 Infamous ( stylized as inFAMOUS ) is an action @-@ adventure video game developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3 . The game was released in North America on May 26 , 2009 , in Europe on May 29 , 2009 , in Australia on June 4 , 2009 and in Japan on November 5 , 2009 . In Infamous , the player controls the protagonist Cole MacGrath , a bike messenger caught in the center of an explosion that devastates several city blocks of the fictional Empire City . The explosion sends the city into chaos while Cole finds himself with new electricity @-@ based super powers . Though the game 's story follows Cole using his new abilities to restore some semblance of order to Empire City , the player is given several opportunities to use these powers for good or evil purposes in the game 's Karma system . These choices ultimately affect character growth , the reaction of the City 's populace towards Cole , and finer elements of gameplay and the story . 
