Vanquish | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | PlatinumGames [lower-alpha 1] |
Publisher(s) | Sega |
Director(s) | Shinji Mikami |
Producer(s) |
|
Designer(s) |
|
Programmer(s) |
|
Artist(s) |
|
Writer(s) |
|
Composer(s) |
|
Platform(s) | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One |
Release | |
Genre(s) | Action, third-person shooter |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Vanquish [lower-alpha 2] is an action third-person shooter video game developed by PlatinumGames and published by Sega for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It began development in 2007 [1] and was released worldwide in October 2010. [2] A Windows port was released on May 25, 2017. [3] A compilation titled Bayonetta & Vanquish 10th Anniversary Bundle was released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on February 18, 2020, including remastered versions of the game and PlatinumGames' Bayonetta .
The game is notable for introducing several innovations to the 3D shooter genre, including a fast-paced style of gameplay reminiscent of 2D bullet hell shooters, [4] beat 'em up elements, [5] and an original sliding-boost mechanic. [6] It received a positive critical reaction upon release, with critics praising the game's fast-paced action, innovations to the shooter genre, boss battles and visual style, while criticizing the game's writing, voice acting and overall short length of the campaign. The game is estimated to have sold over 1 million units worldwide.
Players control Sam Gideon, a DARPA agent armed with the Augmented Reaction Suit. If the player takes too much damage, the suit will automatically enter Augmented Reaction (AR) mode. AR mode increases Sam's reflexes tenfold, essentially slowing down time for Sam to evade attacks. The player can also manually enter AR mode by holding down the aim button while evading, sliding, or vaulting over cover, allowing the player to target enemies (and their weak spots) easily. At any time, the player can use boosters on the suit to quickly slide across an area. If the player uses AR mode or the boosters too much in a short time, the suit will overheat and will require a short period to cool down, during which Sam is less mobile (and cannot use the boosters or AR mode). The suit will also overheat, when the player uses a melee attack near the enemy among other certain areas.
Sam's arsenal consists of the BLADE weapons system and two types of grenades. The BLADE system can store up to three weapons at a time (from a total of eight standard weapon types, plus three added in a DLC pack). The player is able to swap weapons if they come across a type of weapon not already in their possession by simply holding down the reload button. This will replace the weapon in the active weapon slot.
These weapons, and the grenades, can be upgraded by collecting upgrade chips. Collecting a type of weapon already in the player's inventory will replenish its ammunition, while doing so with maximum ammunition constitutes one third of an upgrade. Upgrading a weapon improves its statistics, such as their maximum ammunition capacity, firepower, and blast radius. Players can aid injured allies on the field to earn weapons, or find them in crates or weapon lockers.
On Normal and Hard difficulty levels, the active weapon is downgraded by one level upon death, while the God Hard difficulty level prohibits upgrades altogether.
Other gameplay mechanics include the use of explosives during certain areas, the ability to commandeer enemy walkers or turrets, the ability to use cigarettes to distract enemies, and quick-time events during certain battles against larger or stronger enemies.
It has also significantly improved upon the cover system, which it has been credited for taking "to the next level." In contrast to previous cover-based shooters, the game has bullets and missiles coming from all directions in a manner reminiscent of bullet hell shooters.
