inFamous' karma system detailed, villains rejoice

  • Posted March 23rd, 2009 at 13:12 EDT by
  • 4,031 views
  • 17 Comments

It's no secret that Sucker Punch has been pushing inFamous into the spotlight ever since its unveiling at E3 2007. However, a lot of details surrounding the game's Karma system have remained in the shadows. Today, however, IGN landed the exclusive inside track on everything inFamous and its karma-related questions.

We've included the answers below.

The interesting thing about all of this is the fact that Cole doesn’t have to use his powers for the good of all mankind — he can be as selfish as you want him to be. See, Infamous employs a seven-level Karma System that monitors your actions and lets you know how good or bad Cole is being. See, this will all be broken down in a little crescent-shaped meter next to your power level. If you’re reviving pedestrians who have been hurt by your enemies (a quick deliberator-like shock from your palms can fix just about everyone in this game), your meter fills in with a little blue. If you’re just wailing on every person you see in the street before pinning them to the ground and sucking their life forces out of their faces, your meter is going to fill in red. From the middle/neutral spot, you can do good deeds and climb to Guardian, Champion, and Hero ranks, or you can fry passerbys and sink to Thug, Outlaw, and Infamous Ranks. Awesomely, this position on the good/bad scale is visually represented by Cole as well. When he’s being a good boy, Cole’s electricity attacks will be blue and his clothes will be pristine. When he takes a turn towards evil, Cole will crackle with red energy, lose the pigment in his skin, and get mud on his face and clothes. These visual cues get more and more severe as you move up the ladder of your chosen Karma path.
 

This system sounds an awful lot like the one implemented in Lionhead Studios' Fable franchise, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing considering how much of a following that series of titles has had. Hopefully the end result of your decisions turn out to be a bit more consequential than in Fable.

With GDC just over the hump, expect to see a slate of new inFamous details pour out over the course of the week.

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Comments

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What are your thoughts?

  1. bolistik | bolistik

    • 1:19pm GMT - March 23rd, 2009

    karma is a biotch!

  2. Carl | almighty-slayer

    • 1:21pm GMT - March 23rd, 2009

    Infamous was revealed at E307 wasn't it?

  3. ianpunkd

    • 1:22pm GMT - March 23rd, 2009

    wow this sounds real interesting.

  4. x_HAWX_x

    • 1:25pm GMT - March 23rd, 2009

    e307 ?

  5. Dave

    • 1:33pm GMT - March 23rd, 2009

    Typo on my part Carl, thanks man.

  6. *Chris*

    • 2:14pm GMT - March 23rd, 2009

    When this game was first announced I can't say I was interested at all. However, with all the gameplay videos and information that has been released lately I can say that I'm definately looking forward to this game now :D

  7. terminator12259 | tacitassassin25

    • 2:34pm GMT - March 23rd, 2009

    this game just keeps appealing more to me

  8. HARDCOREPS3

    • 3:23pm GMT - March 23rd, 2009

     cool

  9. ShawnBear

    • 3:31pm GMT - March 23rd, 2009

    SUCK THE **** OF KARMA!!!!  --pineapple express

  10. edward_moffet | edd

    • 3:52pm GMT - March 23rd, 2009

     sweeeet i knew you could do good and bad things but i thought the game was sort of linear on how your character progressed, im even more excited for this game now

  11. ryuken

    • 4:28pm GMT - March 23rd, 2009

    thats sounds f-ing great! I always wondered how fable did it. I cant wait for infamous now. holy sh- it

  12. nomad1391 | nomad1391

    • 5:49pm GMT - March 23rd, 2009

     this game is looking better everyday

  13. hush404 | hush404

    • 6:15pm GMT - March 23rd, 2009

    inFAMOUS keeps looking better and better.

  14. A-HAAA

    • 8:19pm GMT - March 23rd, 2009

    ohahahahahahaha im going to take over the world bow down to me pesants. you worthless GARABAGE. BEING EVIL IS FUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

  15. Protopet

    • 8:55pm GMT - March 23rd, 2009

    Looks awesome!

  16. BlueDragoon0 | Lionheart0

    • 11:04pm GMT - March 23rd, 2009

    Sweet!

  17. Ill_Omen17 | Ill_Omen17

    • 12:55am GMT - March 24th, 2009

    bastards make the red lightning the evil one well looks like im going to be inFamous

Related information

  • Related game: inFamous

    Release date (US):
    May 26th, 2009
    Developer:
    Sucker Punch
    Genre:
    Action - Third Person
    Rank:
    56 of 1,521 Games
    Up 1 places (in last 7 days)
  • Related event: GDC 2009

    Event date:
    March 23-27 2009
    Where:
    San Francisco
    News:
    48 news stories

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