Infamous 2 builds on everything the first game set down and brings Cole's story to a fulfilling close.
Taking place shortly after the first game, Cole is attacked by the Beast that was foretold in Infamous. Losing the battle, Cole is forced to go to New Marais to find a scientist that can improve his powers.
One of the nice things right off the bat is the ability to use your save data from the first game to get a little initial boost in power and automatically start in whatever Karma you were at the end of the last game. This is, of course, entirely optional, but you're definitely going to want to check it out.
The gameplay itself is virtually identical in most respects. You're still climbing and exploring, you still have tons of cool powers, and you're still making morality choices. It's what Infamous 2 adds to the mix that makes it great.
First off, melee combat has been greatly improved. Cole is given a weapon from Zeke known as the Amp. This two pronged rod allows Cole to channel electricity while fighting baddies. You can even get special attack finishers later on. While no God of War in the melee department, you're much more likely to use melee this time around thanks to the fact that your lightning bolt power drains energy over time as opposed to being unlimited in the first game.
Next, depending on your choice, you'll be given the opportunity to obtain ice or fire powers in addition to your electricity powers. These powers are as unique as your regular ones though they stay within the same format (Grenade, Missile, etc). There are also new unique lightning powers like the Lightning Tether that allows you to scale buildings rapidly. These powers are made even more enjoyable by the fact that you have a new quick select option by pressing left on the directional pad and pushing the appropriate button you can change powers while the action pauses.
Of course, there should be some mention of the UGC (or User Generated Content). This little system allows players to create their own missions after one has beaten the game. The overall intention is to give the game some more replay value, but it's pretty hit-or-miss. Sometimes you'll find yourself a great mission that will have you beating down dozens of enemies or racing across the city to obtain something. One fun mission I played had me climbing sky high to drop down on a target surrounded by enemies killing them with my thunder drop power.
Visually, the game is an immense step up from the first game. Characters are much more detailed and their animations look very natural now. The environments look very much at the same level, but that's not bad since they were pretty good the last go around.
Cole has seen a voice change and sounds less gruff and more realistic. Zeke is still the same goofy sod he was from the first game. Other characters' voices are excellent as well. Background music tends to come and go with the action, but it is pretty decent.
The game is overall the same length as the first in terms of missions and side quests. So, like before, you're going to have to play the game twice in order to get the full effect. However, if you're willing to search out the best of the best, you can find some added value in the UGC system.
The only negatives I felt were the Karma choices in this game are lightweight compared to the original. However, this game has more side Karma moments like defusing bombs around the city or killing policemen. Still, while the end of the game has some very deep emotional impact, the majority of the game doesn't feel as driven as the original. Granted, like before, there's a bit of a twist near the end to look for. Overall though, I think the game is very much worth it.
The Good: Overhauled visuals, great voice acting, tons of things to see and do, powers are more varied and enjoyable, melee combat is better, story comes to a great conclusion.
The Bad: Karma choices aren't as good this time, a few minor visual glitches, UGC takes quite a bit of time to learn.