However, it’s since been relegated to the side. While speaking to Game Informer, Ghost of Yōtei co-director Nate Fox said he would “love to work on more inFamous” and even “see a trilogy re-release.” For the time being, the studio is a “one game at a time shop, and right now we are very focused on finishing Ghost of Yōtei.”

So while you should never say never, a new inFamous is unlikely anytime soon. It would be interesting to see if Sony pursues a re-release compilation of the previous titles and their DLC, especially for PS5. After all, Ratchet and Clank Collection, Jak and Daxter Collection and even Sucker Punch’s The Sly Collection remain on PS3 and PlayStation Vita. Time will tell, so stay tuned.

As for Ghost of Yōtei, it launches on October 2nd for PS5 and aims for the same length as Ghost of Tsushima but with more varied activities. And despite theories surrounding his potential return, Jin Sakai won’t be present.

#15. GRAND THEFT AUTO 5

Rockstar is known for always pushing the technical envelope with its games, and back in 2013, when Grand Theft Auto 5 first released, it was nothing short of a revelation. Even now, in fact, ten years on from its release, it stands as one of the most visually impressive and detailed worlds we’ve ever seen, especially if you’re playing it on a PC or current-gen consoles.

#14. ELDEN RING

From a purely technical perspective, Elden Ring (like most other FromSoftware titles) perhaps isn’t at the level that many would hope, but it more than makes up for it with its astounding art design. There’s an abundance of breathtaking sights and vistas scattered throughout its world, all of it brought to life in spectacular fashion. The fact that it does that so consistently in spite of how mind-bogglingly large its world is also deserves a great deal of credit.

#13. INFAMOUS: SECOND SON

Back in the early days of the PS4, inFamous: Second Sons was a proper showcase for the console, and though it has of course been outdone by many open world titles in the years since then, it still looks really damn good. Second Son brings the city of Seattle to life in excellent fashion, and crams its world full of brilliant little visual flourishes that help it stand out even now, nearly a decade since it came out.

#12. FAR CRY 6

Say what you will about Ubisoft’s open world formula, but the one thing where the company’s open world titles never fail to impress is with their visuals. Far Cry 6 is an excellent example of that. Yara is a vast map, but every inch and pixel of it is rendered in stunning detail. From its dense forests to its more urban locations to how explosive the combat looks, the game deserves a lot of credit for its technical accomplishments.

#11. MARVEL’S SPIDER-MAN 2

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s incredible utilization of the PS5’s SSD might be its biggest technical highlight, but even if you’re looking at the pure and simple quality of its graphics, there’s so much to be impressed by. The fact that the city of New York feels as dense and alive as it does is praiseworthy in and of itself, but add to that the fact that it maintains that level of quality without having to make cutbacks in crucial areas like the speed of traversal, and those strengths become even more impressive.

#11. DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR’S CUT

A game coming from Kojima Productions (both pre- and post-Konami split) is always bound to be a graphical showcase, and that’s very much the case for Death Stranding as well. And though it is, of course, a technically impressive and visually sharp game, what really stands out about it is its artistic sensibilities. From the gorgeous natural beauty of its world to the striking visual imagery the entire game is teeming with, Death Stranding never runs out of ways to leave you absolutely floored.

#9. THE DIVISION 2

Massive Entertainment is probably one of the most technically gifted teams in the entire industry, and just as its predecessor did, The Division 2 exhibits that perfectly. On top of recreating Washington D.C. in thoroughly convincing and authentic fashion, the game also proudly boasts a level of obsessive attention to detail that’s very rare to see. On paper, The Division 2’s post-apocalyptic setting might not seem too unique, but the dedication with which the game brings it to life is truly commendable.

#8. DAYS GONE

Days Gone may have been a diamond in the rough, but where its visuals are concerned, the game deserves unequivocal praise. A lot of the heavy lifting is obviously done by its Pacific Northwest setting, which naturally lends itself to a smattering of visual splendour in the environments in the open world, but make no mistake- even viewed purely on its technical merits, Days Gone is an absolute beast. Experiencing even a single Freaker horde encounter should be enough to sell you on that fact.

