything.
Infamous 2's morality system embodied by Kuo and Nix
Subtlety is, perhaps, not Infamous 2's strength. Can you guess which of these two represents Cole's "good" side, and which one represents the "bad" one? The answer (and a new trailer and screenshots) is after the break!
inFamous comic series to bridge gap between games
Developer Sucker Punch and DC Comics are teaming up for an inFamous comic book that will bridge protagonist Cole McGrath's story from the first game to the sequel. The book will be written by William Harms, illustrated by Eric Nguyen, and will span six issues. Following Cole's revelation at the end of the first game, the comic will explore his move from "Empire City" (a.k.a. NYC) to "New Marais" (you know: New Orleans) to battle creepy, mutant things and prepare for ... well, you should go ahead and finish the first game before reading the comics. It's really good, we promise.
Video: InFamous 2 'Ravager' gameplay
Gameplay footage of inFamous 2's new "Ravager" enemy has burrowed itself into the bottom this post. If you're keen to see Cole's new melee attacks in this souped-up sequel -- or just the return of his original design -- just click the play icon and you'll zap right to it.
Infamous 2 at PAX: playable, panel and cool shirt
Infamous 2 is set to electrify (hopefully, not literally) the PAX crowd with seven demo kiosks on the show floor this weekend. The demos feature Cole's new glorified cattle prod weapon and will be set up at booth #122, where developer Sucker Punch will be giving away a "limited number" of t-shirts (pictured). The crew from Sucker Punch will also be holding the "Creating Super Powers" panel in the Seattle Sheraton's Pegasus Theater at 6:30PM PT on Saturday. They'll show off the new Kinetic Pulse power and an enemy known as the "Ravager." It's sure to be electric ... boogie woogie woogie.
Why inFamous got a new Cole (and why he was changed back)
You know, we never thought that our joke about New Orleans' heat (well, fake New Orleans) would hold much water in the reasoning behind Cole's new, jacket-less look in inFamous 2, but it turns out that's a big part of the logic. "New Marais is a city in the south: it's hot, it's humid, there's no way he can keep his leather jacket on, not for 10 minutes. So one of the decisions was to remove the jacket and put him in a T-shirt," Sucker Punch art director Mathias Lorenz said in a recent interview. Another factor, Lorenz says, was the addition of more complex parkour to inFamous 2. "I wanted to show off his body more rather than have his jacket hide his muscles," Lorenz explained. Alongside the fresh moves, Sucker Punch enlisted the help of a new voice actor who could also do motion capture work for the sequel's 3D cutscenes. Thusly, to make the voiceover work appear more natural, the new look also reflected that voice actor's real-life looks. As we already heard, however, the decision after E3 was to revert Cole almost entirely back to his original, messenger bag-toting form. But why? "When we revealed Cole at E3 2010, we were taken aback by the uproar of fan support for the original Cole," Lorenz says. Though the folks at Sucker Punch weren't expecting such a backlash, "we listened to our fans and went back and took the best of everything to end up with the design we have settled on now." And there you have it -- don't go asking for the jacket to come back, though. It's simply too hot.
InFamous 2 Gamescom trailer takes us to the house of the rising cyclone
Set to the tune of "House of the Rising Sun," the InFamous 2 Gamescom trailer (embedded past the break) gives us the lowdown on the current state of turmoil that has befallen the town of New Marais. Fret not: though the majority of the trailer shows "slice of life" panoramic stills of the city, we do get a sampling of MacGrath's power at the conclusion. It would seem the dude's battery hasn't lost its charge since 2009.
inFamous 2 Comic-Con panel acknowledges Cole's fear of fences
Sucker Punch Productions' Comic-Con 2010 panel offered a fairly comprehensive look at the past, present and future of the inFamous franchise, discussing a variety of topics ranging from protagonist Cole McGrath's creative origins to the inspirations behind his new crimefighting venue, New Marais. Of course, the biggest revelation came at the end of the panel, when the development team was forced to address Cole's biggest oft-criticized weakness: his selective inability to climb chain link fences. Will our hero be able to conquer these sinister, interwoven palisades in the upcoming sequel? Answers await in PlayStation.Blog's video wrapup of the panel, posted just after the jump.
Killzone 3 and inFamous 2 being 'fully localized' for Latin America
Sony will release "fully localized" versions of Killzone 3 (in Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese) and inFamous 2 (in Spanish) in Latin America next year. According to the company, the localization will include "actors, action, dialog, effects and every inch of gameplay." We have no idea how "action" and "effects" are different in Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese, but it sounds fascinating. Speaking specifically about inFamous 2, Sony states localization for the region will create new elements that will "allow gamers to discover this open world in a relevant and unique way." Also set for Latin American release: a pair of "Gamer Kit" bundles for PS2 and PSP this August. The PS2 bundle includes a system, two DualShocks, an 8MB memory card and "three top games." The PSP one features the handheld, a travel case and "three popular games." The announcements come a year and a half after Sony expanded into the other half of the Americas with PlayStation products, which, according to it, are now available in 18 countries on the same day as the US and Canada.
