It’s been ten years since the release of Platinum Game’s Bayonetta and Vanquish, and while the former gets much more attention than the latter, Vanquish to this day remains one of the most unique action games on the market. Both games helped Platinum cut its teeth, and now with the 10th Anniversary Bundle, fans can get their hands on the cult classics remastered in 60fps.
With upgraded framerate and visuals, it only reinforces the quality of Vanquish. Even years later no action game, made by Platinum or not, manages to capture the same feeling.
With the anniversary, now’s the perfect time to look back at Vanquish and see just what made it so unique and whether Platinum will ever return to the IP.
Vanquish Is a Pulpy B-Tier Sci-Fi Story
There’s something inherently charming about sci-fi B-movies, like Attack of the Killer Tomatoes or Sharknado. They’re schlocky and ridiculous, but that’s what makes them so much fun. Vanquish feels like the video game version of a B-movie, with a ridiculous sci-fi story that layers on drama, and combat that makes you feel like a steroid-infused superhero. Vanquish takes place in the future, where the countries of Earth fight for resources, as the human population burgeons. The United States seeks to assuage the problem by launching a massive space colony called Providence, with a microwave transmitter to provide an alternate power source. After the Russian government is overthrown in a coup, a new organization calling themselves the Order of the Russian Star captures Providence and uses its microwave transmitter to wipe San Francisco off the map.
At this point, the player character Sam Gideon, a DARPA agent, enters the scene with a ridiculously augmented power-suit called ARS (Augmented Reaction Suit). Sam isn’t your average agent; he’s a smarmy character who’s full of himself and isn’t afraid to throw a few insults at enemies. Every character in Vanquish feels like an over-the-top caricature, which ties into that whole B-movie feel even more. It has the flair of Japanese sci-fi, with the schlock of B-movies.
Vanquish’s Seamless Combat Is Some of Platinum’s Best
While Vanquish’s story and characters are fun on their own, the real shining star is the game’s combat. The ARS suit gives Sam the ability to slow down time, evade attacks, and best of all rocket boost on the floor. The rocket boost mechanic has players sliding around the battlefield at high speed, and once the controls click there are countless combos and crazy stunts that can be pulled off.
There are plenty of third-person shooters out there, but nothing besides Vanquish lets you rocket boost across an area into a vertical kick that sends an enemy flying up, followed by a dodge and precise headshot as Sam slows time. It’s the absolute definition of high-energy combat. The standard shooting mechanics are rock solid too, which gives Vanquish a strong foundation to layer those unique elements on.
Vanquish’s level design is built to work around the ARS suit. Combat arenas have different avenues to take and are intentionally built large to give you maneuverability. Different enemy types force players to adapt and alternate between aggression and defense. The upgrade to 60fps only makes combat even more blisteringly fast, and Vanquish is definitely one experience that benefits from the boost.
Overall Vanquish is a relatively short experience, but it’s one that never lets up on the throttle and, with different difficulty levels, it’s also highly replayable. Even Platinum’s later games can’t match the adrenaline and speed of Vanquish, let alone anything else out there.
Platinum Needs to Give Vanquish a Second Shot
The fact that Vanquish remains wholly unique in its genre after all this time, is a testament to the inventiveness of Platinum Games. Even just in 2019, they managed to make another distinctive action game with Astral Chain. Vanquish didn’t get the due it deserved upon release, but over time it’s become more of a cult classic. Platinum should consider returning to the IP once again, with all the lessons it’s learned under its belt.
The jump in technology that the PS5 and Xbox Series X will have could provide some truly stunning options for a Vanquish sequel. Double down on the rocket-powered gameplay, make enemy AI even more responsive, and more diverse and varied environments. Vanquish is really the only “shooter” Platinum has ever made, and it’d be great to see them take another crack at the genre.
