Vanquish

神ゲー

It's fun so consider getting it on sale. Just don't think about the plot. 7/10

This game is the epitome of fun. Best cover shooter, bar none.

Before I start, I have to say that I never really played TPS games to begin with, so this was a very interesting introduction to the genre. Despite this, I decided to proceed with Normal difficulty. Given this context, the game at first felt awkward, but with a little persistence you can enjoy this a lot like I did.

My thoughts after ~6 hours...

• The slow-motion is really cool. I can see they wanted to make these small moments as satisfying as possible— and it is! Also, I really liked the melee combat button mashing (too bad they deplete the bar immediately after the animation which makes you wait for the cooldown). The slide-kick-flip-shoot trick with the Romanovs are incredible and make the dopamine go brrrrr. The boss-QTEs remind me of Bayonetta (another game I completed the other day)
  
• The many different deaths I encountered weren’t as frustrating to me (maybe to some) since I'm tolerant of Platinum’s… special logic in their games, though I found it humorous especially due to how some explosions or enemy attack effects don't show up on the screen if it came from behind the player. So sometimes you’ll just see Sam ragdoll to his death in slow-motion from some unexplained attack if you weren’t paying attention to the minimap. Be prepared for plenty of “wait, what?” moments. Sometimes you’ll laugh at the spectacular deaths, other times you’ll sigh in disappointment depending on the context.
  
• Character and Enemy Design: As always, Platinum nails these. In gameplay, though, some fights are little questionable because of specific enemies' speed(s) being a little too fast (let’s just say this is skill issue on my part :p)
  
• Sound: The sound effects are very satisfying to hear in the game, and i’m pretty sure I hear a specific sound effect very similar to the Evangelion AT Field a couple times (followed by the oneshot KO) which I found humorous. The music though feels as if i was listening to the same 10-20 second sample over and over (BGM is something nice to have, but i’m not a stickler tbh so I’ll let this slide)
  
• Story: Neutral. Not much to talk about the story to be honest, just thought it was okay. Lots of action, not much substance. That's why we're here anyway, for the action!!
  
• To add onto something I really appreciate in this game: the character, enemy, and BLADE Weapon animations are fantastic. I like to pay attention to details in this game in particular and it's something that I'm very appreciative of.
  
• All in all, this is still an exhilarating experience for someone like me who never really plays any TPS game.
  

Technical Issues

The game is over before you even notice it... But I don't mind, one-day-games like this for a weekend are awesome and this one is great, highly recommend if you like fast action shooters.

Vanquish is an insanely fast-paced, thrilling third-person shooter that delivers pure, nonstop adrenaline. The action is relentless, stylish, and flawlessly executed, offering one of the most exhilarating gameplay experiences in the genre.

Sure, the story is cheesy, the dialogue over-the-top, and the characters are straight out of an action movie cliché. The campaign is also on the short side (around 7-8 hours). But none of that takes away from the fact that Vanquish is a complete action package—tight, polished, and a bold, fresh take on third-person shooters.

you can slow time down & kill a gazillion robots

Badass american and crazy Russians

This game was great fun. The Combat System may seem straight forward a first, but is enjoyable to master.

Even if you can come in expecting cheese and a predictable plot, it's a slog of cutscenes that weigh down the game to the point where the gameplay feels tertiary. This comes from someone who usually enjoys story-heavy games and character interactions, but it feels so artificial starting off that you never really find an interest in it being good-bad. The gunplay feels... not very rich, and honestly it's kinda hard to get into the mindset it wants you to be in.

The ARS as I understood it:
"we basically strapped a miniature nuclear reactor to your back, don't Chernobyl yourself"
"Wait, what you did what now-"
"Anyways go kill some Russians because we still hate them"
"You didn't answer my question, isn't this suit highly dangerous?"
"...you can smoke cigarettes in slow motion"
"Alright, I'm in"

And then you explode because you held down spacebar just a millisecond too long, and were punched by a grunt enemy. 8/10, fuck that Unkown enemy, that thing is bullshit, Anti-Armor Pistol carried the whole game.

Shocking that any game released since this could fail to be fun, when they could just use this as a reference

One of the best 3rd person shooter you will ever play

Played the demo as a kid back on Xbox 360. Thought the gameplay was so cool and felt like a bad-ass playing with Sam's suit and different weapons. Sliding around was super fun!

