Delsin is a fantastic protagonist - witty, relatable, and performed with surprising believability. In fact, pretty much the entire cast is impeccable in terms of dialogue and performance, featuring a brilliant roster of voice actors and some top notch facial animation. The characterization found here is perhaps the best thing about Second Son, and indeed one would be hard pressed to find much better elsewhere. Standing out from the crowd is the aforementioned Augustine, whose deadpan sarcasm makes her hard to hate until she reveals how utterly despicable she really is. It's rare to see a videogame villain so thoroughly irredeemable, and while her behavior sometimes borders on the needless (she's clearly a member of the Evil n' Lovin' It Club), the thought of making her answer for her crimes will nevertheless become just as crucial a goal for players as it is for Delsin.
The expertly structured narrative is an amazing step up for the series, and this runs through to the obligatory "moral choice" elements. Rather than Cole's embarrassing inner monologues that make him out to be some sort of confused psycho, players get to choose whether they want Delsin to be a selfless redeemer or a corrupting, vengeful hero-gone-wrong. His choices are more natural and understandable than most of the diametrically opposed choices presented in similar games, and the immoral path actually makes some sense, portraying Delsin as a fledgling Magneto, setting himself and fellow conduits apart from a society that hates them. Of course, with Delsin being such an affable guy, it may be hard for players to steer him down a darker path.[