#7. THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT

When The Witcher 3 launched in 2015, it was easily one of the best-looking games ever made, and somehow, more than eight years since its release, it still merits that sort of praise. The entirety of its vast world is stunning to behold, no matter where in the map you find yourselves, and little details like the way the light shines through a forest’s canopy, or the way the blood squirts out of someone’s arm after you chop it off in combat, only sell its technical vision that much more convincingly.

#6. BATMAN: ARKHAM KNIGHT

Speaking of older games that have aged with surprising grace, calling Batman: Arkham Knight one of the best-looking games of all time, even now, more than eight years since its release, wouldn’t be an exaggeration in the slightest. The fact that it still looks better than the overwhelming majority of open world games out there probably doesn’t get recognized as much as it should. It helps, of course, that it’s also one of the most authentic and atmospheric takes on the Batman universe we’ve ever seen.

#5. CYBERPUNK 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 may have been an absolute mess when it first came out (especially on last-gen consoles), but even then, you could see it had the makings of a graphical showpiece. In its current form, that’s exactly what it is. Night City is a dense, vibrant, and intricately designed map, and every area you visit just visually pops in a way that sears itself into you memory. When played on the right hardware, this is easily one of the most impressive open world experiences out there.

#4. FORZA HORIZON 5

The Forza franchise has never failed to amaze and wow the masses with how it pushes visual and technical boundaries with each new entry, but even in the might company of its many predecessors, Forza Horizon 5 stands out. Even on an Xbox One, this is an absolutely gorgeous game, but played on an Xbox Series X or suitably powerful PC, it’s nothing short of mind-bogglingly gorgeous.

#3. GHOST OF TSUSHIMA DIRECTOR’S CUT

There was absolutely no way we weren’t going to give Ghost of Tsushima the recognition it deserves in a list such as this one, and it deserves truckloads of it. It’s no secret that Sucker Punch’s samurai epic is as gorgeous as it is for its stellar art design (though it’s no technical slouch either), but no matter how much you praise that aspect of the game, it never quite seems like it’s enough. The stunning natural beauty of its environments and the way the game brings them to life make it easily one of the best-looking gaming experiences of all time.

#2. HORIZON FORBIDDEN WEST

Pushing the limits of what games can achieve in a technical sense is something that Guerrilla has been doing for pretty much as long as it’s been around, but with Horizon Forbidden West, the developer touched entirely new heights. We cannot speak highly enough for how stunning this game looks (especially on a PS5, but even on a PS4), with a strong technical foundation and boundless artistic creativity coming together in perfect harmony. In fact, its expansion, the PS5-exclusive Burning Shores, somehow manages to be even more of an impressive accomplishment.

#1. RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 is not only the best-looking open world game ever made, it may even be the best-looking game of all time, period. Even by Rockstar’s ridiculously high standards, the things that it achieves on a technical front can leave you gobsmacked, even five years on from the game’s launch (and even without any current-gen upgrades). From the astonishing fidelity, sharpness, and attention to detail it manages to achieve, to the overwhelming scale across it which manages to achieve it with such consistency, it’s truly an unparalleled experience.

inFamous: Second Son

The inFamous series peaked during the PS3 days with inFamous 2, and while inFamous: Second Son was well-received by critics – it didn’t really have the same magnitude of an impact as its brothers. And that’s quite a shame because Second Son is a well-made game that makes good use of the PS4’s capabilities to render a beautiful open world alongside some solid gameplay mechanics.

The Last Guardian

Fumito Ueda is widely considered to be a video game auteur thanks to his work on Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian is a project that had been in development for a long time. But when it was released in 2016, the game was met with a divisive critical reception – primarily because the companion dog would refuse to listen to your instructions at times, which made it a really frustrating experience at times. To be honest, those aren’t technical problems but a conscious decision on the developer’s part – and that combined with the unique world and themes of the story makes The Last Guardian a truly special game that deserves to be experienced by a lot more people.

