The Need for Speed
Vanquish by PlatinumGames is unapologetically a video game with a capital V. This speedy action-heavy third person shooter spits in the face of traditional “pop and shot” shooters popularized by Gears of War. The game trades off meticulous character development and sensible storytelling with an over-the-top experience filled with dumb machismo dialog, big robots and explosions every other minute. Vanquish is a one-note action shooter that is fairly short, but makes for an enjoyable holiday/weekend game that can be finished in a few sittings.
A rebellious Russian named Victor with his hordes of robots have taken over a solar microwave transmitter in space and used it to destroy San Francisco. Victor demands the President of the United States surrender to Russia or he will destroy New York City next. The President forcefully declines and sends in the Marines. Meanwhile, a DARPA agent named Sam who wears a futuristic robot suit named the Augmented Reaction Suit (ARS) is also apprehending Victor because he has kidnapped the scientist responsible for designing Sam’s suit. Sam has to work with the Marines since they both want to take down Victor.
The gameplay is undoubtedly different from a western shooter. In Vanquish, speed is the name of the game. Sam can zoom past enemies with rocket thrusters and flank enemies with an assortment of machine guns, energy weapons and grenades. Sam is vulnerable when stationary so constant mobility is crucial. He can activate a bullet-time effect to temporarily slow down time whilst boosting to land more accurate shots. The boosts are limited and can be overheated if used for too long. Fortunately Sam can always hide behind cover to wait for his suit to cool down. Outside of the act of pure shooting, Sam can upgrade his weapons by collecting power-ups and picking up the same weapon when its ammo is full. There are also turrets that can be manned and vehicles commandeered. The combat is always frenetic which makes for an exciting spectacle, but the game sorely needs more quiet moments for palate cleansers.
The storytelling is groan worthy and is best glazed over. Tragic scenes about human sacrifice come off as nonchalant and callous. The only two women in the game are given minor roles. Elena is eye candy that stands in front of virtual screens for the entire game. And Winters, the President of the United States, only has screen time at the beginning and end of the game.
Vanquish is a fast paced action shooter that brings a much needed dose of adrenaline to the “pop and shot” third person shooter genre. The game is stubbornly one-note, but doesn’t overstay its welcome. The story is bad, but that’s not the draw of Vanquish. In an era where most video games try to have intricate plots and world building, Vanquish reminds players that video games can just be mindless fun.