Some cover is easily destructible, forcing Sam to be on the move, while the game also penalizes the player's score for the amount of time spent in cover. [4] [7] [8] Its most important innovation, however, is the aforementioned sliding-boost mechanic that allows the player to slide into and out of cover at high speeds (and in slow motion using AR mode), [8] acting as a defensive escape and an offensive set up, opening up new gameplay possibilities for cover-based shooters and increasing the pace significantly. [6]
The game features a unique end credits rail shooting sequence, depicting faces of staff members on asteroids. [9]
In the near future, Earth's human population burgeons to the point where nations fight for scarce resources. The United States of America attempts to alleviate energy problems by launching SC-01 Providence, an O'Neil Cylinder space colony using a solar energy microwave transmitter to provide them with an alternative source. However, the government of the Russian Federation of Eurasia has been overthrown in a coup d'état by a section of the military, calling themselves the Order of the Russian Star. They capture Providence and use the microwave transmitter to devastate San Francisco. Victor Zaitsev (Marc Worden / Yoshirō Matsumoto), a Russian Star agent, demands the American government to surrender or he will target New York City. [10]
Elizabeth Winters (Lee Meriwether / Orine Fukushima), the President of the United States, sends Lieutenant Colonel Robert Burns (Steve Blum / Teruyuki Tanzawa) to infiltrate the station, along with the Bravo Company, an army of space Marines. They recruit Sam Gideon (Gideon Emery / Kenichirou Matsuda), a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) soldier equipped with the prototype Augmented Reaction Suit (ARS), a cutting-edge battlesuit outfitted with a vast array of functions, including jet boosters attached to his thighs. He is armed with the experimental Battlefield Logic Adaptable Electronic Weapon System (BLADE), which scans existing weapons and transforms into them. It stores only three scans at a time and can shapeshift between each on command. He is assisted by Elena Ivanova (Kari Wahlgren / Chieko Honda) aboard the SBC2 command ship. The mission gives DARPA the perfect chance to test the suit. Winters gives classified orders for Sam to rescue scientist Dr. Francois Candide (Benito Martinez / Hitoshi Bifu), whom Zaitsev kidnapped. While Sam and Burns infiltrate Providence, Candide disables the microwave. [11]
As Sam reaches the microwave station, Candide tells Sam that Burns and Winters have betrayed the United States, before being killed by Burns. Burns tells Sam that he will change the microwave's target to Moscow under Winters' orders, explaining the city's destruction as an "economic stimulus package." Sam defeats Burns, who orders him to escape. Burns uses a bomb in his bionic arm to kill himself and the remaining Bravo Company troops. Zaitsev tells Sam that Winters had secretly supported the Order of the Russian Star, but she betrayed them by using the coup as a pretext to declare war on Russia. He claims that she intends to use it to cement American hegemony worldwide and that the Order preemptively attacked the station as retribution. Sam defeats two slave units and learns that Zaitsev was controlling them remotely. Zaitsev activates a tactical nuke inside the remaining suit to destroy Providence and prevent anyone from reclaiming it. Sam boards an escape pod and survives the explosion, reuniting with Elena on their ship. Zaitsev escapes as well and is congratulated by his superiors for accomplishing the mission and being told to move on to the next phase of the plan. Winters commits suicide after realizing that Sam has enough evidence to have her charged with treason.
Shinji Mikami stated that the game's graphics were partially inspired by Casshern , a 1970s anime series by Tatsunoko Production. [12] Mikami also stated that the game design itself was inspired by Casshern. Mikami originally wanted to create a game just like Casshern, but with the addition of guns, since Mikami had already previously created a brawler with God Hand . However, while making Vanquish a shooter, Mikami still wanted to maintain Casshern's "feeling of speed", which is the reason he introduced the sliding-boost mechanic. [13] Vanquish uses the Havok physics engine. [14]
The game's development began in 2007. In January 2010, a pre-rendered video trailer was released. [1] [15] Atsushi Inaba produced the game. Mikami has stated that the game is being developed with the PlayStation 3 as its lead platform in an effort to "help avoid dodgy PS3 ports", commenting that it was a "great success." [16] [17] It is Mikami's only game under the PlatinumGames brand.
If pre-ordered from GameStop in North America, the game came with the exclusive "Tri-Weapon" DLC pack [18] that later became available for sale on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network in November 2012.[ citation needed ] The three weapons in the pack are included in later ports.