Days Gone

Days Gone was Sony Bend’s take on a post-apocalyptic open-world game, and it turned out to be one of the more disappointing first-party games of its time. It would be an utter lie to state that Days Gone is a spotless masterpiece, but it’s also a game that perhaps got a lot more hate than it deserves. The bike riding mechanics are pretty good for the most part, and the Freaker horde mechanics are fun to interact with – even though the game holds that particular part hostage until the very end. It’s not a life-changing game by any means, but it is a fun open-world nevertheless.

No Man’s Sky

Hello Games’ CEO Sean Murray created a lot of headlines with his brief on how No Man’s Sky would be a game of endless possibilities, but those claims were turned to dust when the game finally came out in 2016. No Man’s Sky took place in a bland world where there wasn’t anything interesting to do, and the procedural generation of planets felt like a faint shadow of the big promises that he made pre-release. Fans were understandably upset which made it a disappointing game back then, but the team has put in the hard work to turn the game into a much better version through consistent content updates and overhauls. As it stands now, No Man’s Sky is easily one of the best space exploration games on the market – and is absolutely unmissable for genre fans.

Gravity Rush 2

Gravity Rush 2 thrusts players into a fantastical world and takes them on a journey like no other, and an interesting gravity shift mechanic sits at the epicenter of everything you do. It’s a beautiful game that excels in more aspects than one, but it’s a shame that not many people actually played it in the first place. A lot of that could be blamed on the incompetent marketing by Sony, and that limited exposure ultimately turned Gravity Rush 2 into a cult classic.

Sniper Elite 4

Sniper Elite 4 puts us back in the shoes of Karl Fariburne as he embarks on increasingly difficult missions behind enemy lines. The series has always never been so polished in terms of its mechanics or story, which is perhaps why Sniper Elite 4 never really got much mainstream attention. But if you are able to look past those flaws, you will find a truly dynamic stealth game where you can make some really creative use of your toolset and come up with unique solutions for your problems.

Just Cause 3

The Just Cause series has been in a downward spiral following the success of Just Cause 2, and Just Cause 3’s rather tepid commercial reception is proof of that theory. Just Cause 3 did a good job of building upon the concepts of prior games, and critics generally liked the game. But many fans weren’t really interested in its brand of chaos-driven open-world gameplay, and that’s disappointing news because creatively wreaking havoc in this game continues to be an extremely satisfying activity even after dozens upon dozens of hours.

Astro Bot Rescue Mission

Astro Bot Rescue Mission is a game built to showcase the capabilities of PSVR, and you might be forgiven for discarding it as a glorified tech demo of sorts. But that’s not really the case, because Astro Bot Rescue Mission is a really polished and fun platformer that is more than the sum of its parts. It makes good use of the VR capabilities to really immerse you in its world, and there are plenty of smart touches peppered throughout this adventure that makes it so charming.

The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes

Supermassive Games’ The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes follows a group of soldiers exploring an ancient temple, and coming face to face with the many horrors that lie within. The story is well-written, and it can take some sharp turns depending on the choices that you make at critical points in the adventure. Between this flexibility and a strong visual presentation, The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is a very solid horror game that fans of the genre should definitely check out.

Concrete Genie

Developed by PixelOpus Studios, Concrete Genie is a charming game about using your creative powers to bring a murky town back to life. The gameplay is simple yet works well within the context of the experience, and that combined with the wonderful story makes it a game worthy of your attention. It’s a sad state of affairs that it never got the audience it deserves, and a lot of that can be blamed on poor marketing from Sony.

Alienation

Alienation comes from Housemarque, the team that recently released Returnal to some excellent critical and commercial acclaim. Alienation is a twin-stick shooter that tasks you to control different kinds of supersoldiers – each with their different sets of strengths and weaknesses. The gameplay is an absolute blast through and through, and the developer has done a good job of adding even more content to the experience.

The Surge 2

The Surge 2 takes what worked in the original, and cranked it all the way up to eleven – which resulted in an experience that’s big in almost every regard. The Surge 2 takes players to wonderfully well-realized locales and pits them against brutal bosses, but the game wasn’t really able to capture much of an audience when it released in 2019 – most likely due to an oversaturation of Souslikes at that point. If you were one of the people who skipped it back in the day, give it another try and you might be really surprised.

