Sam Gideon is under fire from all angles. Hunkered against a stout slab of concrete, barely protected from the incoming torrent of bullets, and with the enemy force closing in, the DARPA operative’s hard-fought safety is temporary at best.
He flicks away his cigarette with offhand cool, and the visor of his Augmented Reaction Suit clasping back around his head. Leaping over cover, Gideon launches immediately into a boost, motion blur enveloping the screen, and blue-hot flame erupting from the power suit’s thrusters as he scorches across the tarmac.
A distant enemy is taken out with a sniper shot to the head, time slowing as the suit’s AR mode kicks in, and as Gideon continues his searing power slide across the level his BLADE transforms, shapes and panels flipping in the shotgun configuration, which is dutifully used to take down two more mechanical foes.
Just as the power gauge is about to deplete Gideon breaks his boost, coming face to face with a final enemy, and quickly removing it with an explosive roundhouse kick to the head. Back in cover, Gideon allows his suit to recharge – the armour, somewhat pantherean in appearance, sprays jets of steam as both it and the game cool off for a few short seconds of respite.
If you’ve played Vanquish, then you’ll be well aware just how empowering, exhilarating and energetic such a snapshot of Platinum Games’ latest can be. If not, our words are leaden in contrast to the real thing. You need to /experience/ a Platinum Games title to really understand what makes it worthy of such praise. The inimitable design of Bayonetta; the freeform mayhem of MadWorld; even the depth and intricacy of Infinite Space: all offer entirely individual gameplay experiences that most other developers simply can’t hope to match.
The reason why is obvious. Platinum didn’t make Vanquish because it knows shooters make money – they certainly don’t in Japan, at least. Platinum made a shooter because it wanted a new challenge. It wanted to explore new ground. It wanted to deliver something to gamers that they hadn’t experienced before. In the current economic climate, it takes a brave developer to make original IP its one and only focus, but Platinum is unyielding in its dedication to creativity and imagination. Platinum isn’t interested in easy sales or a healthy return on investment; its focus is on inventive and original gameplay. Its focus is on sheer, unadulterated /fun/.
“The philosophy we have at Platinum is a need to insert a certain level of surprise into every game we create. We try to make something that’s innovative, something that’s never been seen before when we make games. It’s an essential part of what we do.”
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