Infamous Second Son is, in my opinion, one of the greatest superpower games of all time. You play as Delsin Rowe, a Native American who accidentally finds out he has the ability to steal the powers of other conduits (individuals with abilities). You then must complete various missions in modern-day Seattle while avoiding or battling the DUP taskforce set to detain anyone with special powers.
With a great storyline, amazing gameplay mechanics, an immersive map, and four different types of powers to choose from, Second Son is a game you can spend hours playing. The entire Infamous franchise is one you could easily spend the entire day on, just because they’re endlessly fun.
You’re guaranteed to at least play this game twice, as there is a karma system that spawns good and evil storyline paths to go down. When it’s over, though, you’ll probably be itching to find out what’s next. Well, you’re in luck, because here’s a list of 10 games like Infamous Second Son that can fill that gaping hole in your heart.
10. Saints Row IV
On PC, PlayStation 3 and 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Linux, and Google Stadia.
Saints Row IV is basically the same idea as Second Son, as they have the same skeleton, just Saints Row has a very different execution. It reminds me more of GTA V with superpowers than a traditional Infamous game, but if you’ve played any of the three Saints Row games before, you’ll know what you’re getting into.
Saints Row IV takes place right after the third installment, with the player becoming president of the United States and electing various Saint members into your cabinet. Soon after, aliens begin to invade Earth, and it is up to you to fight off the Zin with your superpowers. It all sounds insane, but there’s no other word I would use to describe this game.
You then enjoy an open-world simulation of the city of Steelport, where you can run around and fight enemies with abilities like super-speed, telekinesis, and ice. You can choose to continue with the story or just explore and complete various side missions around the map. And did I mention there’s total character customization? So you can very much do so in a half-clown, half-astronaut suit.
There are a few complaints to be had with Saints Row, as you’re basically invincible as you just roam around the map. But I think the main point of Saints Row isn’t to challenge the player but to let them have fun jumping around and shooting icicles from their fingertips.
9. Control
On PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and Google Stadia.
Control takes everyone’s favorite mechanic of superpowers and displays it in an original and mind-bending way. This game can get weird at times, but with a little bit of imagination and critical-thinking, Control is a game you will not want to stop playing.
You play as Jesse Faden, the new director of the Federal Bureau of Control, which is a United States government agency tasked with studying the supernatural. The game starts with Jesse entering the Oldest House, the name of the FBC headquarters, leading to the player exploring deeper and deeper into the interesting and ever-changing concrete prison.
Soon into the game, the player finds that the Oldest House has been overrun by supernatural enemies known as the Hiss. You then must use your shapeshifting pistol and telekinetic abilities to eliminate them and try to take back the facility. Easily the best part of this game is lifting up a desk or slab of concrete from the floor with your mind and chucking it at a Hiss.
Control plays similarly to Second Son, where you use your supernatural abilities to fight as you explore the world around you, but the stories are nothing alike. Besides running to the heart of the Hiss phenomena, the player must use their detective skills in figuring out Jesse’s past and uncovering something that happened in her hometown. That story can be hard to follow at times, but Control’s gameplay makes every second fun.
8. Megaton Rainfall
On PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
Megaton Rainfall is the perfect example of a superman game where there’s absolutely nothing to hurt you and you’re pretty much all-powerful. You play as a god-like being tasked with protecting human cities from an alien invasion. As the levels progress the game gets more difficult and the aliens get craftier, but you also get more powers to play around with.
Rainfall is a game that sacrifices a storyline for non-stop action gameplay, as there aren’t any long story segments to interrupt your killing spree. Alien killing spree that is, because the only way to lose this game is for too many civilians to be killed, either by your hands or the aliens, forcing you to restart the level. Also, the best way to kill said aliens is to shoot at their big red buttons.
This game is great if you’re a fan of non-stop action. While a lot of Second Son’s charm can be found in its storyline and established characters, the action is what most people will be looking forward to when turning on the title. Action is pretty much the only thing Rainfall has going for it. It’s the very definition of an open world game, as you can literally fly around the globe and land in any country, even flying into space. But all that is pointless without the mission at hand.
Megaton Rainfall is a fun addition to this list as it gives players a chance to just shoot stuff with sonic blasts and electricity instead of having to pay attention to a storyline.
7. Vampyr
On PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
Vampyr can be thought of as Second Son’s distant cousin. They’re pretty different in many ways but come together in the gameplay and concept aspects that matter most to players. I think that anyone who enjoys Second Son will get a kick out of Vampyr.
