Infamous Second Son: Different Sides of Justice and Karma

Released in 2014, Infamous Second Son remains a very relevant social commentary, even over 10 years later. The game uses the story of superpowered individuals to explore real-world fears about government control, surveillance, and the treatment of marginalized groups. Second Son is the third installment in the Infamous series, serving as a standalone sequel to Infamous First Light.

From the very beginning, the game establishes a world where the fear of a certain group leads to extreme government measures and the loss of civil rights. The game opens with scrolling text, informing the player that seven years prior to the events of Infamous: Second Son, individuals known as Conduits—people with superhuman abilities tied to different forms of matter—began appearing. 

Fear of these Conduits spread quickly, and in response to the growing threat, the U.S. government created the Department of Unified Protection (D.U.P.), an agency tasked with capturing and indefinitely detaining Conduits, who were officially classified as “Bio-terrorists.” 

The story opens with a mishap where protagonist Delsin Rowe comes into contact with an escaped Conduit and unexpectedly absorbs their powers, realizing in horror that he is now one of the people society fears. 

Early on, the player is faced with a tough choice which reflects the Karma system present. As player choices mount, their Karma influences where the story goes, and what kind of combat abilities or upgrades they get. Not too long after, players will be brought to a dystopian Seattle where the rest of the story and gameplay will take place.

The real-life parallels become ever clearer as the player progresses into a heavily-militarized, hyper-surveiled version of Seattle, Washington, in which most of the game takes place. Security checkpoints are scattered across the map, designed to identify who is a regular citizen and who is a Bio-terrorist. These checkpoints have cages which house suspected Conduits, and the player has the option to rip the doors off and set those inside free. The imagery evokes the sense of post-9/11 paranoia, and, in some ways, mirrors the way ICE is operating currently; detention with no formal trial, mass surveillance, and silencing / suppressing dissent.

The decisions players make through the story are found in dialogue options, various diversions on Anti-Conduit protesters or drug deals, as well as whether the player will kill their enemies or simply subdue them. The Karma system here allows players to lean into their chosen playstyle and where they envision Delsin’s character arc trending toward, orchestrating a unique marriage between gameplay and story.

The player may also make decisions that influence Delsin’s allies, and how they choose to go about achieving retribution. The player can either encourage them to continue living in fear and harbor hatred toward those who have wronged them, or inspire them to move beyond fear and work toward a better future for Conduits.

The dilemma between self-preservation and unity persists all the way to the ending as well, where Infamous Second Son asks players to consider what justice looks like, with each choice available to the player reflecting either revenge or restoration.

Both of Delsin’s moral paths reflect responses to pain and trauma endured by an oppressed group, but they represent different responses to that pain: one seeks to protect others from suffering, while the other tries to make the world feel the same hurt he has endured, fully embracing the fear society already has of people like him. 

Because the player determines which path Delsin follows, the game ultimately asks players to confront how trauma and marginalization can shape the way oppressed people fight back, and what kind of future that response creates.