Yakuza 0

The Yakuza series has started to gain a lot of traction in the West, and recent entries like Yakuza: Like a Dragon have been widely praised by fans. Yakuza 0 didn’t get the praises of the same intensity, and that’s a shame because it is a really great open-world game that condenses a ton of varied content within a rather small virtual district. It seamlessly switches between serious moments and goofy antics at the flip of a button, and that adds a really distinct charm to it all.

What Remains of Edith Finch

What Remains of Edith Finch is a moving tale about the tragedies that happened to the Finch family. It’s a simple game that looks like a walking simulator on the surface, but it features some really interesting level design that expertly uses mechanics and visual imagery to tell its engaging stories. It’s also a really snappy experience that doesn’t waste much time with exposition or filler, so you could blast through it all in just a couple of hours.

Infamous First Light

inFamous First Light is a surprisingly fleshed-out standalone expansion that puts players in the shoes of Abigail Walker from the base game. The gameplay is largely based on the same foundations as Second Son, which is to say it’s an absolute blast through and through. It’s a great excuse to explore the many corners of this beautifully recreated fictional Seattle, and it’s unmissable for fans of the franchise.

Before we proceed, keep in mind that we’re limiting this list only to games that are set in actual, real places, which games that are set in fictional places that are based on real locations won’t be included- so you won’t see games like Grand Theft Auto or Red Dead Redemption in here. With that out of the way, let’s get started.

SLEEPING DOGS

One of the most criminally underrated open world crime games we’ve ever played, Sleeping Dogs is something of a shoo-in for such a list. Its open world Hong Kong setting was one of its biggest highlights, thanks not only to how detailed and authentic it was, or how vibrant, alive, and dense it felt, but also how perfectly it served as a setting to the game’s bombastic combat and action.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Is Red Dead Redemption 2, one of the greatest games of all time, really the best Xbox One and PS4 title? Yes, it is, because even with the hardware limitations, Rockstar Games delivered an excellent open-world action-adventure. The story is fantastic; the characters, especially protagonist Arthur Morgan, are fantastic; and the gameplay, while not for everyone, is realistic and incredibly detailed with a wide range of activities.

Splinter Cell: Conviction – Splinter Cell

Splinter Cell: Conviction was released in 2010 to a divisive reception, and a lot of that can be associated with the radical changes that the game made with respect to franchise norms. It veered away from the tactical stealth action that made the original games popular in the first place, and introduced new elements like Mark and Execute which can be used to clear out rooms full of enemies in an instant alongside the inability to hide dead bodies among others. These changes were mostly made in an effort to make the game appeal to the masses.

Sure, it’s understandable why fans of older games didn’t gel with this formula – but we adore Splinter Cell: Conviction simply because these new mechanics enable a sense of flow to the gameplay proceedings. Sam Fisher moves at a brisk pace, dotting from cover to cover and clearing out huge hordes of enemies with relative ease – and that feels really empowering which is something that’s missing from other entries. And that’s also really fitting since you are racing against time to prevent a terrorist plot, so better to be quick and ruthless than clean and slow.

Batman: Arkham

Arguably the most acclaimed of superhero games, Rocksteady’s Arkham series absolutely nailed Gotham City’s noir aesthetic, a dimly lit locale for Batman to stalk. See, Batman in Rocksteady’s series is hard as nails and one with the dark, with a tangible feeling of power over his enemies seeping into every nook of gameplay; the more enemies snatched into the shadows, the increasingly agitated and erratic those left straddling the light become. Scared enemies are unpredictable too – some will cower together; others abandon their post. So distressed do enemies become that their minds wither and bodies shrink should Batman emerge.

InFamous: Second Son

The InFamous games all feature an in-depth Karma system whereby players can utilise their character’s superpowers for ‘good’ or for ‘evil’. Non-lethal tactics earn ‘good’ karma, whereas – you guessed it – killing civilians and just generally being a self-centred villain earns ‘evil’ karma. In Second Son, should player character Delsin explore the karmic dark side, civilians will begin to show wariness and distrust by berating and insulting him in public. Progress beyond ‘most wanted’ infamy to evil ‘InFamous’ rank and citizens will respond with genuine fear, either launching unprovoked attacks or running for their lives.

