GamesThird Person ShooterVanquishAfter 14 years, one of the devs behind the “fourth-best shooter” of 2010 says it was perfectly positioned to be a cult classicWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesThird Person ShooterVanquishAfter 14 years, one of the devs behind the “fourth-best shooter” of 2010 says it was perfectly positioned to be a cult classicWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: PlatinumGames)
Jean Pierre Kellams, narrative producer at PlatinumGames at the time of Vanquish’s release in 2010, says onTwitter: “Someone very smart said that year ‘never be the third-best shooter.’ With BLOPS, Battlefield, and Halo - we were the fourth ‘best’ shooter. Combine that calendar with some bad marketing and poof - cult classic.”
Someone very smart said that year “Never be the third best shooter.” With BLOPS, Battlefield, and Halo - we were the fourth “best” shooter. Combine that calendar with some bad marketing and poof - Cult classic. https://t.co/Gcc43ibIIoFebruary 13, 2024
Someone very smart said that year “Never be the third best shooter.” With BLOPS, Battlefield, and Halo - we were the fourth “best” shooter. Combine that calendar with some bad marketing and poof - Cult classic. https://t.co/Gcc43ibIIoFebruary 13, 2024
In fairness, those games were the original Call of Duty: Black Ops, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and Halo: Reach, all of which have proven to be among the most beloved entries in their respective series. But Vanquish was unlike any of them, and not just because of its third-person perspective. It was a fast-paced cover shooter that was as much about moving efficiently as it was about popping off headshots, and one that ended up feeling more like Bayonetta than Gears of War.
Vanquish was competing against the likes of Mass Effect 2, Fallout: New Vegas, and Red Dead Redemption in its year of release, but it was also up against the very perception of Japanese-developed games at the time. In 2010,Capcomwas between the most maligned entries in the Resident Evil series, Nintendo had gone all in on casual gaming, andFromSoftwarehad just put out a niche little action-RPG called Demon’s Souls that nobody seemed to quite understand.
At the time, Vanquish just seemed like another in a line of weird-ass Japanese games of not much consequence. But hey, we’re in a world where Dragon’s Dogma is now a beloved classic with ahotly-anticipated sequelon the way, and FromSoftware - the niche studio that brought you King’s Field and Echo Night - is one of the industry’s biggest powerhouses. In a way, I guess Vanquish was just far ahead of its time, and on the upside you can still play for an experience that’s still unlike anything out there today.
There’s a reason we’vewritten multiple times over the past decadeaboutwhy Vanquish is under-appreciated.
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2
Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”