Games You May Have Missed! – Vanquish

Futuristic sci-fi action mayhem!

Available on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC, Vanquish is a third-person futuristic shooter directed by Shinji Mikami and published by Sega. Eventually released in October 2010, after being in development since 2007; you play US agent Sam Gideon in a futuristic battle where nations fight for what's left of the Earth's natural resources. Vanquish begins with Russian forces capturing the American Space Station, and diverting its solar energy to create a powerful Death Star-esque weapon. They then demonstrate the weapon's power by destroying San Francisco in an epic blast of energy. The main antagonist, Victor Zaitsev, demands the US surrender or New York City is next in line for obliteration. Predictably, the US retaliates to the catastrophe and declares war. Armed with the Augmented Reaction Suit, or ARS for short, Sam and his team head out to overthrow hostiles, rescue hostages and exterminate any resistance that they encounter.

Sam in the ARS

So what makes this game so good?


Well from the beginning, you’re treated to superb visuals, most notably thanks to the ARS, which gives you the ability to slow down time and pick out the perfect kill. Also, boosters enable you to travel at frantic speeds across the gorgeous environments.

Additionally, if you find yourself facing near-certain death, the ARS automatically enters a slow-motion bullet time mode which gives you time to vacate the danger area. You can also enter this mode at any time, which looks brilliant when sliding towards an enemy and emptying a full clip into them as chaos ensues all around you.

Indeed, the chance to use Sam's abilities while travelling at high speeds is a joy to behold. That said, you must logically plan your way of attack as the boost bar decreases over time, meaning you have to find cover or remain full guns blazing while it regenerates.

Additionally, it’s not only the sliding at breakneck speed that will impress you; the weapons system (BLADE) is a neat way to equip your guns. Instead of the traditional switching of firearms from the players back like in Mass Effect, or selecting one of twenty types of weapon from thin air like a Fallout game; each gun transforms into another. Your assault rifle will morph into a sniper rifle, and then back into a pistol in a seamless dynamic animation which looks phenomenal.

In the future, we don't smoke e-cigarettes

As standard, there are many weapon upgrades which you’ll find as the story progresses, as well as multiple opportunities to use vehicles and turrets. There are several boss fights to partake in which consist of strategic gunplay and incorporate several quick time events.

The general feedback among many critics of the game was extremely positive, with it winning multiple 'game of the year' awards from various publications. As of March 2011, Vanquish has sold 830,000 copies worldwide on both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. If you consider that Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 has sold close to $20 million units as of today on just the PS3, Vanquish's numbers seem almost criminal. Of course, the Call of Duty franchise is a lot bigger and well-known, but even Resident Evil 5 sold close to $10 million copies on just the PlayStation format alone.

Personally, I find it a shame that this exhilarating game has somewhat slipped under the radar. So, the point of this article and more to follow of this category is to give you the chance to try something you may not even of heard about, and seeing how this game is now approaching six years' since its release; something which you can pick up at a bargain price. It still holds it’s own against many new releases today, and even surpasses many games which have received more attention than what they’ve warranted.

So give Vanquish a chance it deserves, you certainly won’t regret it.