There's no doubt that the dedicated staff of Sucker Punch studios have been hard at work putting the finishing touches on Infamous 2 and preparing the game for launch this June. This week, the team has rearranged their Bellevue offices and tidied up in preparation for the 60+ press members who will be attending their Media Day for the game. During this event, the guests will be given a studio tour and be shown the latest Infamous 2 media and content. If the weather permits, the staff and development team hope to arrange an outdoor interview session and an evening event that will showcase a few of the game's highlights. As for public eyes, the company has released a virtual version of the day's spoils in a series of new videos and screenshots.
The new media shows the scale and ferocity of the action featured in Infamous 2, and also answers a few questions regarding User Generated Content—something that fans of the franchise are very exited about. Some of Cole's new powers are showcased and some new enemies have finally been unveiled. Among these foes, the “Behemoth” monster, is shown wreaking havoc on the city of New Marais, and it is not alone. Other anomalous creatures are also featured in the videos and like the first game, it is up to Cole to stop the chaos. What really stands out about the latest media is the graphics. It seems that the R&D department at Sucker Punch has addressed the outcry concerning the game's lacking visuals. The graphics look sharper and appear clearer with the help of some more vibrant color schemes and smoother lines. Of course the real question that remains is how the game will run, as the original Infamous seemed a little taxing on the console at times.
One of the key elements in Infamous 2 that the team hopes to showcase well are the “conduit” figures. These are the people/creatures that have been mysteriously transformed to possess electric and other types of special powers and abilities. Like Cole, these figures have the biggest impact in the game and will pose one of the greatest threats players will face. It has also been suggested that the conduits in the sequel will be much more menacing and harder to fight. In the original game, conduits were few and far between with different levels or tiers of difficulty. It appears that the streets of New Marais will be more heavily populated with these supercharged foes and that the forces of good will have a harder time quelling their advance. So far few key figures and/or villains, other than a few familiar faces, have been revealed but there may be another preview in store before the game's launch.
Finally, the event will most definitely shed some light on the game's UGC scene. While it's likely that the attendees will see an abundance of this content, the public has been given a small taste. In a newly-released video, a few different examples of what can be created in the game by its players are previewed. These examples aren't exactly ground-breaking, but they do provide fans a glimpse of what's to come in the title. UGC in the game will probably not run so deep when compared to other titles, such as Little Big Planet, but the developers have already announced that there will be plenty of options to enhance and add to the experience in Infamous 2. For now, fans will just have to wait for more previews to surface or try to get in on the UGC beta before the full game launches on June 7th.