So it seems that IGN is moving towards wikis for their guides for some of the bigger games. Their wiki for inFamous 2 has been the first time I’ve ever seen it, so I’m assuming–probably wrongly so–that this is a new trend. It’s most likely a way for the IGN editors to connect with more of their readers and encourage them to contribute to the site in some way. The guides seem to be written by the IGN guide editors, but then it looks like IGN members can make edits. What this all adds up to is some seriously sloppy work, and oh how it shows.
Right off the bat, I’m smacked with incorrect capitalization of the game’s own title. It’s one thing to capitalize the “i” in inFamous 2 at the start of a sentence, but it’s absolutely incorrect to do so within a sentence. Look at the game case, people. It can’t be that hard. Shortly after I get over that, I see a bunch of grammatical errors. I expect this when I look at GameFAQs guides, but on IGN where there are editors for this stuff? Inexcusable.
As for the content of the guide itself, the walkthroughs are okay; at least those that have anything written at all are okay. That’s right, the walkthroughs are not finished. In addition, the ones that are finished have few to no screenshots. The trophies guide has zero screenshots as well. Don’t expect any maps, either, unless you need a map for dead drops.
And while there is a fairly helpful tutorial for the user-generated content options, there are no walkthroughs for any of the side missions. I can think of more than a few side missions that could potentially need assistance. I can understand these not being finished–I mean, the main walkthrough isn’t finished–but to not have them listed at all?
Now one thing that is super useful with the IGN inFamous 2 guide is their section on finding blast shards. They divide up the blast shard locations by four sections of New Marais, and they show on a map which section is which. From there, users can click on the particular regions and find every blast shard, screenshot by screenshot. When you know a blast shard is in a particular spot, and you can’t figure out which building or tree it’s attached to, these screenshots are a lifesaver from frustration. So for those who only want a guide for help with the blast shards, then here is your best option.
Sad to say, IGN’s guide does not warrant any recommendation beyond the blast shard assistance. It’s incomplete, it’s not written well, and it overall reeks of sloppiness.
SGR Grade: 2
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