Vanquish – Post Mortem Review - PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 – Part 2
So after looking at the Presentation and Gameplay of SEGA’s high octane title Vanquish, it is time to delve a little deeper into the more subtle layers of the game, before finally passing a final verdict on whether or not the ratings it received when it
was released still hold true today.
Level Design
When it comes to games similar to Vanquish, i.e. the arcade shooter genre, level design is crucial. It needs to find the balance between scale and utilise every virtual square inch to give the player plenty of options to decide how he, or she, wants to play
the game.
Areas to take cover, open areas to slide around, ammunition dumps and enough space for the large scale boss fights were crucial to the game. Luckily, SEGA, the game’s publisher, have been around for quite some time and knew what needed to be done.
The levels may all have the same look, as if they are all on a futuristic space station with a glossy white and grey metallic finish, apart for that one brief level in the park, but they do their job well providing just the right balance for players to play
the game their way.
Cannon Fodder
Our term for the R.I, which make up the majority of the enemies which the protagonist will be encountering throughout the game.
The R.I are intelligent and can be devastating in packs and are known to be smart enough to be able to flank the player if he stays in one position too long. Which is great as it keeps the players on their toes and the game moving at a fast pace.
There is plenty of variety in terms of what the player can shoot at as well, with normal infantry, snipers, soldiers armed with Rocket Launchers and the fairly common slightly larger and more challenging to take down mechs.
So in terms of the game becoming repetitive when it comes to things to shoot at, Vanquish seems to have nailed the issue and keeps finding ways to keep similar battles fresh.
Speak now or forever hold your peace
Moving on to the few criticisms that the game has earned, Vanquish disappoints in terms of the amount of time it takes to complete. Skilled players can breeze through the game in just over five hours while it should average everyone else between 7-10 hours
to complete.
Yes, it is an arcade game, with the scores posted online and compared to everyone else in a world ranking system, but a longer game seems a right of every player who purchased the game.
These days however, it does seem justified, seeing how the prices for the game have fallen significantly, so at this point in time at least, Vanquish is worth the money.
The major criticism though, has to be the fact that there is no online multi-player. The game seems as if it would translate perfectly into competitive online multiplayer and why SEGA decided not to go ahead with the move is beyond us.
Maybe they were waiting to see what kind of reception the game would receive; in which case multi-player should be a done thing in Vanquish 2.
Overall
All in all, there is nothing else out there in the market which can match the sheer pace and intensity of Vanquish. Smooth and fluid, the game is one of a kind and anyone who has not yet played should do themselves a favour, go out and get themselves a copy.
The post-mortem result is in and Vanquish was not just a fad, it is a video gaming jewel. 9.5/10
Disclaimer: Views and opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the editorial policy of Bettor.com
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