Lightning Storm

Lightning Storm
In-Game Information
User/s	Cole MacGrath
Mission gained	Vengeance
Attributed to	Electrokinesis Weather Control
Upgradeable	No
Real-World Information
Game/s	Infamous Infamous 2 (beginning only)

Lightning Storm (not to be confused with Ionic Storm) is the final and most powerful ability Cole MacGrath gains in Infamous. The attack was later replaced by Ionic Storm in Infamous 2.

Overview

Characteristics

Cole calls down from the sky a storm of lightning that does massive damage to the surroundings, vehicles, and anyone in its path and continuously drains Cole's battery cores. He can use Lightning Storm until his battery cores are completely depleted, until he chooses to stop the attack or if he moves the attack over a body of water, which will automatically disable it.

A Lightning Storm Explosion.

The attributes of Lightning Storm are the opposite of Precision, a power that is all about accuracy; Lightning Storm is a trail of carnage carved by brute force. It is very effective when encountering a large group of enemies and/or enemy vehicles. However, wield this ability with caution; even though a band of enemies can be quickly destroyed by Lightning Storm, the exploding cars and flying debris can easily injure Cole and passing bystanders, leading to a loss of Good karma.

Unleashing a Lightning Storm.

The ability is used by holding down the down button on the D-pad and "steering" the lightning with the tilt control of the PS3 SIXAXIS or Dual Shock 3 controller. It can be steered forward and to the sides, but not pulled backwards towards Cole.

Advantages

• This is the only attack Cole can use while using Polarity Wall.
• This attack is a one-hit kill on any opponent (except bosses) or vehicle caught in its path.
• This is the only attack where one can change the direction after activation without an upgrade or additional attack.
• It only takes one and one-third battery cores to activate.
• Golems can be killed in 1-3 hits by this move.

Restrictions

• Because it requires open access to the sky, Lightning Storm cannot be used underground or if the opponent is under a bridge.
• This move cannot be used over the ocean and will automatically deactivate after doing so.
• One cannot activate Lightning Storm when Cole's feet are not firmly planted on a large flat surface, so it cannot be used while balancing on a wire, on the ledge or climbing a building. It also does not work on sloped roofs.
• It continually drains battery cores.
• It can only move away from Cole.

Trivia

• This was the second power Cole displayed during his escape from Ground Zero, the first being Electric Drain. Cole has no control over this power at that time; in fact, it is unleashed by itself and Cole ends up unconscious for several days.
  • Ironically, although it is one of the first powers seen in the story, it's the last one Cole becomes aware of and gains.
• As mentioned before, this power easily hurts bystanders. Good players should take care while using this power, while evil players can use this without fear of hurting innocents.
• This was the only attack that can damage the city itself during inFamous.
  • The storm seems to be more powerful during the introduction, because it is able to destroy the Fremont Bridge, and yet cannot do so again on any structure.
• When Lightning Storm shuts off, the player will always hear a clap of thunder in the background. This is also true for Ionic Storm in inFamous 2.
• Also, when one activates Lightning Storm, the city's lights turn off, only to come back on once deactivated, suggesting that Cole sucks the power right out of the city to be able to use this move, or that the sudden presence of a huge amount of electricity knocks out the city's power, similar to real life when the lights sometimes shudder during lightning storms.
• Unleashing this attack while Cole is standing on a car will cause the car to explode, but instead of harming Cole, the car's explosion will launch Cole vertically in the air. Perhaps, as a consequence of a glitch, Cole will not be interrupted by the car's explosion and maintain his stance, even when in the air.
• Though it normally only works when Cole has his feet planted, Cole can be seen using Lightning Storm without this restriction in the beginning of inFamous 2, while he is fighting the The Beast for the first time.
• In inFamous 2, this power has been replaced with the Ionic Storm. Unlike the Lightning Storm, the Ionic Storm cannot be steered with the SIXAXIS motion control.
• During the mission "Hunt for the Ray Sphere," if Cole activates Karmic Overload before using Lightning Storm on the satellite jammers, holding the button down will allow Cole to continue using the attack even after the satellite's destruction, in a manner very similar to Ionic Storm.
• In the final boss fight, Lightning Storm causes little to no damage to Kessler in the actual fight partly due to him teleporting away too quickly. However, when the fight is about to end, Cole punches Kessler and finishes him with a Lightning Storm.
• This power is easily Cole's most destructive ability:
  • It destroyed the Freemont Bridge while Cole had no control over it during the Introduction.
  • A single lightning bolt completely vaporized a helicopter during the Introduction.
  • It could destroy the Ray Sphere in one shot during End of the Road, despite it being completely undamaged by it's own explosions and being placed in a protective container at the time.
  • It quickly eradicated a small army of military soldiers and helicopters during issue two of the Infamous (comics), leaving a large smoking crater.
  • It was able to vaporize David Warner and sink the USS Washington in one shot during issue six of the Infamous (comics).
  • It was able to blow The Beast's head off during the beginning and end of Infamous 2, despite him being unscathed by a direct hit from a thermonuclear missile.
  • During Festival of Blood, it was able to destroy the statue outside St. Ignatius and blow a massive hole through the ground leading to the catacombs. However, these events are technically non-canon.

Gallery

Cole takes out two cars with Lightning Storm.

Unleashing a Lightning Storm.

Taking down one of Kessler's balloons in "Against the World."

Evil Cole Activating Lightning Storm.

Evil Cole Activating Lightning Storm after using the Ray Sphere a second time.