Hello Sam

So much potential. What if this was death stranding and devil may cry but metal gear.

A ps classic. even though it's short. it's still fun.

It is certainly a game.

Great 3rd person shooter

I Really enjoy this game! played it on the PS3 growing up and even though the story is short and has little creativeness I am able to come back to it years after and play it again and again the gameplay is the best and I feel like a bad ass so imma give it a 9/10 (we need more games that actually have something good about them)

This game is like Jaeger bombs, youre gonna think less of yourself and youre gonna regret it the next morning, but man are you going to have a great time!

Sam without jetstream.

Vanquish is a game is like Gears of War, Yes this is a TPS Game it is fun to play this game

always fun to play i give it 10/10

this game confirms that smoking is cool

IT'S BACK!!! Like it never life.

Different from other shooter campaigns. Slow mo near death or when sliding. Upgrade your weapons when your ammo is maxed and picked up again. Get this get on sale if you enjoy campaign shooters.

insanely underrated and forgotten. pure non stop fun on this one.

Honestly one of Platinum's best, cant believe I waited this long to check it out, Vanquish is hybrid mix of a movement shooter and third person cover based one, blended together to make this awesome game and there isn't anything like it sadly, the chances of a sequel fully realised with this games framework and gameplay loop are nonexistent, atleast this banger exists though.

This game is a treat to play, crazy how this is a 2010 game and it plays this good today, smooth as hell movement, high frame rate, gunplay feels satisfying, the weapons are varied and interesting, the enemies are fun to shoot at and blow limbs off (they're robots) boosting and sliding is so ADDICTIVE in this game.

Melee although quite powerful can only be used sparsely due to balance purposes with it being tied to your suits power bar, the melee animations are fucking awesome to pull off on enemies and style on em. You can also slow time down like in Max Payne, making the gameplay all that more stylish and fun.

The pacing of the story is done spot on honestly for how much action the campaign contains, on my first run it was barely 5 hours of playtime on hard and truthfully that is enough for this game with how simple its premise is, ive replayed it three times now and done the challenge rooms, while the game can be a bit easy even on hard, the difficulty Godhard after first completion is unlocked and that mode truly offers a unique gameplay experience requiring you to fully make use of most if not all of the weapons as the upgrade system is removed,careful boost management is required aswell as it gets toned down alot to promote strategic play with movement and cover based shooting.

There is also hidden tech and mechanics in vanquish that it doesn't explain at all for you to get the most out of gameplay loop if you wanna master it, experimentation is advised :)

Overall this is one of best third person shooters to ever be conceived.

PC controls are trash. Been PC gaming since 1988 and this has the worst, non functional keyboard and mouse controls I have ever used. Really stunned that this was released on PC. DO NOT BUY.

Steam desperately needs a middle ground for its reviews. This game has some of the most missed potential i have ever seen in a game its fun but it feels like half way through development the budget got a huge cut as most of the games mechanics feel half baked.

i genuinely don't even know what to say about the story. i couldn't tell you what the hell was going on half of the time. If you told me this game was made by the creators of Metal Gear Rising and Bayonetta i wouldn't believe you because of how boring and bland these characters are.

Get the game on a sale its fun but don't go in expecting what you would normally expect from platinum.

Vanquish is a game where your abilities at the game improve the more you play it. The games starts as a 7th generation 3rd person shooter but over time becomes a game about using slow mo, movement, and weapon mechanics to be extremely offensive against enemies. The game is open ended enough for you to bend its mechanics to your own play style.

Each weapon has their own properties that affect enemies in different ways, whether that be extra hit stun or unique projectiles that can go through multiple enemies. Depending on which weapon you have equipped, your melee attacks will be different. Some melees allow you to cover a lot of ground and can be used as a movement option alongside the slide.

The slide is a little restrictive in the sense that you can't freely move back and forth and can't shoot while sliding. This restriction makes the slide more skill based and considered. You need to know when the right time to slide around and use proper spacing and positioning to take down enemies.

The game is actually better when you aren't using cover so much.

The only real criticisms I have of Vanquish are the sections of game where nothing is happening. Parts where you are sliding through corridors or on rails sections after you beat enemies. You are waiting for the action to happen. Platinum Games have this issue with many of their games. Some levels have invisible walls that stop your movement and can be really annoying. Still a phenomenal game regardless of these gripes.

