In Second Son, players control the main character Delsin Rowe from a third-person perspective and freely roam open world Seattle. Players parkour-style climb vertical surfaces like high-rise buildings. Delsin is a Conduit, which allows him to use superpower abilities by manipulating materials such as smoke, neon, video, and concrete. These materials can be weaponized (such that Delsin can perform melee attacks or fire projectiles from his fingertips) or used to deftly navigate the game world (such as using neon to dash up buildings). Players become more powerful in combat by expanding Delsin's suite of abilities