Directed by Shinji Mikami, Vanquish is a sci-fi shooter of epic proportions with a fast, fluid and frenetic combat system, and an engaging and immersive storyline. Players take the role of Sam, a government agent kitted out with a futuristic battle suit, in a near future world where nations war over the planet's remaining energy resources. A versatile fighter with a huge arsenal of weaponry at his disposal, Sam also has an array of martial arts skills that he can use to take down his robot enemies.
It’s been seven years since Vanquish debuted on consoles, but its gameplay hasn’t aged a bit (which means it’s still impressive as hell) and benefits from 60 fps offered by the PC version. [08/2017, p.56]
Vanquish was and is an incredible experience and one of the most original and challenging third-person shooters.
Platinum didn't create a captivating universe with Vanquish, but it also serves as a showcase of some of their best pure action work. If you haven't had a chance to give it a shot yet, you might as well with the definitive version on PC.
Its lack of longevity and ancillary options are an issue, but this still plays like a classic and is one of the best shooters of its generation.
Vanquish deserved this second chance to reach a larger audience. The game has aged very well and is still as fun as it used to be.
Compared to Bayonetta, Vanquish has some catching up to do. The story and characters are forgettable, the environments quickly get stale, and there's no progression in weapons and powers. At the same time, the gameplay remains brilliant, with solid shooting that melds well with some very fast action; it's enough to overcome any visible flaws. With the improvements in frame rate, Vanquish is a good action shooter for anyone with even a mild interest in the genre.
Vanquish is a fun, dumb game that feels good to play when you get into a zone. If you're a fan of Escape From New York or other B-grade action films, Vanquish will appeal to you as well. While I wish that Vanquish would let me fully indulge in the many joys the game has to offer, budget and time added roadblocks to the experience. For 20 dollars, I can certainly recommend this to new players or true fans of the original. But if you didn't like Vanquish the first go-around, there's not a lot here other than a prettier looking version of the same game from the previous generation consoles.
May 10, 2017
Confirmed: Sega will publish the Vanquish PC port on May 25th. Read more
April 25, 2017
After Bayonetta’s port, Sega and Platinum Games could be porting Vanquish to PC.