Vanquish | PlayStation 3 | PS3

About the Game

Vanquish is a third-person shooter with a focus on cover tactics, similar to Gears of War , but it is also the first game with those mechanics by a Japanese development team. You control Sam Gideon, a member of DARPA, who fights with the new ARS (Augmented Reaction Suit) system battle-suit, which grants him incredibly fast reflexes and maneuverability, inspired by the 1970s anime television series Casshern . The narrative takes place in the future. The Order of the Russian Star, after taking control of Russian government with a coup d'etat, hijacks an American space station dedicated to the creation of solar energy and uses it to destroy San Francisco thus declaring war to the United States.

Story & Setting

The game is split up into five chapters with about seven acts each, and cut-scenes further the story.

Gameplay & Core Systems

The military unit is controlled by the computer AI. Gideon's suit provides for very fast-paced gameplay. He is able to boost slide to new areas that provide cover and there is a very strong melee attack. The focus is however on ranged-weapon shooting. Some of the fights are also shown as in-game cinematics showing off elements of the suit's power (such as flying) that are not available to players.

Standout Features

• They demand an unconditional surrender or they will also destroy New York city.
• They provide support and Gideon can revive them when they die.
• Gideon is helped from a distance by Elena Ivanova, who tracks the suit and provides information about the environment.
• AR can also be triggered manually, but this drains the suit's power.
• Sliding also drains it, so Gideon often needs to find a safe place to restore the suit before it overheats.
• Weapons include an assault rifle, heavy machine gun, disk launcher, lock-on laser, sniper rifle, rocket launcher and LFE gun.
• All weapons have a limited amount of ammo, but there are many pods where new ammo can be found or a weapon can be exchanged.
• A maximum of four weapons can be held at all times.

Modes & Ways to Play

Health is restored automatically, but when too much damage is taken, the game goes into an Augmented Reality (AR) mode where all the action is slowed down, similar to bullet time .

Presentation & Atmosphere

Display support includes HDTV 720p. Audio support includes Dolby Digital.