Review: Vanquish

[Dana22]

Even in the future Russians are the bad guys.

 

[Armored Prayer]

Looks nice, I'll probably rent it.

I love Gears of War and if Vanquish is supposed to be similar to Gears it then I'd might enjoy it.

 

[binvjoh]

The automated reaction suit, or the A-R-S, or the "arse".

 

[nipsen]

If this is meant to be a commentary on western-made games, they seem to do a good job of it. I mean, they even made Russians the bad guys. If that's not typical of an FPS trying to seem realistic these days, I don't know what is.

The much smaller but faster and wiry man has to comes along because the giant marine, with biceps bigger than Sam's head and a even larger gun, needs the help. If that's not some kind of commentary I don't know what is.

..hold on. ...hold on.

Let me try to get my head around this.

Just a second.

Ok. You're seriously suggesting that the people who made historical epics and socio-political soliloquoies such as.. Madworld and Bayonetta - made the fast main character to represent Japan. And the burly character to represent the US?

No offense, but you have issues. He's a football player. He's supposed to be running fast. What rugby player does not run fast? Is any slow football player a political commentary on something next?

Besides, the entire thing is spat right out of Starship Troopers and Halo - and this is what you're ending up with? Seeing a pop-corn movie game as a bump from the slit-eyes?

Holy crap.

 

[wolf thing]

look good might pic it up. but one question whats a coodayta?

 

[Slycne]

The much smaller but faster and wiry man has to comes along because the giant marine, with biceps bigger than Sam's head and a even larger gun, needs the help. If that's not some kind of commentary I don't know what is.

..hold on. ...hold on.

Let me try to get my head around this.

Just a second.

Ok. You're seriously suggesting that the people who made historical epics and socio-political soliloquoies such as.. Madworld and Bayonetta - made the fast main character to represent Japan. And the burly character to represent the US?

No offense, but you have issues. He's a football player. He's supposed to be running fast. What rugby player does not run fast? Is any slow football player a political commentary on something next?

Besides, the entire thing is spat right out of Starship Troopers and Halo - and this is what you're ending up with? Seeing a pop-corn movie game as a bump from the slit-eyes?

Holy crap.

And Vanquish isn't allowed to have symbolism why? Platinum Games is still largely made up of the dissolved Clover Studio, which gave us for instance Okami.

I thought it was a hilarious meta and tongue-in-cheek commentary jab by a Japanese developer to their Western counter-parts. I think you might be misinterpreting that I felt this was some horrible affront to the US and western game design.

 

[Sonicron]

I've got it as a rental right now, and I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised. Definitely not what I'd call 'generic'.

 

[KDR_11k]

I'm enjoying Vanquish but it's not a top tier game (it does not feel very awesome unlike something like EDF). Most of the time it's fairly standard cover shooting, only really changing much when you're forced to improvise and use your abilities to survive when cover isn't available.

The emergency AR mode is a freebie, it triggers when you're extremely low on health so another bullet would kill you but while in AR mode bullets are slowed down so much they practically cannot hit you. I see the guaranteed overheat as a penalty for screwing up so badly that I triggered the emergency AR. When I'm playing well the emergency AR does not trigger. And I'm playing on hard.

BTW, Digital Foundry (those tech-nuts on Eurogamer) found out that the timer in the game is inaccurate and the number it shows is too low. The game is longer than people think from their completion time.

Oh and what's the issue with the controls? My only complaint would be that LB does not act as an A-dodge when you're overheated and trying to dodge out of the way of a big attack but then again you'll quickly get used to using A when you don't need the boost.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

I'd also like to bring up that, while the game's campaign is short, it's got high scores and leaderboards; it's not a game that you're going to master the first, or even the second time through. That replay value certainly works in the game's favor. Whether or not the concept of playing a game multiple times for gradual improvement is just as compelling a goal as beating it is up to the player, but if they fall into that niche, I think Vanquish will be a blast for them. It was for me, anyway.

That is exactly what I wanted to hear. I want this game, but after seeing that it was only 6 hours long I was a little upset. But if the replay value is high I'll definitely pick it up.

 

[Magners]

Looks very neat, but TF2 spy can light a cigarette in the middle of the combat.

Ahem! Have you played Metal Gear Solid? Smoking is a game mechanic!

 

[Malkavian]

Nice review, and certainly helpful in determining whether to get a game I was a bit on the fence about, but damn it's destracting and hard not to get mental images when the reviewer talks about the "arse" having "jet propulsion system".

 

[Aptspire]

All this destruction on a space colony? Explosive decompression anyone?

Also, I wonder if ARS was intentionally used as a homonym for arse here? Sadly, I think that kind of linguistic expertise is beyond most Japanese developers.

I don't know about the ARS-arse thing, but if you follow the 'plot' long enough, you'll find out that, yes, there IS Explosive Decompression
also, I loved Bayonetta, and I also loved Vanquished (you have more than giant robot enemies, lemme tell you)

 

[Aptspire]

look good might pic it up. but one question whats a coodayta?

it's spelled coup d'état, you know, when a rebel/separatist group (tries to) take control of a country
EDIT: oh, and those of you who remember Bayonetta's 'don't leave the controller' credits will be (un)happy to hear that this idea is back XD

 

[nipsen]

And Vanquish isn't allowed to have symbolism why? Platinum Games is still largely made up of the dissolved Clover Studio, which gave us for instance Okami.

I thought it was a hilarious meta and tongue-in-cheek commentary jab by a Japanese developer to their Western counter-parts. I think you might be misinterpreting that I felt this was some horrible affront to the US and western game design.

.. This is where I deliberately spill my drink, and excuse myself from the party, I guess.

 

[wolf thing]

look good might pic it up. but one question whats a coodayta?

it's spelled coup d'état, you know, when a rebel/separatist group (tries to) take control of a country
EDIT: oh, and those of you who remember Bayonetta's 'don't leave the controller' credits will be (un)happy to hear that this idea is back XD

oh right thanks

 

[Slycne]

And Vanquish isn't allowed to have symbolism why? Platinum Games is still largely made up of the dissolved Clover Studio, which gave us for instance Okami.

I thought it was a hilarious meta and tongue-in-cheek commentary jab by a Japanese developer to their Western counter-parts. I think you might be misinterpreting that I felt this was some horrible affront to the US and western game design.

.. This is where I deliberately spill my drink, and excuse myself from the party, I guess.

Ok? Bye.

 

[John Funk]

..uh. How is.. making you a bit vulnerable, but giving you superpowers enough to succeed against incredible odds.. somehow off the scale in wonkyness..? You know.. the entire cyber-suit thing.. doesn't ring a bell?

Another thing - please don't copy Kotaku's "review" style. Please, just don't. I mean, what about writing the recommendation in a sentence. Like you did anyway.

Oh, and where's the part where you wax poetically about Shakespearean undercurrents when blasting waves upon waves of identical enemies coming down from dropships..? I think all robot games should have that, you know. Some in-depth appreciation for the narrative devices in a work of art.

..seriously, though - how can you write an entire review about this game, and not mention the ridiculously over the top cutscenes?

We have no intention of aping anyone else's review style but our own.

And man, if you don't expect ridiculously over the top cutscenes in a Shinji Mikami game, you don't know that man.

 

[Draconalis]

If only it had co-op...

 

[roostuf]

Ok...sounds good but there is always something there that we won't see until we buy it, sure there are a few issues with the bullet time but then there is no such thing as a perfect game(quote from yahzee) besides thats it because mr.Funk noticed it. Still looks good and i hope it'll be on ps3.