Vanquish is one of those games that just seems to fall by the wayside in the press and public knowledge, partly due to it’s style and publisher. It is developed by Platinum Games, a company known for releasing underground hits such as Mad World, Bayonetta and even lesser known Infinite Space. Though all of these games have received much praise they seldom sold well outside of Japan, and Vanquish looks to be no different. It is quite evident that it is a Japanese developed shooter, with a very similar feel to that of Lost Planet.
Lost Planet however was certainly successful in North America so I will use it is for a basis of comparison, though it is very different at the same time, there are certain elements that are common. Vanquish is a very fast-paced, third-person shooter set in a futuristic setting. You are some sort of super soldier set on a mission to, likely, save the world, the demo did not explain this much.
Much like Lost Planet and even Gears of war you getting an over-the-shoulder shaky-style camera to add to the intensity as you traverse the metallic terrain. You can auto-target enemies while aiming to quickly pick them off and there are many enemies to take down, this is where the fast pace comes into play. You can hold a maximum of three guns and two grenades which can be switched out by using the d-pad and X button picks up a dropped weapon.
The main aspect that I really enjoyed about the gameplay was the ability to dodge, very quickly, and it is actually a quick way to move around the area, it just feels really good. The majority of gameplay is dodge, cover, shoot which sounds pretty boring but there is enough action to keep it interesting and fun. The end boss of the demo was fairly difficult as he destroys your cover and has two forms, also the turrets set up to assist you run out of ammo, unlike what what has become familiar in other games, *cough* halo *cough*.
All in all the game seems challenging and fun with a unique twist on the genre, that being the dodge system and esthetic. If you enjoy Platinum Games, Lost Planet or just Japanese style-shooter then you should definitely check out the demo, or purchase the game on October 19th for North America and October 22 for Europeans.
