Without a doubt, Sucker Punch's upcoming PlayStation 4 exclusive, inFamous: Second Son, is easily one, if not the console's most anticipated titles. But will it be worth your buck, and offer enough to keep you occupied for a long enough time?
That all depends if you think 10-12 hours qualifies as "enough." Destructoid recently played host to a livestream where Suckerpunch co-founder Chris Zimmerman was the guest of honor, and that's the amount of time it should take to complete the main story, give or take an hour or two depending on how fast you play through the game. Completionists will want to add in another few hours if they want to grab all the unlocks, trophies, side-missions, etc. And given the morality system, throw in the time it'll take you to do another playthrough as an agelic vigilante, or heartless bastard, whatever your preference.
While said heartless bastards won't worry about causing all sorts of chaos and mayhem, their playthrough likely will be just a wee bit shorter. But, they will be able to appreciate one of the game's finer aspects. Whatever amount of destruction you cause, it won't be fixed. Ever.
During the stream, Zimmerman talk about the concept of "perma-destruction." So whatever you blow up in a joyous blast of neon or smoke and brimstone, expect it to stay out of comission until the events of the game are all said and done. Additionally, this will have an effect on Second Son that's more than purely cosmetic, it will actually influence the amount of control that the dictatorial DUP has in the city.
With the game's release just around the corner, Second Son is hard to avoid. Case in point, maybe you've seen the recent commercials, including a live action spot. Thing is, that's not all. Sucker Punch even went and created a legit telephone line for people to call. After dialing 1-844-HELP-DUP (435-7387), callers are greeted with the following message:
"Thank you for calling the Department of Unified Protection. Please stay on the line for an important message from our director, Brooke Augustine: 'Bio-terrorist. What do you think when you hear that word? Cole McGrath? The Beast? Fear? Oppression? I'm here to tell you that Cole and all the other bio-terrorists were once ordinary people. Just like you. They didn't know that lurking within them was a sickness, a gene that would transform them into something violent, and terrible. A gene that could be inside you. Bio-terrorism can be stopped. But it has to start with you. Do your part for a brighter world.' Brought to you by the Department of Unified Protection. Here to help. Goodbye."
You can listen to the message here if you're too lazy to dial. inFamous: Second Son hits PlayStation 4 later this month, March 21.