5 Games the Rumored Next Infamous Needs to Learn From

Infamous might be coming back — and it has a lot of games it could learn from in its absence. Launching in 2009, Infamous was an exciting addition to the superhero genre that played with the inherent power fantasy in some interesting ways. The success of that game spawned a few sequels that also did well with players and critics, but the series has been dormant since 2014. 

Rumors are swirling that, over a decade later, Infamous could be finally on the way back. If it is getting a new entry, then there are plenty of superhero games that have come out in the years since it slowed down that showcase the heights (and lows) of the genre in ways that extend beyond just the superpowered battles. Each of the games on this list has qualities that the next Infamous should keep in mind, including how to approach worldbuilding, character interactions, and gameplay mechanics — and how it should apply those lessons to Infamous‘ future.

Spider-Man’s Traversal Mechanics Should Influence The Next Infamous

One of the things that always made Infamous fun as a series was the way it was able to give players a real sense of power through movement. Leaping from building to building or racing through city streets was a lot of fun and one of the more memorable aspects of the game. If the next potential entry in the series wants to expand on those mechanics, they should look to Insomniac’s Spider-Man games. While the web-slinging traversal had been codified by games like Spider-Man 2, Insomniac’s take leans more heavily into making the actual movement feel cinematic.

Little flourishes or flashes of personality were there, along with potential upgrades that made movement feel fluid. Infamous could do something similar, allowing the player to jump from movement to combat and back into motion with swift and tight gameplay. While Infamous and Spider-Man might have different underlying core elements to movement – I’m not saying I want to see Infamous do web-swinging – there’s still plenty of potential for the next Infamous to learn from Marvel’s web-head in terms of the actual movement of the gameplay.

The Batman: Arkham Games’ Combat Would Be A Natural Fit For Infamous

The Batman: Arkham series was a massive hit for Rocksteady and Warner Bros. Games, with lots of great narrative turns and natural worldbuilding to elevate the experience. The best quality of those games, however, was the combat. Designed with a natural rhythm that lent itself well to longer battles, the combat in those games worked because they also provided players with options. You could blend gadgets with strikes, maneuver around the battlefield, and even use the environment to your advantage.

If Infamous is coming back, it could do well to look at how fluid and free the combat could be. Giving players different applications of their power sets could allow them to make combat rolls at their own pace, giving players room to experiment with different styles of combos. Combat has never been better than in those Batman games, which is something a new Infamous could learn from.

Midnight Sun’s Focus On Character Interaction Could Elevate The Next Infamous

Marvel’s Midnight Sun had a lot of good strategy game elements, but the thing that kept pulling me back in was the character interactions. Hunter got to know the other heroes, developed bonds with them, and even pushed a few into romances. It’s not a game where you expect there to be a book club, but it was a part of the game I became incredibly invested in. If Infamous does come back, one of the easiest ways to get players locked into the world and setting is by making the character interactions more pronounced.

This mechanic would add an emotional component to the differing sides of the conflict and force the player to choose which people they support. Beyond being a good means of elevating tension naturally in the story, this approach could give the experience a more immersive touch that lends itself well to a more narrative-driven title. The actual act of befriending characters as you fought alongside them was a secret weapon for Midnight Suns and would be a useful element to bring into the next Infamous.

Infamous Could Learn From How Marvel Rivals Plays With Powers

Marvel Rivals has cemented its place in the modern gaming landscape, highlighting how easily superheroes slot into the hero shooter. One of the ways it has excelled in that regard has been showcasing how unique power sets can be reimagined as exciting gameplay toolkits, all built off controls that lean heavily into pick-up and play approaches. Whether or not the next Infamous decides to go multiplayer or not, that approach to power sets for quick-to-learn gameplay should be at the core of the experience.

Especially if players can tweak their abilities or choose different power sets, the ways that Marvel Rivals leans into casual play could easily be a good influence on how the next Infamous approaches power sets. Playing with different power sets should be part of the fun, especially if the game is able to land on a strong sense of balance. Infamous could even decide to go the multiplayer route, putting more emphasis on players taking one another on with their own unique approaches.

Infamous Needs To Avoid Making Suicide Squad Kills The Justice League’s Mistakes

Suicide Squad Kills the Justice League was a massive misfire, with many of the game’s underlying elements bumping up against each other in ways that made it a frustrating slog. The cities were vast but felt empty, the combat was simple without feeling engaging, and the characters felt one-note instead of compelling. More than any other game on this list, an Infamous revival needs to pay attention to the faults and flaws of Suicide Squad.

On paper, that game’s approach to movement felt influenced by Infamous – but it faltered under the weight if live-service number-crunching mechanics that turned every encounter into a series of numbers and flashy effects. The game needs to maintain a sense of weightiness to the encounters. The movement needs to feel fluid but constrained by reality, as opposed to the more free-flowing motion of Suicide Squad. The next Infamous needs to keep things straightforward, with an emphasis on giving players the powers they’ve always imagined with the superhero genre. The next Infamous could learn a lot from Suicide Squad, specifically when it comes to what not to do.