Set in the gloomy, lifeless backdrop of London circa 1918, you play as Jonathan Reid, a doctor who awakes to find that he has become a vampire. Vampyr is an ARPG, meaning that there are different ways to play the game. Reid now has an insatiable thirst for human blood, but he’s also a doctor, so he is torn between keeping his cover and helping those sick with the Spanish flu or picking off the locals one by one. Just like in Second Son, those decisions impact not only your abilities but the story itself.
There are many different vampiric powers the player can utilize in combat, like throwing blood spears, mist bombs, and turning invisible by using your mastery over the shadows. You still must use a melee weapon as your main form of combat, but there’s many to choose from.
Vampyr allows the player to really fill the shoes of a man who struggles to keep his humanity all while using his powers to their fullest extent as he battles against evil. While this game relies more heavily on melee combat and storytelling, any Second Son fan can enjoy its gritty charm.
6. Prototype 2
On PC, PlayStation 3 and 4, and Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
Prototype 2 is another game that has the same basic idea as Second Son and a similar execution, just the whole feel of Prototype 2 is wildly different. Not just in its storyline, but the visuals are darker and the fighting mechanics more gory.
You play as Marine Sargent James Heller, who was given superhuman abilities by Alex Mercer, the protagonist from the first game who Heller blames for killing his family. The story follows Heller as he hunts down Mercer while trying to take control of his newfound powers.
The powers that the protagonist uses are so much more gruesome and violent than the ones in Second Son. Bloody, bladed tendrils sprout from Heller’s arms and can be shifted into many special attacks and weapons, like blades and claws. Along with the ability to also throw things like cars, the player can consume NPCs and shapeshift into them, leaving only a pool of blood in their place.
The player can either choose to either continue the story or just explore the open world of a demented New York City and upgrade their powers. I know the goriness of Prototype 2 is not for everyone, but if you can stomach it, it’s a great game with many fun mechanics that are worth checking out.
5. Middle Earth: Shadow of War
On PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Middle Earth: Shadow of War is probably the strangest title on this list. Not to say that the game itself is weird, far from it; just if Vampyr is Second Son’s cousin, Shadow of War is more like the estranged uncle. It has some of the same elements that make Second Son enjoyable, just set in the same world as J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.
Shadow of War is an ARPG that continues the narrative set in the first game, wherein you play as Talion, a skilled ranger of Gondor, whose body is shared by the spirit of the elf lord Celebrimbor. Because Celebrimbor shares Talion’s body, he is given special superhuman abilities like mind control and healing by stealing a creatures life force. Nothing surprising, since everything in this game is heavily imbued with fantasy.
This game is set in a beautifully vast open world setting where you will encounter Uruks and Ologs (similar to goblins and ogres) to befriend, fight, or convince to join your army. You can engage in various missions that mostly have something to do with disrupting the army of Sauron, which, if you play it this way, you can battle with an army of your own.
The story is also interesting and well-written. Although your actions don’t have much of an influence on the story, whether you are nice to the Uruks and Ologs influences gameplay. There are also multiplayer features where you can invade another player’s fortress and fight their army.
Middle Earth: Shadow of War is very different than Infamous Second Son, but that isn’t to say that fans of the game won’t enjoy it. The engaging storyline and immersive world, though it is heavily fantastical, is enough to make the whole experience quite enjoyable.
4. Dishonored 2
On PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Dishonored 2 picks up 15 years after the first game wherein Emily Kaldwin was restored to the throne after the assassination of her mother. The game begins during a remembrance ceremony for the late empress, where a witch named Delilah Copperspoon appears and claims to have a right to the throne. Her men then attack, and the player must choose to either play as Emily or her father and royal protector, Corvo Attano.
The story basically stays the same when playing as either character, with the objective being to level up and defeat Delilah, but the gameplay is different. Both characters share the same ability to teleport short distances, but Emily has abilities like Domino, where she can eliminate multiple enemies at the same time, and Corvo has time-manipulation abilities. Each level is non-linear, so it’s up to you whether you want to use those powers or simply sneak past the enemy.
There’s a beautiful open-world setting too. The game takes place in the fictional city of Karnaca, which is inspired by southern European countries like Italy and Spain. You can spend hours exploring to find hidden items and story clues, or even take on side quests from NPCs. You can easily lose yourself in this game by putting together story clues and mastering your abilities.
