A universal problem with canon — whether for a video game, a television series, a saga in either graphic or prose novel form — is that it takes commitment and following to fully enjoy. A property with a deep canon rewards those who have followed from the beginning and can pick up on all the jokes, references, “previously ons”, and so forth. But if you haven’t been actively following said property, then such a thing might appear daunting; which leads to, “nah, I didn’t play the others, so I’ll skip this one.” One solution that other media has provided is the standalone special: a frivolous holiday themed adventure that requires little knowledge and has no bearing on the story. Think Star Wars: Holiday Special or It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. inFamous: Festival of Blood presents itself as a video game equivalent of such.
Festival of Blood has no particular time or place — it simply chronicles a tall tale told from faithful sidekick Zeke to a prospective woman at a bar. In an attempt to snare her, Zeke goes off about Pyre Night, a local festival in New Marais, and Cole MacGrath’s solitary crappy night celebrating it. That is, how Cole gets bitten by Bloody Mary, a local vampire queen, and spends the whole night trying to figure out how to break free from turning into her vampire thrall.