My recommendation is to play the game on Hard and then play God Hard after you unlock it. God Hard removes the weapon upgrade system and actually helps the scoring system and the difficulty curve of the game. The weapons are no longer over powered and you have to use everything you have to win. It makes the game much more fun.

This game is seriously re playable and stands alongside Mikami's other games (Resident Evil 1/4, Resident Evil 1 Remake, God Hand, The Evil Within, Dino Crisis, and even Disney's Goof Troop).

one of the best action games ive ever played. 10/10 couldnt find a single thing i didnt like.

"That was for the good of all Americans!" Based. Fun, faced paced cover shooter with slow mo mechanics.

Vanquished all over them. 10/10 game

Hard AF typical Platinum.

Action packed, good design, great gameplay and good character development. A really entertaining game!

This is how a video game should be. Responsive, fun, and doesn't apologise for itself. It's over the top, and you will love every minute of your experience because you can tell it's been crafted with detail. This is more than a game, it's art.

This game sucked then and sucks now. Every ability from your dash to your bullet-time to your health and melee are tied to one bar. It's idiotic. Unfun. Stupid edgelord characters and ugly art direction. Stupid enemy design. Over-designed hero. Pure 2000s trash. Just play Gears of War.

Deserves a sequel!!

Underrated. You should definetly give this a try, even tho it is short and the story isnt really something to be proud of it packs a lot of fun gameplay.

STOGIES

This game would have been the best game I've ever played if I played it when I was 11 years old and it was the only game I've ever played.

It's a really fun experience with hyper mobility, that's limited by a resource meter that gets used in 5 seconds
It's got tons of interesting and fun weapons, that's limited by a cover based shooter with terrible cover controls
It's got really interesting enemy design that's limited with 99% of the enemies you'll fight being red robots
It's got really cool cutscenes, that's limited by the heavy abundance of either unnecessary or confusing cutscenes
It has a fun gameplay mechanic of upgrading your guns throughout the game, that's limited by the upgrades being removed on death (unless you quit to title screen after deaths but shhh we won't talk about that one)

Overall, it's a game that has some really fun ideas, and then it shoots itself in the foot. Also everyone talks like they're constantly under observation by penalty of death to say as many witty quips as humanely possible.

It's a fun experience and I'm glad I played it. I will never play it again

This is the third PlatinumGames title I’ve played and it’s also the third PlatinumGames title I didn’t like. I don’t think PlatinumGames is for me.

Vanquish plays like a cover shooter but what’s interesting is that the game tracks how long you spend taking cover, almost challenging you to be less withdrawn and more aggressive.

I recommend this game to anyone that likes action games and wants a challenge.

Good.

A surprisingly good and fun single-player game, and I had a blast playing it. Even in 2025, it's a pretty good game, despite its age. I also liked the credits section, which was very unique for me. Now I want a sequel or at least a spin-off for this game, so it can finish Sam's story. I hope that this game gets something in the future.

plays more like a 'score attack' arcade game, not worth it even on sale. Hasn't aged well either.

i think i played for 2 hours, i end up skipped work and get in to trouble. yeah, its that good. Even in 2025, worth to play. Its very light as well, unlike games these days. Art style is more important than graphic.

Excellent game play it was far ahead of it's time and still holds up today.

1. Introduction
Vanquish is a third-person shooter set in a near-future world where players, wearing high-tech armor, battle robots and giant mechs in space stations. The game blends high-speed Japanese action game elements with bullet-hell-style combat, similar to light gun shooting games from the past.
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2. Gameplay

Core Mechanics:

Third-Person Cover Shooting
Similar to the Gears of War series, players need to take cover and engage in gunfights with mechanical enemies. Some enemies and bosses can destroy cover, increasing the difficulty. Players can carry up to three weapons from a selection of eight to meet different combat needs.

Bullet-Hell Shooting
Players face intense enemy bullet barrages from multiple directions, requiring high-speed movement and precision shooting to survive, similar to 2D bullet-hell games.
High-Speed Movement and Bullet Time
The protagonist can dash in any direction for a short period, entering bullet time while dodging enemy attacks. When the character is close to death, the game triggers a dash to help players reach cover.

