It’s hard not to get jittery and amped up after spending time with Platinum Games’ Vanquish. Since their success with Bayonetta, which gave the action genre a brutal kick up the rectum it deservedly needed, Platinum return to give 3rd person shooters the same treatment.
The demo puts players in control of Sam Gideon, a hard talking, bad-ass DARPA agent in control of an experimental ARS (Augmented Reaction Suit) combat suit capable of hyper-mobility in extreme situations. The demo is set in a landing bay of the Providence Space Colony, which has been overrun with Russian combat robots, culminating in a huge boss battle.
Vanquish takes the concept of cover combat and undermines the horrible co-dependent relationship most gamers have with waist high defence. The boost function allows for a high level of manoeuvrability, which kicks the pace up several notches. With this in mind, speed is key to surviving the flurry of bullets and rockets that are hurled your way, assaulting the eyes like a deadly fireworks display.
One of the most impressive aspects of the game is how easy it is to control. Standard 3rd person controls and weaponry are in place, albeit futuristic versions of our favourite shotguns and assault rifles, so run and gun fans will be right at home with the given arsenal. The suit’s boost allows players to zip in and out of cover, close ground on enemies and combined with a slow motion ability, it provides exciting on the fly gunplay. Every one of the controls are intuitive and easy to pick up, the challenge being mastering them under pressure.
It’s a visually stunning fiesta of explosions and runs at high speed even in the most frenetic moments. Cut scenes are rendered in gorgeous fashion and character models are fantastically designed. Enemies appear in red, which makes them stand out against a combination of clinical white and varying shades of traditional shooter grey. There are strong colours that identify threats and friendly soldiers, which can only be a good thing and helps keep the pace of frantic gunplay.
Since this is a game styled by one of the original creators of Resident Evil, it’s comforting to know players will be in the hands of a veteran games developer. That being said, some of the stereotypical macho and cheesy dialogue comes packaged as standard, with the occasional case of dodgy lip-sync. Storyline has never really been a huge issue where action games are concerned, but many people may find the Russian-American conflict a little played out, like an 80s action movie. It’s not the worst concept, as many developers seem to relish portraying Russia as the bad guys and if the cap fits, wear it.
All is looking well for Sega and Platinum Games as we approach its imminent release, as Vanquish oozes with a charisma that’s lacking in many current shooters. Fun, intense and dramatic are just some of the words that best describe how Vanquish plays out. Being only a taster of things to come, the demo time certainly whets the appetite to the point of drooling. Considering October is a busy month for game releases, with some heavy duty triple A titles in the list, it looks as if Vanquish will be able to hold its own against the major franchise releases with its unique take on the 3rd person shooter formula.
