Better than the first game, InFAMOUS 2 boasts a wider variety of powers, a bigger city, and better graphics.
GRAPHICS: Really good graphics, MUCH better than the first. No more inFAMOUS texture pop-ins (see what I did there?) or ugly character models. The atmosphere of New Marais is astounding. You are surrounded by hundreds of pedestrians, vivid advertising, and monumental architecture. Cole himself looks very nice, and his appearance changes depending on which karmic side you choose to pursue.
GAMEPLAY: MUCH MUCH better than the first. Believe me when I say it. Cole's powers are now stronger and even more powerful. Telekinesis? Electric Tornados? Awesome stuff. Melee combat has been revamped. As you all know (if you've played the first game), melee combat was unattractive and unwanted. Now, I would say about 40% of my fighting, if not more, is all melee. With Cole's new weapon, the Amp, melee is a blast. He has some sick finishers to go along with the Amp as well. However, the camera can get pretty clunky while fighting, obstructing your view of incoming rockets, enemies, etc. Side missions are a little better than the first game's. They are no longer AS repetitive or boring. They still do seem slightly redundant though, which was a minor letdown. Also, if you are looking to improve your karma, you can take part in random events in the city. There are only 2 or 3 random events per karmic state, but they are still fun to engage in. Some include abductions and beating up street performers. The new mission creating tool is also very cool. However, the UI is NOT user-friendly, and creation options are fairly limited. It can get hard and confusing to create a mission unless you've had past experience with AI logic and the likes. The missions I've played (UGC missions) are AWESOME. What some of the more experienced creators can create blows my mind. You also gain experience from completing them, and new ones roll in every day. Tell me that's not cool. Also, new cinematic cutscenes and HUGE boss battles add more fun to the game.
AUDIO/SOUNDTRACK: Cole gets a new voiceactor, a real shame. He still sounds really good though, so it's not a huge deal. Voiceacting in general is superb, and the soundtrack is fantastic.
ONLINE: UGC is fun to play, but not to make.
LENGTH:
About 9-11 hours (rushing, no side missions)
About 12-15 hours (not rushing, side missions)
About 20+ hours (not rushing, side missions, blast shards, dead drops)
OVERALL:
Pros: Vivid power effects, epic boss encounters, karma encounters, lots to collect, living city, melee is awesome
Cons: Different voiceactor, UGC is non user-friendly, somewhat boring/redundant side missions