Players control Sam, who is lucky enough to fight in a prototype battle suit. As stated, this game can be incredibly fast paced. Shown in previous trailers, the dash ability allows players to move at extremely fast speeds, cutting through a hail of bullets and taking out an enemy immediately. While dashing, players can slow down time by either aiming or shooting at enemies, creating a stylish scene where enemies are being taken down slowly.
The game isn’t all about high paced fighting. Otherwise, it would just turn out to be a sci-fi Bayonetta. The emphasis on this game is the duck and cover system, which provides players endless possibilities. Players can hop around from one cover to another, throw grenades, strafe and shoot at enemies, amongst other basic actions. However, one particularly interesting thing was the “cigarette” ability. While strafing, players can smoke a cigarette, then toss it out in the open, luring enemies to that point, effectively leaving them open for fire. The demo was too high paced, so this ability never got the full attention it deserved.
Not only is the gameplay interesting already, but Vanquish’s has many details built into the graphics and presentation. While we switched to different weapons, the same gun transformed, giving this game the futuristic sci-fi tone it deserves. When the battle suit’s energy is used up, the power core in the back will flame up, which is a beautiful sight. It’s almost enough to warrant dashing around endlessly.
The demo ends with a boss fight against a giant mech, forcing players to make use of all the surrounding barriers to protect themselves. Turrets were also laid out for players to find and use against the giant mech boss. Overall, the fight wasn’t too difficult but it showed off what the game will entail, including damaging individual limbs on a boss and interactive cut scenes during the boss fight. When we shot off the giant mech’s arm, it stayed off. We’ll have to wait and see how that may play into boss fight strategies in the future.
The game is developed by Platinum Games and published by Sega. Let's hope that the same mistake with PS3's Bayonetta won't be repeated. Set for an October release, Vanquish will come out on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. We were blown away by what we saw and it seems like these will be a long four months till the game’s release.
