Vanquish 10th Anniversary Edition Review (PS4) – Stylish Killing

Like Bayonetta, Vanquish is one of Platinum Games most loves games from the PS3 and Xbox 360 generation. It’s another game from the studio that includes stylish, fast-paced action with fun mechanics and a lot going on. However, unlike Bayonetta, Vanquish is a third-person shooter, with cover mechanics and no aerial acrobatics.

But that’s fine. Vanquish is stylish in a very different way, that it makes its own. Players are Sam Gideon, DARPA agent. With his Augmented Reaction Suit, Gideon is able to tear up the battlefield and perform feats of acrobatics and movement that regular humans simply can’t.

With multiple weapons to choose from, melee, grenades and dozens of upgrades, Vanquish gives players an exciting version of a shooter with all the style and over-the-top action they can handle.

Vanquish 10th Anniversary Edition Review

The plot in Vanquish is a load of old rubbish. It’s a standard global warfare story that pits the US against Russia. There’s blackmail, double-crossing and a whole bunch of other stuff you’ll skip just to get back to the action. Skipping the cutscenes is also advisable due to the appallingly bad voice acting.

In fact, Vanquish would be even better if it had no story at all. Which is how I treat it. Essentially, it’s one long sequence of combat scenarios that gradually increase in difficulty and size.

And it’s really bloody good.

What makes Vanquish so good is the suit Gideon is wearing. By pressing L1, he can slide forward and cross great distances in very short amounts of time. Even better, while sliding, if you hold down L2 to ADS, time dilates and everything slows down, giving you the ability to aim and shoot with greater precision.

Players can also press X to dodge and enter a time dilation state without moving. This can also be done from cover and is automatically triggered when your health gets low enough.

The suit allows Gideon to carry three weapons at a time — and two types of grenades — which he can switch between at will. There are a total of 11 weapons in Vanquish and you find them as you explore the world and defeat enemies. What you choose to use will depend on your playstyle. Though I like a combination of sniper, machine gun and shotgun.

There’s an emphasis on speed and style too as you’re given a score at the end of each sequence. The better you perform, the fewer times you die and the more enemies you defeat, the higher your score. It makes you want to go back again and do better and score higher.

There’s a lot to like about Vanquish and it’s easy to see why it was so well-liked on release. There are some minor niggles and it’s definitely a product of its time, however, it still stands up today as a great action game.

Being able to play in 4K and 60fps is a real treat and even though the visuals are dated and are definitely not the prettiest, Vanquish is still a visual treat. It’s got a tonne of flair and some great effects and it keeps you interested for the duration.

It’s a game that will probably be most enjoyed for the nostalgia but it’s one that newcomers will also get a kick out of.

Vanquish 10th Anniversary Edition was reviewed on PS4 Pro using a digital copy provided by SEGA.