Several European retailers offered free copies of Bayonetta with pre-orders of Vanquish.[ citation needed ] Zavvi in the UK offered a Limited Edition release which included a statuette of lead protagonist Sam Gideon as a pre-order bonus. [19]
To celebrate the game's tenth anniversary, Sega announced a Bayonetta & Vanquish 10th Anniversary Bundle compilation for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The retail release includes a steelbook and Vanquish, alongside fellow PlatinumGames title Bayonetta, on a single disc, with support for 4K 60fps visuals for PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X users. Both games can also be purchased digitally either individually or collectively at a discount price. The 10th Anniversary Bundle was released on February 18, 2020. [20]
Aggregator | Score | |
---|---|---|
PS3 | Xbox 360 | |
Metacritic | 84/100 [21] | 84/100 [22] |
Publication | Score | |
---|---|---|
PS3 | Xbox 360 | |
Destructoid | N/A | 5/10 [23] |
Edge | 8/10 [24] | N/A |
Eurogamer | N/A | 9/10 [25] |
Game Informer | N/A | 7.75/10 [26] |
GamePro | N/A | [27] |
GameRevolution | B+ [28] | B+ [28] |
GameSpot | 9/10 [29] | 9/10 [29] |
GameTrailers | N/A | 9/10 [30] |
GameZone | 7/10 [31] | 7/10 [31] |
Giant Bomb | [32] | [32] |
IGN | 8.5/10 [33] | 8.5/10 [33] |
Joystiq | N/A | [34] |
Official Xbox Magazine (US) | N/A | 9/10 [35] |
PlayStation: The Official Magazine | 8/10 [36] | N/A |
The Daily Telegraph | N/A | 9/10 [8] |
The Escapist | [37] | N/A |
Publication | Award |
---|---|
CGR, Zavvi.com | Game of the Year [38] [39] |
X360 | Best Shooter |
IGN [40] | Best Sci-Fi Game (PS3) [41] |
GameSpot | Best Game No One Played [42] |
GameSpot | Best Original Game Mechanic [6] |
GamesRadar | Most "Oh Shit" Moments Per Minute [43] |
The game received "favorable" reviews according to video game review aggregator Metacritic. [21] [22] Many reviewers praised the game's visuals, gameplay, [44] innovation, fast pace, and over-the-top style, though some also criticized its short length, lack of multiplayer, mediocre plot, [33] and corny dialogue. [45] GameTrailers noted that it is hard to imagine the slow-motion gameplay working in multiplayer. [30] Game Informer stated, "Don't be surprised if you finish your first playthrough in four hours or less." [26] This view was challenged by PlatinumGames' writer Jean Pierre Kellams [46] as well as Eurogamer . [47]
Famitsu gave the game a score of two nines, one ten and one nine, for a total of 37 out of 40. [48] Elsewhere, The Daily Telegraph gave the Xbox 360 version a score of nine out of ten and called it "a fast-paced, high-octane and resolutely hard-core shooter, which makes no concessions to casual gamers. It also happens to be one of the best games of 2010." [8] The A.V. Club gave the same console version a B+, calling it "flat-out ridiculous, designed strictly to amuse, not to offer any greater message." [49] The Escapist gave the PlayStation 3 version a score of four stars out of five, saying, "All of the trappings are perfectly sound if not extraordinary, and despite one or two incredibly vexing design decisions, Vanquish's combat is blisteringly fast and a genuine pleasure to watch and play when it's going well - but an exercise in maddening frustration when it isn't." [37] The Guardian also gave the same console version four stars out of five, saying that it "isn't going to change the face of gaming, but it's impressive to behold, satisfying to play (as long as you're reasonably hardcore) and shot through with humour (look out, for example, for the robots dancing to a ghetto-blaster which transforms into a mobile gun). It's the best thing Shinji Mikami has done for quite a while." [50] Eurogamer said it was "a game of astounding creativity and polish" and "the best third-person shooter ever to come out of Japan." Their only minor criticism was the title's replay value, "perhaps the only area of the game which lags behind its Western counterparts." [51]
The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game respectively debuted at number four (48,318 units) and number 14 (11,204 units) on Japanese sales charts during their release week. [52] By February 2011, the game had sold 820,000 copies worldwide. [53] By March 2011, the game had sold 830,000 copies worldwide on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms. [54]
By July 2018, the PC version had approximately 143,289 players. [55] Steam Spy estimates the Steam version sold over 200,000 copies by December 2018 [56] and more than 500,000 units as of 2024, [57] adding up to more than 1.33 million units sold across all platforms.