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor’s nemesis system was its principle selling point back in 2014. Owing to the system, Shadow of Mordor and its 2017 follow-up Shadow of War featured an intricate web of orc enemies who’ll remember their interactions with the player. Should an enemy orc live to fight another day, then they’ve potential to rise through their ranks before confidently leading a charge when encountered again. Or, funnily enough, overpower them in battle, or char them with fire, or defeat their captain before their very eyes and they’ll likely retreat in cowardice come the next time they see you on the battlefield.

Days Gone

Newts in Days Gone are freakers. As a result, they’re skittish, and naturally lacking enough confidence to attack Deacon head-on, even when massively outnumbering him. Instead, they’ll cower in his flashlight, scampering for cover off-ground, sinking into corners and crannies out of sight. Just a mere glimpse of Deacon in their sights and they’ll scurry off like exposed ants under a lifted rock, ready to regroup for a potential counterattack – but only when Deacon’s back is turned.

Sleeping Dogs

Much like the nemesis system in Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, underappreciated martial-arts infused open-worlder Sleeping Dogs features a triplet of nifty reputation systems. Of the game’s three XP meters – Triad, Police, and Face XP – it’s maxing-out Face XP that’ll strike fear into Wei Shen’s enemies. Accumulating Face XP during brawls is simple enough, just fight with extreme brutality; leg breaks are standard enough, but utilising the environment, from stuffing heads into whirring air conditioner blades to hanging foes on meat hooks, really ramps up the experience points. Once Wei starts regenerating health, weak and unsure enemies will jolt backwards in fear, showcasing Wei’s ability to break their mindpower as well as their bones.

Ghost of Tsushima

Jin Sakai’s arsenal of war-ready techniques in Ghost of Tsushima includes a handful of combat stances. Different stances are useful against certain enemy sub-types, but it’s Jin’s Ghost stance that’ll root the island’s Mongol invaders firmly to the spot. An ability obtained once the powerful Mongol leader General Temuge is defeated, Jin’s deadly Ghost stance can be activated after a seven-kill combo, daubing the screen in moody black and white as Jin himself transforms to an unrelenting warrior, rendering the remainder of opposing enemies motionless as if transfixed by fear. Elsewhere on the picturesque island of Tsushima, opposing forces – after learning of Jin’s notoriety – start to herd in groups, truly believing safety in numbers is the best tactic to avoid dying by Jin’s blade.

Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order

Jedi power-fantasy Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order features a deep, punishing combat system complete with enthralling lightsaber manoeuvres and Force powers. Effectively learn the ways of the Force and Jedi-in-training Cal Kestis will soon be gobbling up groups of stormtroopers who, on first encounter, exude confidence before quickly seeing their self-assuredness evaporate in a cloud of blaster smoke. Cal’s bag of tricks, from rapid-fire blocks and dodges to well-placed blaster deflections, sees him seamlessly wipe foes out one-by-one like poetry in motion. Before the last Stormtrooper’s downed however, shrieks of “he’ll kill us all!” or pleas for mercy ring through.

Metro: Exodus

Unlike most first-person shooters out there, Metro: Exodus poses to players the question of how to deal with an enemy who surrenders. Yes, players’ gun-toting rampages through nuclear wilderness lays waste to so many enemies that of the ones who do survive they’d sooner raise their hands in fear than fight back. Of course, Exodus’ subsurface morality system, and the corresponding quest to carry Artyom through to the good ending, suggests sparing lives wherever possible. Still, there’re feelings of immense power to be felt when pointing a gun at an enemy’s raised arms.

Dishonored 2

First-person stealth adventure Dishonored 2 bestows a bevy of choice on players as they fulfil the role of supernatural assassin. Remaining unseen throughout is a valid option, sure, but the raft of civilian NPCs and enemy types are just too fun to mess with that it’d be foolish to stay within the shadows. When revealed to civilian bystanders, they might not immediately run for help unless the player starts a scrap, in which case they’ll dash for the nearest guard to alert. When fighting out in the open, players can utilise Dishonored 2’s gruesome combat system – scythe enemies in two, or brutally disembowel them and any surviving squad members will nope out of there faster than a greyhound out of the blocks. Arkane Studios have added fantastic attention to detail here too; some guards will become so panicked they’ll trip up over themselves as they attempt to flee.