Challenging Boss Battles
Vanquish features several giant mech bosses, each requiring players to dodge devastating attacks while exploiting weaknesses. These boss battles deliver the same fast-paced thrill found in Japanese action games.

Mission Structure and Objectives
The game features linear levels with five chapters, each containing multiple arcade-style sub-levels and boss battles. Players control Sam Gideon, an elite soldier, fighting against Russian mechanical armies to reclaim a space station and prevent it from destroying New York.

Progression and Collectibles
There are no character progression mechanics, but players can find weapon upgrades to increase ammo capacity or fire rate. Hidden Pangloss statues can be collected in each level.

Unique Appeal
Vanquish successfully merges fast-paced Japanese action mechanics with third-person shooting and bullet-hell elements, offering a fresh take for TPS fans.
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3. Story and Worldbuilding

Plot Summary
In the near future, Russia stages a military coup and takes control of the American space station Providence, using its weapons to destroy Los Angeles. The U.S. sends elite soldier Sam Gideon and his team to retake the station and prevent the destruction of New York.

Character and Narrative Depth
The characters lack depth, with Sam Gideon serving as a typical Japanese action hero. The antagonist, Victor Zaitsev, also doesn't fit the stereotypical Russian military profile, and his motivations feel underdeveloped.

Worldbuilding
The game’s worldbuilding lacks consistency, and the narrative struggles to create immersion. The portrayal of both the American military and Russian forces feels disconnected from reality, making it hard for players to invest in the story.
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4. Art Style

Visual Design
The game adopts a typical Japanese sci-fi mecha aesthetic, with Sam’s armor and the enemy mechs all fitting the style. However, the game’s graphical fidelity leans towards realism rather than 2D anime aesthetics.

Consistency
The game maintains a unified sci-fi theme across environments, weapons, and enemies, but the visual quality falls short in areas like texture detail.

Detail
While character models and weapon animations are smooth, environments and enemy designs could use more polish. Despite this, the game still creates grand space station settings.

Visual Impact
Although the graphics are somewhat dated, the consistent sci-fi mecha style offers a unique visual experience.
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5. Graphics and Sound

Graphics Performance
Character models are solid for 2010 standards, though enemy and environment modeling is rather basic. The consistent sci-fi theme helps maintain a cohesive atmosphere.

Sound and Music
Battle sounds are intense, with enemies attacking from multiple directions. For players who enjoy high-energy combat, this enhances immersion, but it can become overwhelming for others.

Technical Issues
The game runs smoothly without noticeable technical glitches during personal play.
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6. Controls and UI

Ease of Controls
Shooting controls are standard for TPS games, but activating high-speed dashes and shooting simultaneously can feel cumbersome, leading to missed opportunities. Players with advanced skill may find this an enjoyable challenge.

UI Design
The UI is minimalistic, offering clear information without distraction.
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7. Difficulty and Challenge

Difficulty Setting
The game can be quite challenging for experienced TPS players due to the number and variety of enemies, but the dash and bullet-time mechanics help reduce the overall difficulty.

Challenge
Players will face numerous enemies and elite foes, requiring focused attention. Each level is scored based on performance, giving players a chance to improve.

Learning Curve
While the core mechanics are easy to grasp, mastering the dash-and-shoot gameplay requires practice, making it a game with a relatively steep learning curve for advanced play.
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8. Innovation and Drawbacks

Innovation
Vanquish stands out by combining high-speed action elements from Japanese action games with large-scale boss battles in a third-person shooter format. This unique blend still feels fresh even years after its release.

Drawbacks
The game is relatively short, with only five levels, and it ends just when players might want more. The repetitive combat sections may lead to fatigue, especially when dealing with constant high-speed dashes.
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9. Conclusion and Rating

Overall Thoughts
Vanquish is a third-person shooter with a strong Japanese action game influence, set in a sci-fi world that blends high-speed combat with large mech battles. The innovative dash-and-shoot mechanics offer a fresh experience for TPS fans, though players who prefer slower-paced gameplay may find it tiring.

Pros
Innovative dash-and-shoot mechanics
Strong Japanese sci-fi aesthetic

Cons
Short length
Weak story and character development

Recommendation
Ideal for fans of Japanese sci-fi or those looking for a new twist on TPS gameplay.

Rating:
Gameplay: 9/10
Story: 6/10
Art and Sound: 7/10
Innovation: 9/10
Overall: 8/10