Pure action TPS by Platinum Games, extremely fast and technical. The boost dodge and counter system is brilliant. An intense, condensed action experience ranked among the best of its kind on PS3.
Your verdict
Category
Third-Person Shooter1 player18+
Description
TPS by PlatinumGames transposing Sam Gideon in ultra-fast combat ARS armor. Published by SEGA, released in October 2010 in Europe, North America and Japan. Sam Gideon DARPA agent in ARS Augmented Reaction Suit armor deployed on Providence space station to stop Russian revolt against USA, over six chapters crossing Providence besieged by Romanov robots, signature PlatinumGames TPS gameplay mixing propulsion slides, AR Mode slow-motion and cover-based shooting, signature futuristic 3D modeled aesthetic, English voice-over with Gideon Emery as Sam.
Vanquish review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
A frenzied TPS where you slide at full speed across the battlefield thanks to a rocket suit, alternating tactical slow-motion and unleashed fire. The sense of speed and the ballet of slides create an exhilarating intensity, light-years from classic shooters. Snappy, spectacular and masterfully choreographed, an action game that bets everything on movement and delivers a constant thrill.
A brisk shooter from PlatinumGames under Shinji Mikami, Vanquish weds supercharged slides and tactical slow-motion in an action choreography that stayed cult. Still common in the West, its interest lies in this gameplay virtuosity and the signature of an esteemed creator rather than scarcity. A piece valued by fans of fast third-person shooting.
Memorable bosses
Boost-sliding and ballistic slow-motion are the keys to taming giant robots that flood the screen with fire: the colossal Argus, for instance, comes apart piece by piece under a rain of projectiles. Each boss demands juggling aggression and millimeter survival. Heady speed, gameplay ideas and mechanical excess make these fights a fireworks display of sustained action.
An underrated gem
An action masterpiece from Platinum, it turns the cover-shooter into a frenetic ballet thanks to a boosted slide that pushes the adrenaline to its peak. Commercially disappointing at launch, it was long underrated before earning its stripes. Its snappiness and technical depth make it a must for fans of spectacular, demanding third-person shooters.
Is Vanquish still worth playing in 2026?
Vanquish is a pure action third-person shooter by PlatinumGames, of a briskness and intensity rarely matched in the genre. Its boost system, allowing you to slide along the ground at high speed and trigger a slow-motion to dodge and counterattack, turns every clash into a turbo-charged ballet of exhilarating virtuosity. The frantic, condensed pace with no dead time makes it an action experience of exemplary purity, rewarding boldness and mastery over caution. The short lifespan is a deliberate choice. For the fan of demanding, spectacular action, this title remains one of the genre's peaks on PS3.