Rain World

Rain World’s playable slugcat struggles for survival in a hostile ecosystem populated by terrifying creatures, all vying for food chain supremacy. At the apex is the game’s vultures, who’s hardened mask blocks any spear damage slugcat can muster. The trick is to demask them when they’re already dead as they’ll become rampant with rage should their defences be stripped away. The risk is worth the yield for slugcat though; seeing as vultures are deemed the most fearsome predators amongst all the lowly animals competing in the game’s derelict biomes – including its most common lizard enemies – should slugcat get its paws on a vulture mask it can wear it as a disguise, tricking the lizards into retreating out of slugcat’s way.

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart

The scale of Rift Apart’s story stretches across multiple dimensions, some which our heroes traverse in the blink of an eye. When breaking it all down into different planets – the mines on Blizar Prime, the sweeping greenery of Sargasso and the sleekness of Nefarious City on Corson V – there’s a lot to take in. From quirky NPCs and wildlife to Pocket Dimensions, Rift Apart is Insomniac’s biggest platforming adventure and yet, it’s excellently paced – never too slow but also taking time to breathe and establish its characters.

Another month has turned over, meaning that it’s time for the various services to bring a fresh slate of games. One of those is, of course, PlayStation Now, Sony’s original streaming service. This week its filled with superpowers, jets and zombies.

As announced via the official PlayStation blog, the headliners for the month are no doubt Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, the latest entry in Bandai Namco’s aerial combat series, and the InFamous: Second Son, the last entry in Sucker Punch’s superpower-infused open world series. On top of that you also get a lot of multiplayer action with World War Z where you and a group tackle hordes of zombies, and the unique shooter, puzzler combo called Superhot that tasks you to figure out the best way to tackle rooms of enemies as time moves alongside you.

All those games will be playable starting on March 2nd via PlayStation Now, which you use via PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and PC.

Such was the franchise’s popularity that it led to the appearance of major franchise lead Cole McGrath in Street Fighter X Tekken – one of the most high-profile fighting game crossovers ever when it launched. Speaking of fighting games, as you would expect, Cole McGrath also made an appearance as a playable character in Sony’s own fighting game PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. inFamous is a franchise that even has comics to its name, and at one point a movie was planned for inFamous – even if word of that now goes back to about ten years ago. And yet the circumstances of the inFamous series are not as they were back then – the most recent title – inFamous: First Light, was released back in 2014. We are inclined to ask – what the hell happened to the inFamous series?

inFamous games are made by Sucker Punch. Formerly an independent studio, they have worked exclusively Sony since 2000 and were formally acquired by the company in 2011. To their name, Sucker Punch has two major franchises – the first three games in the Sly Cooper series when they originally released on the PS2, and the inFamous series, with their newest title, Ghost of Tsushima, which was announced at 2017’s Paris Games Week.

The inFamous series’s genre type is that of open world action gaming, with the three major titles (inFamous, inFamous, 2, and inFamous: Second Son) incorporating a morality system called Karma that affects the proceedings of the game on both major and minor scales. Karma is a system measured along the continuum of Good and Evil, with Good representing actions that promote the welfare of others, and Evil representing selfish actions. Karma also changes the appearance of protagonists Cole and Delsin, along with their attacks.

We’ll start with the first inFamous game – releasing on the PS3 in 2009. It stars series lead Cole McGrath, who is a courier in the fictional Empire City when we first meet him, as he suddenly finds himself with electricity-based superpowers following his opening of a package. He struggles with his newfound powers, dealing with society around him, and making choices as to what he should do with his powers.

