PlatinumGames deliver one of the most gleeful TPS of all time with Sam Gideon and his rocket-powered ARS Suit. The high-speed combat defies the retina, the staging slams, and every chapter becomes a mini Mikami action opera meant to be devoured without restraint on a big screen.
Your verdict
Category
Action1 player18+
Description
Third-person shooter by PlatinumGames and Sega, October 2010. Soldier Burns uses an Augmented Reaction Suit exoskeleton to battle NEVEC forces in a frozen space base. Vanquish Mode mechanics accelerating movement to superhuman speeds for sliding movement and dodges, colossal bosses and maximum combat intensity. One of the most intense and original TPS ever created.
Vanquish review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
PlatinumGames draws a space station like a laboratory object: clinical whites, hexagonal panels, blue edges marking cover, and a suit whose every joint vents steam when it overheats. Sliding along the ground leaves a luminous trail and a curtain of sparks, so speed itself becomes a graphic element readable at all times.
The score is written for a game that never stops: dense electronics, synthetic brass and fast rhythms holding a whole chapter without a breath, only the colossus fights imposing clear shifts. The real sound work happens in slow motion, where the mix smothers the high end and drops the overall pitch, turning acceleration into a diving effect.
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.
North American (NTSC-U) edition of Vanquish, a PlatinumGames third-person shooter by Shinji Mikami, whose boosted slide and frantic pace make it a one-of-a-kind virtuosity showcase. Sought, its desirability rests on this recognized studio signature and a tenacious demand from demanding-action fans rather than a manufactured scarcity. A prime piece for an action set on the console, prized by connoisseurs.
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 frenzied ballet thanks to a propelled slide that sends the adrenaline soaring to its peak. A commercial disappointment at launch, it was long underrated before earning its stripes. Its energy and technical depth make it a must for fans of spectacular, demanding TPS games.
Is Vanquish still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2010 on Xbox 360, PlatinumGames' Vanquish, under Shinji Mikami's direction, is a cover shooter of mad speed and intensity, reinventing the genre through hero Sam Gideon's sliding boost suit. Charging across the ground at full speed, triggering slow motion mid acrobatics and chaining executions creates an exhilarating action ballet, a world away from the genre's usual slowness. The campaign, short but of insane density, replays for score. The frantic pace is its signature. For fans of nervy shooting and stylish action, this cult title keeps a strong appeal today.
