Video game: Artist is locked and loaded in 'Infamous: Second Son'

March 29, 2014 at 7:00PM
“Infamous: Second Son” (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

This artist is locked and loaded

Sony's new superhero fantasy "Infamous: Second Son" ($60 for PS4; rated Teen) opens not with a bang, but with the hissing sound of a spray paint can. As a work of comic-book-inspired fiction, this PlayStation 4 video game aims high, asking right from the start if art can be weaponized. If sulfur bombs and pink and blue lasers count as art, then the answer is yes. As it veers more into old-fashioned action-game tactics (cue the machine-gunning turrets), though, some of the initial excitement present in the game's opening hours can't help but be lost. Applaud "Infamous: Second Son" for offering so many complexities to play with, but in the end, the extremities presented to the main character make a personal connection difficult and an artistic statement hard to find. But heck if it isn't thrilling to watch him paint Seattle neon pink.

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