Developed across three years with a team of 60 people, Sucker Punch sought a new direction in their games after the polished slickness and cartoony fun of the Sly Cooper series. inFamous was notably influenced by the concept of superheroes and the origin story, with the developers wanting to create a game that followed the progress of an everyday citizen such as Cole as his powers allow him to grow into something more. The open-world design of the game enhances the feeling of the environment being directly influenced by Cole’s actions, with the Karma system adding definition, structure, consequences and results, to one’s actions. The game released to great critical reception on average – praise particularly singled out for mission progression and the Karma system and the many ways it impacts gameplay and the environment.

The first inFamous game was followed up by inFamous 2 in 2011, also releasing for the PS3. Once again featuring Cole McGrath as protagonist, he sets out to stop another superpowered human known as the Beast in the fictional location of New Marais. The game is notable for featuring a replacement voice actor for Cole – Eric Ladin, who voiced Cole in every subsequent apperance. inFamous 2 is also significant for introducing a major new feature – UGC missions, with UGC standing for User-Generated Content, allowing for people to make their own missions and share them with others. Especially helpful to keep the gaming experience fresh once the game is finished. The developers felt the pressure to include multiplayer and had considered the idea of adding in co-operative play, but it didn’t make sense to them and their goal of keeping the experience fresh.

As for development, it began right after the first game’s development had concluded, and once again featured a modest main development team of 65 to 75 people. When the game released, it earned a strong critical average, with particular attention given to improvements in graphics from the first game.

The ending of inFamous 2, however, sees concludes the story of Cole McGrath with finality, and when inFamous Second Son, the next proper inFamous game, would release in 2014, it would feature a new protagonist in Delsin Rowe. The game itself takes place seven years after the ending of inFamous 2, which saw the elimination of many superpowered humans, and the establishment of a US government police force meant to wipe out the superhumans, designating them as terrorists. The location this time is a real-world one – Seattle, unlike the previous fictional locations, however inspired by the real world they may be.

As a major title, Second Son would bring back the Karma system. It was in the planning stages as far back as 2010 – before the first inFamous game would have much time to breathe after release, Sucker Punch was already planning for an inFamous on the PS4. They routinely were in contact with Sony system architect  Mark Cerny, one of several development teams that kept contact with Sony during the design and creation of the PS4.

While the dev team count reached to more than one hundred staff this time, it’s still small enough to allow for a sense of streamlining and direction. Second Son achieved million-seller status within nine days of launch – the best commercial record of any inFamous title, and noteworthy even on its own. While its critical average was lower than past games, it still maintains a solidly good standing.

Shortly after the development of Second Son, Sucker Punch would begin work on inFamous: First Light, a prequel to Second Son, and releasing in 2014 a few months after Second Son. It stars one of the major characters of Second Son – “Fetch”, a human with superpowers who has been captured by the US government force that is hunting people like her. A great deal of the game is Fetch recounting her story to the lead antagonist of Second Son, leading up to the introduction scene of Second Son. The game released to modestly positive reception on average – for the most part, the character of Fetch is well-liked, but the title is also seen as a “more of the same” inFamous title, with issue being taken also with the game’s perceived lack of difficulty.

This is how far the franchise has gone and how far it seems it will go. There’s no hint of another inFamous title being planned, and with Sucker Punch hard at work on Ghost of Tsushima for the PS4, with word of this title being development (though publicly unnamed at the time) first breaking in December 2015. Sucker Punch has a history of working on games with comparatively small development teams with the ambition of delivering action experiences of a great scale, and with Ghost of Tsushima’s release date still unknown, it’s hard to think Sucker Punch is planning to juggle two major projects at once.

To celebrate the ten-year anniversary of the first inFamous game’s launch, Sucker Punch tweeted out an informative thread providing ample background on the first game, through video clips and text. That being said, it’s entirely possible that another new inFamous game could happen once Ghost of Tsushima is completed, though Sucker Punch may be watching to see how Ghost of Tsushima is received both critically and commercially, seeing as it’s their most recent title in a few years.

One might be inclined to think that with Sucker Punch’s relative dormance, Sony may be watching the studio as well. Do you think that all necessary stories in inFamous have been told, or do you want to see more? Do you have a favorite character in the franchise? Do you see inFamous as a franchise that, with a properly maintained story, could continue nearly indefinitely? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.