The game received Game of the Year awards from the Classic Game Room, [38] and Zavvi.com. [39] X360 gave it the "Best Shooter" award, [40] and GamesRadar gave it an award for Most "Oh Shit" Moments Per Minute. [43] IGN gave it the "Best Sci-Fi Game" award in the PS3 category, [41] and nominated the game for the awards of "Coolest Atmosphere", [58] "Most Challenging", [59] "Most Addictive Game", [60] "Best Visuals" [61] and "Best Blockbuster Game". [62] GameSpot gave the game the awards for "Best Game No One Played", both the editors' award and the Readers' Choice award, [42] and "Best Original Game Mechanic" for its rocket-sliding game mechanic, which acts as both a defensive escape and an offensive setup, opening up new gameplay possibilities for action games. [6] GameSpot also nominated the game for the awards of "Best Shooter", [63] "Best Sound Design", [64] "Best Original IP", [65] "Best Xbox 360 Game", [66] "Best PS3 Game" [67] and overall "Game of the Year". [68]
Shinji Mikami is a Japanese video game designer, director, and producer. Starting his career at Capcom in 1990, he has worked on many of the company's most successful games. He directed the first installment of the Resident Evil series in 1996 and the first installment of the Dino Crisis series in 1999, both survival horror games. He returned to Resident Evil to direct the remake of the first game in 2002 and the third-person shooter Resident Evil 4 in 2005. In 2006, he directed his final Capcom game God Hand, a beat 'em up action game. Mikami founded PlatinumGames and directed the third-person shooter Vanquish in 2010. The same year, he founded his own studio Tango Gameworks which has since been acquired by the American company ZeniMax Media. Under his studio, he directed the third-person horror game The Evil Within in 2014. He has also served the roles of producer and executive producer for many games.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent is a 2006 stealth game developed by Ubisoft Milan and Ubisoft Shanghai, and published by Ubisoft. The Splinter Cell series, endorsed by American author Tom Clancy, follows Sam Fisher, an agent employed by a black-ops division of the National Security Agency (NSA), dubbed Third Echelon. The game was released for GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox and Xbox 360 in October 2006. The Wii and Windows versions were released in November 2006. A PlayStation 3 version was released in March 2007.
Fight Night Round 3 is a boxing video game developed by Electronic Arts. It is the sequel to EA Sports' previous boxing title, Fight Night Round 2, which was released in 2005. Fight Night Round 3 was released on February 21, 2006, for the Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 2. The mobile phone version was released on November 30, 2006, and the PlayStation 3 version was released five days later.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas is the sixth game in the Rainbow Six series of video games. It was released in November 2006 for the Xbox 360, December 2006 for Windows, and in June 2007 for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. The game's storyline follows a new team that is dispatched to Las Vegas, Nevada to defeat international terrorist Irena Morales and her army of mercenaries that are repeatedly attacking key locations in the city. A sequel developed by Ubisoft Montreal was released on Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 consoles in March 2008 and on PC in April 2008. The game is also playable on Xbox Series X with online features still available.
PlatinumGames Inc. is a Japanese video game developer that was founded in October 2007 as result of a merger between two companies, Seeds Inc. and Odd Inc. Shinji Mikami, Atsushi Inaba, and Hideki Kamiya founded Seeds Inc. after the closure of Capcom's Clover Studio, while Odd Inc. was founded by Tatsuya Minami. A year after the studio was founded, video game publisher Sega announced that it would be publishing four intellectual properties developed by the company: MadWorld, Infinite Space, Bayonetta, and Vanquish. Their partnership later extended to include Anarchy Reigns. Most of these games were met with positive reception. Over the years, PlatinumGames had developed an expertise in action games and one of their key philosophies was that the team would not follow conventional game design concepts.
