inFamous: First Light Reviews
Relatively generous in size and scope, but being Second Son in miniature only helps to highlight what a hollow spectacle the game is.
Overall, First Light reminded me how much fun it is to spend time in an inFamous game, but I would have preferred a bit more originality with the mini-games and some life in the once vivid game world of Seattle. This standalone prequel is a nice touch for fans of Second Son, but there's absolutely nothing within to entice series newcomers to jump in.
The fundamentals of Second Son are present, obviously restricted to Fetch's flashy Neon abilities, which is fine since Neon was the most free-flowing and fun of Delsin's stolen powers to begin with.
Infamous: First Light is all gameplay no heart. The action that made Second Son feel so tight is back, but it lacks the earlier game's excellent story and design.
For us, nothing in First Light ever really stood out. It's well polished, but plays it so safe that there wasn't anything to really love or hate. Perhaps using it as a taster before investing in the full fat Second Son experience is a good idea.
Infamous: First Light takes an interesting, flawed character and does nothing with her. Even at $15, it's a vapid, empty, wasted opportunity. At least the combat is still fun, though.
Infamous: First Light benefits from Second Son's excellent fundamentals. Its missions and storytelling, however, lack spark.
First Light's weird, limbo nature makes it a hard one to pin down. Considered as a DLC add-on, it's pretty generous and fans of Second Son will certainly appreciate the extra backstory and another chance to romp around Seattle. As a standalone game, it earns points for trimming the fat from the open-world template, but is also as generic as they come. First Light is an adequate diversion for fans but unlikely to dazzle anybody else.
For newcomers, Infamous: First Light serves as a taste of the full experience in Second Son, complete with its highs and lows. Existing fans looking for more content will get the most out of this downloadable title, but will be disappointed that some of the concerns were not addressed.
If you've already had the luxury of playing through Second Son, you might be tempted to write off Infamous: First Light as a quick cash-in, but you'd be doing yourself a great disservice. At times, it can often feel like an overly distilled version of Second Son, but First Light works because it trims off the fat, leaving behind an engaging story and breakneck gameplay that will appeal both to returning patrons and first-time customers.
If Infamous: Second Son didn't do anything for you, First Light won't either. While maneuvering through the city is greater than anything Sucker Punch has done before, and Fetch's family story helps expand her character, it's weighed down by its own lack of change.
inFAMOUS: First Light is simply more inFAMOUS; if you enjoy the games then we recommend you pick this up, however if you're not a fan then First Light won't change your opinion in the slightest. We enjoyed learning more about Fetch's past and her neon power in the game, however the battle arenas felt a little tacked on and there only to fulfil the role of adding a few more hours to your playtime. Fetch is one of the best things to come out of the two inFAMOUS games this year, and seeing her take centre stage in inFAMOUS: First Light proved how good of a character she really is. Fans love her and in turn will love inFAMOUS: First Light too, a game that we recommended to anyone with an interest in the series.
If you were a fan of inFamous: Second Son, then First Light gives you more of the same with a neon twist. It has an engaging story, an interesting protagonist and some new tricks to explore, and while the campaign is fairly short there's a lot of stuff to do. If it falls short of brilliance, it's only because the powers might be a little too familiar, while the missions are only sporadically inventive. It's a good expansion and an interesting entry-point for newcomers, but not quite as essential as we'd hoped.
Infamous: First Light provides a bite-sized experience, a mere sliver of Second Son. It mirrors that games main themes and focuses on the best of its powers, but is let down a little by its brevity.
inFAMOUS: First Light is never going to set the world alight, but if you've been gagging for more of Sucker Punch's superhero series, then it will fill that hole until a full sequel charges onto store shelves. Fetch's fast-paced take on the neon power set makes her an entertaining protagonist to play as – especially in the frantic Battle Arenas. In many ways, this represents the brand stripped back to its very basics – and you'll need to decide whether that's enough for you.
First Light is Second Son with most of the fat trimmed, making it ideal for newcomers.
Infamous: First Light is at its best when it's iterating on and riffing on Second Son. In many ways, the abbreviated length of First Light makes it a better bite-sized package. It's more linear and less surprising than fans might expect from the series, but exploring this world as Fetch is just as fun as it ever was.
Infamous: First Light is a standalone title, but it's more of a companion to Infamous: Second Son than a full-fledged game in its own right. It focuses the best power set from the previous game and cuts out all the extras. The Neon-powered Fetch is a charismatic character, but her story is a standard tale of loss and revenge. If you really want more Second Son, it's worth a go; if not, you can skip it.
Infamous: First Light is a very fun standalone DLC that fans of the Infamous series will love despite only being able to use just the neon powers. While it may not do much to move the series forward it adds a great side story, and a surprisingly fun challenge mode.
For fans of the story, inFamous: First Light is somewhat dimmed by rewriting events and motivations, but it's carried along by Fetch's fast, agile gameplay and a strong closing chapter. It's not a must-play, but it's a good excuse to run another lap around Seattle.