Vanquish (2010)
A rip-roaring ride from start to finish, Vanquish is one of the best action games in the industry, yet it rarely gets the recognition it deserves. The stage is a giant planet in space, Providence, which is shaped like a cylinder, offering an arena where the walls curve towards the ceiling like something out of Christopher Nolan’s Inception.
It doesn’t hurt that, on the ground, the action unfolds like a well-drilled orchestra. You’re outfitted in an A.R.S suit allowing you to slow time, stick behind cover and utilize a host of tricks in combat. Vanquish works because it gives you options in battle (giving it tactical weight) yet unfolds at breathtaking speed. Hits of aural and visual pleasure are in steady supply.
It’s also cleverly made. Cutscenes are used to disguise pauses as the game breathes to load, and the story is told over five distinct acts that unfold in seamless fashion. While the story is ripped from the pages of a B-movie playbook, it still feels like a meaty campaign, and chances are you’ll dive back in for a second helping.
If you’ve ever seen Vanquish in a bargain bin or walked past it in the second-hand aisle and wondered whether it’s any good, let me say this: for pure, unadulterated entertainment, I’ll take Vanquish over any other third-person action game in recent memory.