Vanquish

It may be basic as a remaster, but Vanquish manages to hold up in the PS4's twilight year. Brimming with enjoyable, fast-paced action which is exemplified by the knee slide, one of PlatinumGames' best experiences has a new lease of life that it's going to take full advantage of. Vanquish doesn’t look the part, but it most certainly plays like it.

The Vanquish Remaster brings a ton of much-needed, fast-paced, arcade fun back into the third-person shooter world. Excellent design, goofy characters and vibrant environments make this a pleasant playthrough even 10 years later.

If Bayonetta is the coveted supermodel, then Vanquish is the young starlet that never got the break they deserved. The story may be a tongue-in-cheek, politically preposterous, and filled with corny dialogue, but that’s all part of the fun. You don’t need to believe it to enjoy it. But what needs to be believed that even with a single playthrough, you cannot go wrong for a few hours of entertainment than with Vanquish.

Vanquish stands apart by nailing its unique mechanic, but fails on aspects that other third person shooters have done better now. In its heyday, it was a game that impressed us with its speed and flexible aesthetic. Nowadays, the gaming scene has evolved well past it, serving only for nostalgia.

Even after nearly seven years, Vanquish still has some of the best combat of any action game. It’s fast, it’s intense and most importantly, it’s downright fun. Unfortunately, variety isn’t the game’s strong point. From an artistic perspective, not a whole lot changes from the beginning of the campaign to the end; everything has a sterile mechanical look to it that refuses to change.

Beyond the laser-focused core loop, there isn't much to Vanquish. You start with knee-sliding acrobatics, and end the same way—around six or so hours later. It isn't long, and it doesn't much go in for distinct set pieces or variations to the formula. There's some vehicle sections, a few turret sections, and some fairly enjoyable boss fights.