It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Platinum Games. They produce AAA games that are different than the glut of mainstream games we generally receive. They’ve grown a lot since their destruction as Clover Studios into their new studio. And they have gathered a huge amount of the industries top talent. Just the founders, Shinji Mikami, Atsushi Inaba, and Hideki Kamiya, gave us some of the most important games of the PS2 era. Does Resident Evil 4 and Devil May Cry ring a bell? Those are just a couple of the games that these genius’ have created. That doesn’t include their huge IP list at Platinum Games now.
One of their sleeper hits from 2010 was Vanquish. This game blew me away when I played it. And it saddens me that so few people actually got their hands on a copy. Thankfully it was a free Xbox Games With Gold game in May and I hope that a lot of people downloaded it and saw what they missed. I know I downloaded it to my Xbox One so I could replay this title.
What I Loved About the Original
To say that this was an extremely fast-paced game would be an understatement. You had to be on your toes at all times while playing through levels on this game because it was such a quick and intense cover-based shooter. At the start of the game, it warns you that there are lots of flashing lights and that anyone with even a hint of epilepsy should not play. There were times when I was playing that I had to pause the game and wander out of the room to regain composure.
So Much To Take In
The screen would fill with bullets trying to hit me and I dodged them and shot my own at the hoards of enemies that were attempting to take my life. Let’s not forget Augmented Reaction or AR Mode. This was when your DARPA made suit would slow down time when your health goes too low so you can dodge attacks easier and aim with much more precision. I don’t believe that I had ever seen so much thrown at a player at one time. I’m honestly still yet to see that. Hopefully, a sequel will be announced so that they can top their original opus.
The story is pretty campy as well. You play as Sam Gideon a member of DARPA who is equipped with the Augmented Reaction Suit. This suit makes the game fun. It carries your weapons which you can switch on the fly, and swap out if you find a new one in the field. It can save your life by going in slow motion. And it can help you kill a bunch of enemies by going to slow motion and finally you can slide around in it with immense speeds. If this suit wasn’t in the game, then it would have been a pretty bland cover based shooter. Thankfully Platinum Games had some originality and sped up the formula to make it one of the most unique and speedy cover-based shooters.
What I Want in a Sequel
The most disappointing drawback to Vanquish was how short it was. I beat the game in about six hours and was left wanting more. I finished the game in about 6 hours on normal difficulty. And while the experience was amazing, I didn’t want it to end. Should Platinum Games bring Sam Gideon back into our homes I hope that he gets to stay over for more than 6 measly hours. With this suit, Gideon should be killing all sorts of robots and goofy villains with a smile on his face and a cigarette in his mouth. Bayonetta runs about twelve hours. I’m thinking they can craft a great story that won’t drag for Gideon and that will keep us all pleased.
I also want more satire in the game. This title was almost self-aware and when they mocked or paid homage to other games, companies and their prior games it was amazing. If you’re a fan of Metal Gear Solid, pre-Konami takeover, then you’ll see lots of little Easter Eggs regarding that series. Humor is also something that current titles lack. I laughed out loud several times during the course of this game. The banter was great and made the cut-scenes even better since they were gorgeous, to begin with. More humor, more gorgeous cut-scenes, and more gameplay would make me extremely happy should this game be announced at E3 2018.
