Vanquish

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.
________________________________________

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.
________________________________________

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.
________________________________________

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.
________________________________________

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.
________________________________________
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.
________________________________________

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.
________________________________________

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.
________________________________________

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

the game wont start.

I swear to god the president in this game is Hilary Clinton

Hot Take: I prefer this game over Bayonetta. There, i said it.

The graphics definitely shows its age. For ridiculous over the top action story, the voice acting delivers perfectly without sounding cringy.

The gameplay is like no other, it's really fun and satisfying combat. This is one of classic that deserves remake or at least remastered.

The game: 9/10. Story felt interrupted, I was hoping to kill the bad guy (boss in the mid game). Probably the devs leave that open ended for possibility to a sequel that we’ve never had.

The ending credits 11/10.

I first played Vanquish on the PS3, it was a really fun game but i never replayed it and remembered thinking hey this would feel better with Mouse and Keyboard. Well the PC version on it Plays smooth as butter, the high octane gameplay still feels fast and frenetic but really has that improved aiming of a mouse making taking out multiple enemies and rapid succession is smooth and easy. Would probably just say this might be a better values pickup when on sale but its a really fun time.

Really the most enjoyable FPS I've played in decades.

Game's a blast, would recommend. has Warframe and Mass Effect type of vibe and gameplay with Sega's charm.

One of my big surprises from Platinum to make such fluid and high octane cover shooter (not really lol). I wish Platinum can either come back to this style of game or more games gets inspired from the mechanics here.

Game was amazing, feels like a soft prequel to MGR:R
Can't believe I hear people saying others say it sucks, marvel of an old game, suit is meant for boosting from cover to cover with as much slomo as possible for headtaps imo.
10/10 gameplay
10/10 (silly goofy) story

This game is honestly so goddamn fun with fun movement mechanics, shooting, upgrades, story etc. It's so ridiculously over the top that it's actually amazing. While at first I was a bit confused and whelmed, it very quickly picks up and gets you into the action. It's short but damn is it worth it if you really want a game that you can go in kill a bunch of aliens and enjoy yourself whilst doing it. The game ain't to difficult but sometimes has some enemies that will kick your ass. The story is also over the top and just very "japan's interpretation of America" which is amazing and funny as hell. Definitely worth it please just play it

9 / 10

The game is soo boring I don't recommend it in 2025

do not play this game with controller because you will not enjoy the game that much if we compared it with mouse and keyboard

Shinji Mikami really said "I want to make the coolest shooter ever" and basically did it.

And not enough people bought it so this will never get a sequel.

Dang.

Don`t sleep on it metal gear rising but good

Fun game to play. I recommended. Huge bosses, large guns and lots of enemies. What not to like.

Bad graphics, the last bosses is complete garbage tag teaming you and zapping your shields, they take almost no damage with any weapon on casual auto. It was like the developers saying, " enjoy the game until we cheat you of victory." It was on sale for a good reason.

AMAZING GAME. Pure adrenaline, awesome mechanics, phenomenal visuals and designs; overall a masterpiece of a game.

The only letdown aspect of the game has got to be the story; the game was full of LONG ASS cutscenes (which eventually gets repetitive and boring) with little to no character development, in addition to the overall story being 'decent' at best.

Albeit, as mentioned earlier, the mechanics of this game are otherworldly - one of the best in any shooter game... Hell, even by today's standards, this game looks pretty good!

I'd totally recommend this game if you were a fan of Dead Space, Metal Gear Rising and Bayonetta. Truly a hidden gem; ONE of the most SLEPT ON games of all time.

Vanquish is a great game, but it's not for everyone.
It mixes fun, fast combat with linear but challenging levels to create a unique gameplay experience.
When you read the reviews on this game, you'll see a lot of people saying "The story sucks!" Be aware: that's the point. Vanquish is one of those games that's not meant to be taken seriously. The gameplay was obviously the focus, and the story exists solely to give the player a reason to travel through these weird cyber environments. I'm not sure how anyone can look at something so clearly over the top like Vanquish and go "Aah, yes. I'm sure the story is emasculate."
Another thing you see is "the suit function is never used meaningfully!" And, while partially true, I found that the suit works best when you *make* your own uses for it. Use it for repositioning, get cool retreating shots, use it to quickly grab weapons on the run. It's a tool that the game doesn't give you a prompt to use. The player has to figure out when and how to use it in combat on their own, creating their own unique play style in the process.

The biggest critique I personally have is the length of the game.
Vanquish is a lot like Metal Gear Rising where the game is insanely fun. . . but painfully short. I was able to zoom through his game on a blind playthrough and reach the final boss in a just a few hours. The final boss felt like a mid-boss, like there should be more after him. But, no, it just ends.

Still an insanely fun game that's worth your time.
9/10

A decent game to kill some time. Plot is meh, but the movement mechanics are awesome

I know I've only played for 25 minutes but sliding on your ass is really fun. Try this "cover" shooter out, it'll blow your COGs off.

100% this on the PS3. Don't know if I'll undertake that again here, but this is still the greatest third person shooter imo. And one of the best games in making you feel like a god.

very good port

Visuals are beautiful but gameplay and story sucks

One of the greatest games ever made. Must buy.

My knees hurt... (9/10)

But Seriously, The cut-scenes in this game are outstanding, featuring great camera angles and great dialogue.

The game play is incredibly fun, with smooth and engaging movement mechanics. It's unfortunate this title never received a sequel—I’d gladly pay for another installment.

The ending credits are a standout feature, offering a creative twist by turning them into a mini-game where you shoot asteroids with the developers' faces on them. It's a rare and enjoyable way to make the credits entertaining.

Please ignore the playtime - I couldn't make the steam version work with w11, and I couldn't refund either, so I had to "acquire" a separate version.
_________________

Vanquish right after the last fight: 75%
Vanquish right after the last cutscene: WOW, THIS GAME IS A CERTIFIED BANGER

Also, Elena can fix me

You don't like this something wrong with you. Tonnes of replay value.

I've been anticipating playing Vanquish for a long time. All the gameplay clips I've seen have showcased how fun, intense and insane this third person shooter looked. Having now played it for a good few hours, I was left a bit disappointed. The game has great shooting and movement mechanics, making the gameplay loop very satisfying. However, after three hours or so, this loop becomes very repetitive and doesn't do much that's interesting. The boss fights, while they can be exhilarating, don't do enough to challenge you. Coupled with some seriously goofy characters and a threadbare, incoherent story, the game fell flat on its face. 6/10.

Great art direction, cool cinematics, and decent gameplay, although the story is kinda poo poo.