Grave Gamer News & Views — deslin rowe

“I Love Meeting New People”

Every look I get at Sucker Punch’s Second Son, the yearning in me runs deep.  Though it doesn’t borrow its characters from the hallowed pages of comic book lore, the Infamous series are the best superhero games this side of Arkham.

Second Son’s winning design conceit is in Deslin’s power.  Rather than mirroring Cole McGrath by owning only one ability, Deslin can absorb the powers of fellow Conduits, turning him into skully-clad rolodex of a demigod.

In this new trailer fresh off the Gamescom floors, young master Rowe chances upon Abigail Walker, a Conduit with electricity-based powers (or possibly plasma based?) who has taken to superpowered violence to get her point across to the world.  I don’t think its a leap to figure that dispatching or sparing other Conduits plays into Infamous’ now signature Good or Evil morality system.

The rewards may be too good to pass up, though, and by the way Deslin is able to suck the juice out of a marquee sign by the end of the trailer, I think he agrees.

Infamous: Second Son (PlayStation 4)

It’s been seven years since the Beast came to New Marias.  Cole McGrath’s story of heroism – or tyranny, depending on your choices – has ended and his efforts have saved the world. The price for this salvation came at the expense of the Conduits; superpowered humans now pushed toward extinction status in the fallout of New Marias.  Still fearful and reeling from the destruction wrought by the Beast and Cole’s battle, our government has labeled all surviving Conduits as bioterrorists.

Second Son takes the series to the real world city of Seattle, Washington where players will don the role of Delsin Rowe, a twenty-four year old whose innate powers as a Conduit are triggered by an incident related to these so-called “bioterrorists."  Delsin’s specialty, however, isn’t of the electrical variety but instead stem from his ability to control smoke.  For fans who felt like an unstoppable thunder god playing as Cole, harnessing smoke may seem like a few rungs below awesome on the power ladder.  But Delsin, who also wields chain-like melee weapon Belmont-style, is promised to have a more robust and intriguing arsenal than what’s been revealed, some tapping into powers beyond the manipulation of smoke.

He’ll need it since just being a Conduit is the same as having a big, bright target painted on the back of his head.  Your central antagonist, the Big Brother-like DUP (Department of United Protection), wants Delsin bad and aren’t too particular on whether that means riddled with holes or not.  Luckily, being a superpowered demigod means you’ll at least make for a hard target.

Second Son is one of the first attention robbing blockbusters the PlayStation 4 owns.  Supposedly a launch title for Sony’s latest and sleekest, developer Sucker Punch has yet to peg it down with an official date.  My hope against hopes?  This bad boy dropping on launch day.  That’d be mighty fine.  Mighty fine, indeed.