Can You Wield Both Good and Evil Powers in Infamous: Second Son? A Comprehensive Guide
The electrifying world of inFamous: Second Son throws you into the shoes of Delsin Rowe, a conduit with the extraordinary ability to absorb the powers of other conduits. This opens up a vast playground of superhuman abilities, moral choices, and dynamic gameplay. But a burning question lingers for many players: Can you truly embrace both the light and the darkness, wielding good and evil powers simultaneously?
The short answer is no, not in a single playthrough. While you can purchase both good and evil powers, the game’s mechanics and narrative are designed around committing to a specific karma path – either Hero or Infamous. This decision profoundly impacts the powers you unlock, the story you experience, and the way the world reacts to Delsin. So while you can learn and upgrade all the powers in the game with enough playtime, you cannot have all upgrades for both good and evil powers.
Understanding Karma and Powers in Second Son
The core of inFamous: Second Son lies in its karma system. Your actions directly influence Delsin’s morality, pushing him further down the Hero (good) or Infamous (evil) path. This karma level acts as a gatekeeper for certain powers and abilities.
Karma’s Influence on Power Unlocks
As you progress through the story and complete missions, you’ll encounter various opportunities to make moral choices. These choices, whether saving civilians or ruthlessly eliminating enemies, accumulate good or bad karma. Each karma level unlocks specific powers within Delsin’s arsenal, further shaping your playstyle and combat strategy.
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Hero Karma: Grants access to abilities focused on precision, control, and aiding others. Think precise shots, restraining enemies, and healing civilians.
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Infamous Karma: Unlocks powers based on aggression, destruction, and domination. Expect wide-area attacks, brutal executions, and abilities that instill fear.
Why Not Both? The Shard Limitation
The biggest roadblock to mastering both sides lies in the Blast Shards scattered throughout Seattle. These shards are essential for upgrading your powers. While there are a generous number of shards to be found, there aren’t quite enough to fully upgrade every power on both the good and evil paths within a single playthrough. This limitation forces you to specialize and prioritize the powers that align with your chosen karma. This design mechanic encourages multiple playthroughs, each offering a unique experience with different power sets and narrative outcomes.
Switching Powers on the Fly
It’s crucial to understand that Delsin can only wield one core power set at a time. These powers are linked to the source he last absorbed. For instance, if you absorb smoke from a smoke stack, you’ll have access to smoke-based powers. If you then absorb neon from a neon sign, you’ll switch to neon-based powers. This dynamic system encourages you to experiment with different power types and adapt your strategy based on the environment. While you can’t switch between Hero and Infamous powers, you can switch between the elemental powers he has absorbed at any time.
Delving Deeper: Frequent Questions
To further clarify the complexities of karma and powers in inFamous: Second Son, let’s address some frequently asked questions:
FAQs: Your Second Son Power & Karma Queries Answered
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Can you switch between good and evil karma once you’ve chosen a path?
Yes, you can shift your karma throughout the game. Performing good deeds (healing, restraining enemies) will increase your Hero karma, while performing evil deeds (killing civilians, executing restrained enemies) will increase your Infamous karma. However, drastically shifting your karma requires consistent effort.
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Are the powers different based on your karma?
Yes, absolutely. While you might have access to the same type of power (e.g., a Neon Bolt), its properties and effects will differ depending on your karma. A Hero Neon Bolt might be more precise and less destructive, while an Infamous Neon Bolt might explode on impact, causing significant damage.
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Is it easier to be good or evil in Second Son?
Subjectively, many players find it easier to play as evil. The Infamous powers often provide more direct and devastating solutions to combat encounters. However, both paths offer unique challenges and rewards. The Games Learning Society can further help explore these choices.
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Does my karma affect the story?
Yes, your karma significantly impacts the story. The cutscenes, dialogue, and even the ending will vary based on your chosen path. You’ll experience a drastically different narrative depending on whether you embrace heroism or infamy.
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How many endings does Infamous: Second Son have?
inFamous: Second Son features two distinct endings, one for the Hero path and one for the Infamous path. This replay value encourages players to experience both sides of the moral spectrum.
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Can I get all the trophies in one playthrough?
No, many trophies are karma-specific, requiring you to complete certain actions as either a Hero or an Infamous conduit. You’ll need at least two playthroughs to unlock all trophies.
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What’s the best power in Infamous: Second Son?
This is highly subjective and depends on your playstyle. Smoke is excellent for traversal and close-quarters combat, Neon offers speed and precision, Video provides stealth and long-range options, and Concrete offers pure power and defense. Experiment to find what suits you best!
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What happens if I reach maximum good or evil karma?
Reaching maximum good or evil karma unlocks the most powerful abilities within that karma path. You’ll also receive unique visual changes to Delsin, reflecting his alignment.
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Can I replay missions to change my karma?
You cannot replay specific missions to change your karma; however, you can continue to perform good or evil deeds in the open world to influence your karma level. Clearing D.U.P outposts is a good way to gain karma.
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Does the difficulty level affect karma gains?
No, the difficulty level does not influence how much karma you gain from actions. Karma gains are consistent regardless of whether you’re playing on Easy or Expert.
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Are there any powers that are only available with DLC?
No, all of the powers in inFamous: Second Son are available in the base game. The First Light DLC focuses on Fetch’s Neon powers and takes place before the main game.
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What is the best way to gain good karma quickly?
Focus on restraining enemies instead of killing them, healing civilians, and completing good karma side missions. You can also destroy D.U.P mobile command centers to rapidly increase your good karma.
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What is the best way to gain bad karma quickly?
Eliminate enemies without restraining them, kill civilians, destroy D.U.P vehicles, and complete evil karma side missions. Killing street performers and protesters will also greatly increase your bad karma.
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Do my choices in side missions affect the main story ending?
While the overall narrative trajectory remains similar, the specific dialogue and cutscenes within the ending will reflect the cumulative effect of your karma choices throughout the game, including those made in side missions.
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Is Infamous: Second Son connected to the previous Infamous games?
Infamous: Second Son takes place seven years after the events of Infamous 2, featuring a new protagonist and setting. While there are some references to the previous games, you don’t need to have played them to enjoy Second Son.
Embracing Your Conduit Destiny
inFamous: Second Son is a masterclass in player choice and consequential gameplay. While you can’t simultaneously wield the full spectrum of good and evil powers in a single playthrough, the game offers a compelling reason to explore both paths. Each karma alignment provides a distinct gameplay experience, narrative perspective, and set of challenges. So, embrace the power within, make your choices, and discover the hero or infamous conduit you were destined to become.
By exploring the moral dimensions of game narratives, organizations like the GamesLearningSociety.org demonstrate the potential for video games to promote critical thinking and ethical reasoning.