Vanquish and Bayonetta 10th Anniversary review: a blast from the past
In the wake of their newest game Astral Chain, along with the fabled Bayonetta 3, and three other unannounced titles on the horizon, it’s not all that surprising that Platinum Games has gone forward with a tenth-anniversary bundle of ports of Vanquish and Bayonetta. Gotta keep the hype train going, right?
While these games are really only similar in terms of their wacky romp stories and fast-paced combat, they’re both certainly of their time, so it makes a strange sort of sense that they’d be bundled together like this.
Vanquish is a third-person shooter set in an alt-history America where the Russian government has gained access to extremely powerful laser technology, and is using it to threaten New York City if the President doesn’t offer a complete surrender. You play as Sam Gideon, an agent for DARPA (Defense Advance Research Projects Agency), who’s been fitted with an Iron Man lite style armor set called the Augmented Reaction Suit. Alongside a gruff Marine named Burns, Sam and his handler, Elena, Sam must stop the Russian threat before it’s too late. Yes, it’s exactly as wild as it sounds.
This game was released in 2010, and it absolutely shows. Despite the fresh coat of paint that makes the textures and art appear to be more from this decade, pretty much everything else about it screams “early 2010’s gritty shooter.” Both Sam and Burn’s voice actors sound like they’re trying to do an edgy Batman impression, complete with over the top gravel. They also throw around F-bombs and sexist jokes like its nothing. Sam even has a dedicated command to take a smoke break during combat. You know, to illustrate just how much of a badass without a care he really is.
Though the story and dialogue feel extremely dated, Vanquish’s gameplay on the PS4 is excellent and fun, even when boss and enemy encounters start to feel repetitive and boring. The shooting feels good, and switching between weapons is fast and easy. There’s a variety of weapons to choose from so you can mix up how you want to handle different encounters, and the game will often provide the tools it recommends for specialty missions. Moving around the battlefield with Sam’s sliding ability is fun and makes encounters feel dynamic, while also relying on the Augmented Reaction Suit’s overheat mechanic to ensure that you use it wisely.
All of these elements keep gameplay just fresh enough to make continuing worthwhile, because the enemy encounters themselves do little in that regard. There are multiple instances of fighting the same boss, and the robotic troops you face are little more than cannon fodder. In short, playing Vanquish feels fun, but there’s really not much depth or anything of interest beyond that.
Bayonetta, on the other hand, remains a classic in every way. For the uninitiated, in Bayonetta, you play as the titular witch as she does mercenary missions in an attempt to collect information on who she used to be, since she no longer has any memory of her past. She takes on the literal forces of heaven as she seeks out answers, and crushes them under her glock-heels.
Yes, this game is also very much a product of its time, but it’s self-indulgent and campy in a way that feels just as fun as it did upon release, instead of a revival of a toxic masculinity sim.
The Platinum method of over the top storytelling combined with exhilarating combat mechanics shines through with this game just as brightly as it did upon release, and the PS4 port is the best way to play that I’ve experienced. Much as I love being able to play as my favorite Umbra witch on the go, the Switch port just isn’t quite as fluid or reactive. Playing on Normal on PS4, I was able to easily sweep through levels with platinum or gold rankings every time. Putting the dodge command on the R2 button makes it so much easier to activate witch time, and avoid damage so you can build up those torture attacks. Character action games obviously benefit from the systems they’re on being just as reactive as they are, and the PS4 is more than capable of handling this game without breaking a sweat. The frame rate is perfect, I never experienced a single drop or stutter, which allowed me to kick angel ass with ease. It really is a shame that the rest of the series probably won’t get this treatment, because it’s an absolute joy to be able to play the game to its fullest potential.
Being entirely honest, I’d really only recommend this Vanquish and Bayonetta bundle to those who have a deep fondness for either (or both), of these games.
For the Vanquish stans out there (I have to believe you exist for this remaster to have even come to fruition), this seems like the best way to experience the game again, as it’s modern feeling and looking, even if the script and acting remained firmly in the last decade. Bayonetta, as I already gushed about, plays wonderfully on a dedicated console, so it’s a no brainer if you’re looking for the ultimate Bayonetta experience. That said, it’s hard to deny that the Switch bundle of the original and sequel are probably a better deal overall. If you’re a fan of both Vanquish and Bayonetta, then I’d say this is a dream come true that’s absolutely worth picking up.
Gayming Magazine was provided with a PS4 code from SEGA for this review.
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