A PlayStation showcase is coming September 9, and fans have been eagerly anticipating this event for months, with speculation mounting about what possible reveals could take place during the presentation. Among the rumors swirling leading up to the event are suggestions that a new Infamous game could be in active development for the PlayStation 5. The series has not seen a release since Infamous: Second Son on PS4 in 2014, so it would be a long time coming if a new title is truly announced in the coming days.
A new Infamous game is something that would be a welcome surprise for fans of the franchise and superhero games as a whole, as the open-world freedom and bombastic abilities in the game were well polished in past titles. There are also numerous possibilities of where to take another Infamous game story-wise, with plenty of characters introduced over the series and some lingering concepts and plot threads still on the table.
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Infamous – Is Cole Alive?
The Infamous series was often recognized for its morality system, a mechanic that analyzed the player's good and bad decisions to ultimately influence the final outcome. A primary feature and selling point of the first Infamous title, this concept found its way into the second game as well. This is important, since Infamous 2 had two drastically different outcomes based on the actions of the player, altering the final fate of main protagonist Cole MacGrath.
In the "good" ending, Cole sacrifices himself to defeat the game's antagonist called The Beast. He is remembered as a hero while his friends mourn his passing. The question remains whether or not Cole actually perished in the fight, however. Cole's coffin is brought out to sea, but in one wide shot, a lightning bolt strikes the boat in the shape of a question mark just before the screen turns to black. This is generally considered to be the canonically ending of Infamous 2, and is clearly teasing players with Cole's ultimate fate. With Infamous 2 already a decade old, it feels like the time is right for Cole to make his triumphant return in a new game.
Infamous – What Has Delsin Been Up To?
Moving from the PS3 to the PS4, Sucker Punch created a brand-new protagonist for players to control named Delsin Rowe. Sporting a more snarky, carefree personality to Cole MacGrath's rigidness, he quickly became a fan-favorite and stood on his own. Much like past Infamous games, Infamous: Second Son also featured a morality system, resulting in very different outcomes for where Delsin ends up by the end of the game. Whether good or bad, both endings are fairly ambigious and open ended as to where the character's journey goes next.
In the "good" ending, Delsin defeats main antagonist Augustine and finds a peaceful resolution to the tension and violence toward Conduits (superpowered individuals in the Infamous universe). In the "bad" ending, Delsin gives into his abilities and takes control of Seattle as a tyrant. It's up in the air which ending would be used as the primary timeline of events for Sucker Punch to work with, but knowing more about what Delsin has been up to, whether as a superhero or supervillain, would be intriguing.
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Infamous – Kessler Returns
One of the major plot twists in the original Infamous game was in relation to Cole and the mysterious character known as Kessler, who makes several appearances throughout the game. Serving as the primary antagonist, he lingers in the shadows, his true identity a secret. Kessler shows a great interest in Cole's abilities, and in a surprise reveal, Kessler turns out to actually Cole from an alternate future. This version of Cole was unable to defeat The Beast and went back to try and manipulate events to his liking.
While defeated by Cole at the end of the game, nothing is ever set in stone. For one alternate timeline to have existed implies that other possibilities could be out there as well. Returning to the possibility of Cole surviving in Infamous 2, perhaps his battle with The Beast has damaged him on a personal level, resulting in a slow downfall to becoming Kessler. Perhaps Cole is always destined to become Kessler, and a new Infamous game can take full advantage of the morality system, seeing how much players would play with Cole's fate.
Infamous – Conduits Assemble
Being a superhero-styled game, the Infamous franchise is overdue for a big team-up event. Comic books are packed with team-ups and crossover events, often seeing many of the most iconic characters come together to battle a force too great for one of them alone. A new Infamous game on the PS5 should take full advantage of its comic book inspirations and bring together Cole, Delsin, and Fetch from Infamous: First Light.
Similar to bringing together heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Infamous series has already laid plenty of groundwork to lead into something like this. Players have spent ample time connecting with each of these characters, and it would be a treat to see all of their personalities play off one another. In terms of what threat would bring them together, perhaps there could be a new version of The Beast, even more monstrous and menacing before, taking full advantage of the PS5 hardware to create stunning set pieces. After so many years away, a team-up like this would bring back Infamous in a big way, and perhaps even open the door to multiplayer options.
A new Infamous game is rumored to be in development.