One of Sony's Playstation 4 big hitters looks set to be the exclusive Infamous: Second Son title, due out in 2014. Ahead of release Pocket-lint got to preview the game in action at this year's E3 gaming expo in Los Angeles, California, and can already confirm that it's looking hot.
The third-person title, set in Seattle, delivers a whole lot of open world freedom with the weight of next-gen graphics. Take a look at Sucker Punch's previous Infamous title on the PS3 and Second Son on PS4 already looks leaps and bounds ahead. It's all in the details: facial expressions, character movement, draw distances, sumptuous effects, and those all-important huge fiery explosions that rock the game's world.
You play Delsin Rowe, the new lead character, in a total departure from the previous Infamous title. With this new protagonist comes new powers: In the game's preview we were shown the smoke power - which can be used in a multitude of ways - that we'd more likely call fire power. Shoot fireballs at enemies or into destructible objects, use as a jetpack direct from Rowe's palms, add flames to Delsin's chain weapon (he's a bit grungy like that) for close-up combat and - in the true to its name smokier fashion - vanish into a plume of the black stuff to avoid the fight or slip through otherwise impassable airvents and the like.
And that's just one power - there will be plenty more to get to grips with. As much as we pressed the team at E3, Sucker Punch studios isn't ready to lift the lid on what the other powers in play will be. The most we could extract is - in what sounds similar to XMen's Rogue and her ability to assimilate powers - each power will be obtainable from particular enemy sources within the game. We've not witnessed how this will work, so it's a case of wait and see for now.
Different powers will transform how the game is played and what can be achieved within the world. As plenty of Infamous's Seattle world is destructible, it's possible to bring down bridges, temporary walls, blow up cars and other obstacles to gain access to areas or dispatch larger groups of enemies.
The E3 demo - shown in the embedded YouTube video above - seems to only scratch the surface of what will be on offer in the final game. We're told to expect plenty of realistic weather and next-level special effects alongside that "two brothers" kind of storyline that looks like a cheesy - yet tasty - Hollywood blockbuster.
Infamous: Second Son won't be available alongside the Playstation 4 at the console's launch date in November, but the release date is currently pencilled in for the beginning of February 2014. One to watch.