Dishonored 2 offers a great blend between story and gameplay. The different abilities your characters wield are fun and easy to master. Since you must choose between Emily and Corvo at the beginning, the game prompts a second playthrough when finished, just like Second Son.
3. Remember Me
On PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.
Remember Me is a game that has a very original and solid concept with a good storyline to go along with it. It just lacks in some of the aspects that make Second Son and many other games on this list great.
The game is set in a futuristic and busy Paris, called Neo-Paris. In this game, a corporation called Memorize has invented a brain implant that allows people to upload and share their memories with other people. This has brought many problems to modern life, mainly being junkies who have become addicted to absorbing memories. There’s a group of rebels called Errorists who have vowed to take down Memorize, one of which the player character Nilin is a part of.
Like I said, Remember Me has a very interesting concept. When the story starts, Nilin has just had her memories erased and is told she has the ability to steal and remix memories, meaning she can convince the enemy to believe whatever she wants them to.
This ability is cool, but it’s mainly used to continue the story and not in combat. Instead, combat has been replaced with a combo system where the player can enact certain moves with the pushing of certain buttons. These combos are customizable, meaning the player can inflict damage and heal themselves at the same time.
Remember Me has a great looking map, but it doesn’t let you explore all that much of it. Still, this game is worth checking out if you’re a fan of superhuman abilities. I don’t think there’s another game like Remember Me.
2. Infamous 2
On PlayStation 3.
We all knew this was coming, but what better way to relive the experience of Second Son than to play arguably the best game in the franchise? Infamous 2 has all the main elements that make Second Son so great because, well, it did it first.
The story picks up a month after the first game where Cole, a conduit with electricity-based powers, must flee from Empire City after his powers were drained by a giant monster named The Beast. Cole finds himself in a city called New Marais, which is modeled after New Orleans, as he must build his power back up to eventually fight The Beast once more. His friend Zeke from the first game follows him there, and you are later introduced to new characters like Lucy Kuo and Nix who help Cole on his journey.
Nix is a New Marais native and conduit who has the ability to emit and manipulate a black goo-like substance. Later in the story, it is revealed that Lucy Kuo is also a conduit with ice-like abilities. Infamous 2 also follows a karma system where the player can go down good or evil paths according to their actions. The path the player chooses is solidified when they must choose to inherit either Nix’s napalm abilities or Kuo’s ice abilities, being evil and good choices respectively.
Infamous 2 is the best game in the franchise. Not only does it have a great combat system with very fun abilities, the story is engaging and the map very immersive. It’s fun to explore the swamp-like landscape of New Marais and level up your abilities. It’s also interesting that the player knows who the final boss will be from the start of the game, yet there are still many twists and turns to be found while playing.
If you’re a fan of Second Son, please play Infamous 2. Everything about that game is purely fantastic and worth every second of your time.
1. The Darkness
On PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
Last but certainly not least, we have The Darkness, a game that fits right in with the list but puts a very different spin on the superhuman genre. This game is actually more akin to a Venom comic than Second Son, but not to say it lacks in its gameplay.
The game follows Jackie Estacado, who, on his 21st birthday, escapes an assassination attempt by his uncle, who sent the attack out of paranoia that Jackie was conspiring to take his position as the Don. It is around that time that Jackie finds out that the Darkness, a hereditary demonic force, has taken control of him. You spend the rest of the game trying to take down your uncle while trying to coexist with the Darkness.
The Darkness powers in this game are different from any superhuman abilities on this list. There are two snake-like creatures on either shoulder that can attack enemies when you’re not using your gun. You have other abilities, like being able to send out murderous tentacles or spawn a black hole, and like the title suggests, they perform better in the darkness. Each power has its own creep factor attached to it, so The Darkness is a game that might keep you up at night.
Though the game is more linear than Second Son, you can still explore some parts of the dingy New York City and accept side missions from NPCs. There’s also a second location you occasionally visit called the Otherworld, which is a hellish world modeled after the trenches of World War II. There’s not much to explore down there, but it’s a place you won’t want to spend much time in.
The Darkness is another game that’s an acquired taste. While some Infamous fans may find the game interesting, some may be turned off by the game’s gory tone. However, I think there’s something charming to be found in The Darkness that many gamers can enjoy.
Infamous Second Son is a hard game to let go of. I've spent hours simply replaying the game or trying to explore every inch of the map after completion. It’s a very original experience and stands out amongst the games of today. However, I think that anyone who loves Second Son can find a similar (or better) experience playing any of these 10 games.
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