A great title as long as you don't go in with too high of expectations.
The game takes place on three islands collectively called Empire City. You play as Cole. Not much is said about his past other than that he is employed as a courier. As the game opens, you have been hired to deliver a package, but it explodes in your hands before you reach it's destination. Everyone in the immediate area is instantly killed. Not only do you survive, but you also mysteriously gain amazing electrical abilities. From here on out, you constantly have electricity flowing through your body. Because of this, you cannot drive vehicles or use guns. The abilities are fun to use but not particularly varied. Once you start earning experience and unlocking powers, you can choose from shooting guys with electricity in the form of a streak, a precise shot, a ball, or a lightning bolt. In the long run, each of these abilities basically do the same thing, with the exception of a lightning grenade, which was by far the most fun to use. When you power starts to run low, you can suck electricity out of anything that currently has power. Even with the lack of variety in attacks, the combat never got old.
Movement through the city is designed to give you a feeling of complete freedom. Here, you can definitely see the comparison to Crackdown. Conveniently located windows or drainage pipes allow you to scale any building you see. Light poles or street lamps can be climbed to get a better view of the area. Electrical wires connecting buildings can be run along or slid across once the ability is unlocked. On the first island, you truly have the feeling of complete freedom because there is always a straight path available to your destination no matter where it is you want to go. The city really becomes your playground. There are numerous side missions to take up or you can go straight to your next story based mission.
The game starts to show some weakness once you reach the second island. The side mission start to repeat and you will find yourself performing the same activities far too often, like removing tracking bugs from a building or escorting prisoners. The architecture doesn't change, so you won't be seeing anything new, even though this island is twice as large. The complete freedom of the first island begins to fade as you start to find buildings without any way to climb. The middle section of the game began to feel like it was artificially extended by pointless side missions and a larger than necessary island. Fortunately, the third and final island brought in some much needed variety that brought new life back into the game.
One of the main reasons to play the game is for the story. It isn't entirely original, but it is told quite well. After the initial explosion, the city is quarantined and gangs take over. In the beginning, you have your girlfriend, Trish, and best friend, Zeke, at your side. Trish's sister was killed in the blast, which creates some animosity towards you. Zeke is basically around for comic relief, but has some interesting effects on the plot as time goes on. As you wander the city, from time to time you will catch a news broadcast of what the government is actually telling the rest of the county what is going on. It's always interesting to hear them taking credit for your actions while simultaneously calling you a terrorist. By the end of the game, you will fight for or against several government agencies, free the town from gangs, and meet your arch nemisis. The game gives you the option to be good or evil, but I felt the choices were a little too straight forward. When one of these choices arises, the game pauses and Cole tells the player about the two choices and the consequences of each. Since you basically decide from the beginning whether you want to be good or evil, they don't really feel like actual choices. The aspect that probably had the biggest impact on my final opinion of the game would have to be the ending. It was, in my opinion, the greatest ending to a video game I have ever seen. There was a final twist that quite literally dropped my jaw. Although it was completely unexpected, it also wrapped up the story perfectly while simultaneously setting up a sequel.
Graphically, the game is only above average. Nothing in the city look particularly impressive. The first two islands are nearly identical. The third has some impressive looking structures since it is in the cities historical district, but it is also a little too small to really enjoy them. Cole is animated well, but moves a little too quickly, which give him a cartoony feel. The reactions of the citizens are impressive. They cheer you when you help them, but run in fear when you attack an innocent. They also behave quite realistically to their current plight, considering that they are trapped in a city that is falling apart. Some will be walking down the street, then suddenly fall to their knees and curse their life. Others can be found searching dumpsters or trash cans. Everything gives the city a feeling that it is alive. There aren't any indoor environments other than the sewers, but these really just serve as tutorial segments to teach you how to use a newly earned power.
InFamous won't blow you mind. It's a fun game to play around with and has a story worth playing through the ten to twelve hour game to see the ending of. If you loved Crackdown, this title will be right up your alley.