Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The first thing that clicks in Second Son is how quickly Delsin becomes fun to move around with. This is an open-world action game built around momentum: you cross Seattle, run into D.U.P. forces, and use supernatural abilities to turn a routine encounter into a small spectacle. It has the kind of immediate power fantasy that makes a short detour feel worthwhile, because there is usually another shard to collect, district activity to tackle, or enemy group to tear through nearby.

Smoke and Neon give the combat a genuinely useful contrast. Smoke leans into aggressive close-range attacks, while Neon is the better fit when you want fast movement and longer-range pressure. Acquiring four powers across the campaign means Delsin does not stay locked into one answer for every situation. Karmic Overload is also a strong reward for committing to combat, giving you a high-impact move once the karma meter is full.

The weak spot is the karma structure. Choosing good or evil affects which upgrades you can take, so committing to a path matters, but the binary framing can make experimentation feel needlessly restrictive. Districts also follow a familiar open-world rhythm: complete side work, reduce D.U.P. control, then win a District Showdown to clear the area and unlock fast travel. It is satisfying early on, though the repeated cleanup can start to feel like work if you insist on finishing every icon before moving on.

Graphics

Seattle has a grounded, lived-in look that suits the conflict well. Downtown tunnels are lined with damaged cars, concrete barriers, broken pavement, and hard overhead lights, while neighborhood streets trade that claustrophobia for trees, fences, low buildings, and warm daylight. The third-person camera keeps Delsin and nearby threats clearly framed during fights.

The powers provide the strongest imagery. Smoke attacks throw off bright orange sparks and dark clouds, the Orbital Drop view looks dramatic as Delsin hangs above a dense city block before crashing down. These effects give combat much more character than the enemy troops themselves.

Story

Second Son puts you in the shoes of Delsin Rowe, an Akomish conduit whose powers emerge after a confrontation with an escaped inmate. Once the Department of Unified Protection takes notice, the story becomes a fight against Brooke Augustine and the D.U.P. across Seattle. It is a clean setup, and the personal stakes come from Delsin’s determination to protect his family.

Delsin is not simply following the previous games’ protagonist, which helps the story feel accessible even though it takes place seven years after inFAMOUS 2. His choices let you steer him toward a more heroic or cruel version of the same central mission. That gives the campaign some role-playing flavor, particularly if you enjoy committing to a character attitude rather than chasing the most convenient reward.

Still, the moral framework is broad rather than subtle. Decisions generally ask you to take the good or evil route, and the resulting karma determines progression options. The family angle gives Delsin a reason to keep pushing forward, but the story works better as a vehicle for his escalating battle with the D.U.P. than as a nuanced examination of its morality choices.

Overall Experience

Second Son is an energetic superhero action game whose best moments come from crossing Seattle at speed and shifting between powers to fit the fight in front of you. It understands that an open-world game needs to make getting from one activity to the next enjoyable, and Delsin’s abilities do a lot of the heavy lifting. You can play the critical path, but the city is at its best when you leave room for shards, side missions, and district takeovers.

Do not expect every optional task to stay fresh through a completionist run. Graffiti activities, hidden audio files, covert D.U.P. agents, and district control all serve the larger progression loop, but they do not all carry the same excitement as a major battle. The smart approach is to engage with the activities you enjoy and let the rest remain optional instead of turning the game into a chore list.

If you want a serious, sprawling morality epic, Second Son may feel a little too blunt. If you want a brisk open-world action game with satisfying traversal, flexible superpowers, and a strong sense of growing from scrappy newcomer into a city-level threat, it lands well. Its rougher systems never fully disappear, but the moment-to-moment fun is strong enough to make the payoff worthwhile.

Retro Replay Score

7.5/10