Then Vanquish came out several months ago as a PlayStation Plus freebie - and boy am I glad it did. It is a short but fun ride that I would purchase a sequel to if it came out. You play the part of a soldier in a very enhanced cyber suit that gives you a variety of combat and movement options. The story is nothing special, but the combat is worth the price of admission.
Graphics - 8:
Action is a constant. With all of the moving parts, gunfire and overall detail in both character models and environment, I was amazed that the game did not suffer from slowdown. The framerate holds up beautifully though, and lets you focus on what Vanquish wants you to do - shoot things and make them blow up.
Sound & Music - 7:
The voice acting gets the job done, but neither the story or the characters are terribly interesting. As a result, I seldom cared what was being said. There is a short of thrumming techno background sound in most of the levels that fits nicely, and things blow up and zap convincingly and given some of the impressive set pieces where combat takes place, those explosions are a treat.
Gameplay - 9:
Vanquish is an entertaining shooter. On those merits alone, this game is better than a lot of others. There is an interesting if somewhat simple upgrade system that adds a sense of character progression while you play. On top of that, Vanquish throws a lot of weapons and powerups your way. Best of all, there is a 'boost' system where you can zoom around the field of combat, invoking a Matrix-like slow motion effect that simply put, is a lot of fun.
Intangibles - 6:
There is no New Game Plus, there is no online, and the ride is over in about eight hours. Vanquish is a lot of fun - but it is a short-lived affair. There is a challenge mode that you can try once the story is done, but it really does not add much life to the title. On top of that, the story is not terribly interesting, nor are the characters themselves.
Overall 7.5:
Vanquish is what it is: a fun, fast shooter that I beat in a single day. I enjoyed it and would love to see a sequel come out, but I doubt I ever will. The audio and video is solid and the action is better-than-solid. I just wish it had a bit more meat on its bones because the experience is over far too quickly.
Wow, someone reviewed a PS3 game I've actually got! I bought this for a fiver about six months ago and have played it... twice :P It seems pretty cool but is the epitome of why I fear modern games - complicated, millions of buttons, don't kno what's going on, arrgghhh! I'm sure it's great for more evolved beings though :)
ReplyDelete"I enjoyed it and would love to see a sequel come out, but I doubt I ever will. "
ReplyDeleteJust throwing this thought out there...
BUT, with Nintendo's current relationship with Platinum games, and Bayonetta 2 happening because of the relationship, I wonder if Vanquish could get a sequel on the Wii U? Not really sure how well this one sold, compared to something like Bayonetta though.
It sounds like perhaps this was a "start" game, with them experimenting in the genre some, and that a sequel could be more fully fleshed out.
I think that's probably exactly what this was - sort of a starter title. It was not terribly long, offered no multiplayer, and some of the characters were a bit cardboard - but the game itself was a LOT of fun. Good point on Bayonetta 2 - another series I had thought was one-and-done. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by!
Haha - I had it for quite a time before I actually got around to playing it, but yeah - there are a lot of things that you have to monitor and control. For some people, it can definitely be too much.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you pop in. :)
I have this game on my backlog. My friend keeps telling me that he started the game and quickly quit the game cause the game was just too horrible lol. Of course I can't always go with his instincts on games cause sometimes what he likes, I hate and vice versa lol.
ReplyDeleteHopefully soon I'll start Vanquish. I heard getting the platinum trophy is hard with the challenges they have in this game.
Yeah, I definitely did not even try for the Plat - there were some REALLY tough trophies in there. Good thing is, it's really not much of an investment for you on time - I beat it in an afternoon.
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by!