Hail to the Chimp is a video game developed by Wideload Games and published by Gamecock Media Group. It was released in 2008 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
The Saboteur is an action-adventure video game developed by Pandemic Studios and published by Electronic Arts. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in December 2009. A mobile version of the game was developed and released by Hands-On Mobile for BlackBerry on January 21, 2010, for iOS on March 24, 2010. The game is set in German-occupied France during World War II, and follows Sean Devlin, an Irish race car driver and mechanic, who joins the French Resistance to liberate Paris after his best friend is killed by Nazi forces.
Rage is a first-person shooter video game developed by id Software and published by Bethesda Softworks, released in October 2011 for Microsoft Windows, the PlayStation 3, and the Xbox 360, and in February 2012 for OS X. It was first shown as a tech demo at the 2007 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference and was announced at the QuakeCon. Rage uses id Software's id Tech 5 game engine and is the final game released by the company under the supervision of founder John Carmack.
Dark Void is a 2010 third-person shooter game developed by Airtight Games and published by Capcom. In the game, players must face an alien threat that humanity had previously banished. It was released for PlayStation 3, Windows, and Xbox 360 in January 2010. It received mixed reviews from critics.
FIFA Street 3 is an arcade-style sports game for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo DS. It is the third game in the FIFA Street series from EA Sports BIG, and is the last title released under the brand. This game was followed up by the 2012 reboot of FIFA Street, but that game does not have EA Sports BIG sub-brand.
1942: Joint Strike is a video game developed by Backbone Entertainment for Xbox 360 through Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation 3 through PlayStation Network. It was released in 2008. It is the remake of the original 1984 video game 1942.
Bayonetta is a 2009 action-adventure game developed by PlatinumGames and published by Sega. It was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in Japan in October 2009, and in North America and Europe in January 2010. It was released on Wii U in September 2014, Windows in April 2017, Nintendo Switch in February 2018, and PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in February 2020.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 is a sports video game developed by EA Tiburon for the PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360 versions and Exient Entertainment for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable versions and published by EA Sports for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii and Xbox 360.
Singularity is a 2010 first-person shooter survival horror video game developed by Raven Software and published by Activision and released for Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is built on Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3.
Wanted: Weapons of Fate is a third-person shooter video game, first developed and published by I-play in 2008, before being developed by Grin and published by Warner Bros. Interactive and distributed by Universal Studios in 2009, based on the film of the same name. It was released for mobile phones, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
G-Force is an action platform video game based on the film of the same name. It was released in July 2009 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360, iOS and mobile phones.
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for PlayStation 2 (PS2), PlayStation 3 (PS3), PlayStation Portable (PSP), Xbox 360, and Wii systems. The game was released worldwide in October 2010, with the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions for Japan in February 2011.
Red Faction: Armageddon is a third-person shooter video game developed by Volition and published by THQ in association with the TV network Syfy. It is the fourth and final installment in the Red Faction series, and was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in various countries around the world between June 7 and June 10, 2011.
Hard Corps: Uprising is a run and gun video game developed by Arc System Works and published by Konami for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. The game was released digitally on Xbox Live Arcade on February 16, 2011 and on the PlayStation Network in March 2011. In Hard Corps: Uprising, the player assumes the role of an elite soldier simply called Bahamut, along with other main characters. Konami has added three additional player characters via downloadable content.
Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team is a top-down shooter game with twin-stick control, set in the Warhammer 40,000 future fantasy universe. Players play as Space Marines attempting to halt an Ork invasion spaceship, facing orks and, later, Tyranids. Four Space Marine classes are playable Sternguard Veteran, Techmarine, Vanguard Veteran and Librarian. The first two focusing on Shooting the later two on melee. The game supports single player and same screen multiplayer modes.
{{cite magazine}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)