History VideoGame / Vanquish

* DropTheHammer: The Romanov-F has a giant spiked hammer, coupled with [[FireBreathingWeapon a flamethrower]] that [[{{Overheating}} causes the ARS to overheat instantly]].

''Vanquish'' was delivered to the world on October 19, 2010 for the UsefulNotes/{{PS3}} and UsefulNotes/Xbox360. Sega released a PC port on May 25, 2017 with unlocked frame rate and resolution, as well as mouse and keyboard support. It was also released with ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' for the UsefulNotes/{{PS4}} and UsefulNotes/XboxOne on February 18, 2020 as a 10th anniversary launch bundle.

* SwissArmyGun: The BLADE weapon system. It can transform itself to replicate any compatible weapon that Sam encounters on the battlefield, from armor-piercing [[HandCannon Hand Cannons]] to rocket launchers and laser cannons; Sam only needs to supply the ammo.

* VideogameDashing: Sam has a jet-powered slide dash ability courtesy of his [[PoweredArmor ARS]].

* SmokingIsCool: Sam lights up at pretty much every opportunity, [[GutturalGrowler and his voice shows it]]. It's even gone so far as to be a ''gameplay mechanic''; while hiding in cover Sam can take a "smoke break", [[MundaneMadeAwesome followed by tossing the still-lit butt out of cover to distract his robotic enemies.]]

* GutturalGrowler: Sam's voice is something like the [[WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries animated Wolverine]] filtered through Film/DirtyHarry. Burns takes this even further, sounding like all ''that'' stuff meets a rock tumbler with the bass turned up (of course it's Creator/SteveBlum, so they got the right man for the job).

* LetsGetDangerous!: When Burns and his Marines get orders to destroy Moscow they activate their [[JetPack jetpacks]] and become far more mobile and lethal then they were before.

* DestructibleProjectiles: Apart from [[ShootTheBullet bullets being destructible]] while in [[BulletTime AR Mode]], you can also shoot down Argus missiles and the [[PainfullySlowProjectile slow-moving]] mini warheads deployed by the Romanovs.

* SpiritualSuccessor: To ''VideoGame/PN03'', [[WordOfGod according to Mikami]].

* UnnecessarilyLargeInterior: The ''Providence'' space colony takes this up to eleven.
** It presumably has an incredibly large population to run all the energy-gathering and converting systems, and they do all have to live somewhere. According to the Operation Dossier, it's considered the ''fifty-first state'' of America.

* WaveMotionGun: In its bipedal form, the Argus will occasionally unleash hell in the form of a [[ChestBlaster sweeping "large-radius laser" attack.]] It sweeps fast enough for you to pray that you have energy for boosting, lest you get [[OneHitKill incinerated]].

The United States' response is to deploy a massive counterattack on ''Providence'', spearheaded by the [[SemperFi U.S.]] [[SpaceMarine Marines]] led by Lieutenant Colonel Robert Burns[[labelnote:*]]([[NamesTheSame not to be confused with]] the real-life poet)[[/labelnote]]. Accompanying Burns is [[TheHero Sam Gideon]], a researcher from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) outfitted in a [[SuperPrototype prototype]] [[PoweredArmor battlesuit]]. It falls to Burns, Sam, and the Marines to secure the colony before the Russians can fire the weapon again.

* ArbitraryMaximumRange: The [[{{BFG}} LFE Gun]]'s blast dissipates after about five to ten meters.

* MakeTheBearAngryAgain: The Order of the Russian Star regime.

* MaleGaze: When a scene focuses on Elena there are times when the camera shifts its focus [[ShesGotLegs towards her legs]] or rear. Because this is a Platinum game.

* MissionControl: Elena Ivanova.

* EverythingsBetterWithSpinning: Let's see here...
** Sam exiting a rocketslide with a feet-first torpedo.
** Sam rolling in midair after being knocked back by an explosion.
** The Romanov-N's arm spinning when it fires a rocket.
*** Same goes for the Argus.
*** A QTE has Sam spin out of the way of said Argus rockets.
** Speaking of the Argus, its main cannon [[SuckingInLines draws in energy in a spiral-like pattern]] before firing.
** The Laser Cannon's [[WaveMotionTuningFork front]] spinning when it fires.
** The [[BeTheBall A-2 Sphere]] enemies.
** The energy [[WhenThingsSpinScienceHappens cycling within the Kreon's core]].

** The Bia bot is a robot scorpion that can transform into a mech wielding a [[AnAxeToGrind massive axe]].

* GatlingGood: Burns's WeaponOfChoice is a massive gatling gun with a deployable blast shield.

* GutturalGrowler: Sam's voice is something like the [[WesternAnimation/XMen animated Wolverine]] filtered through Film/DirtyHarry. Burns takes this even further, sounding like all ''that'' stuff meets a rock tumbler with the bass turned up (of course it's Creator/SteveBlum, so they got the right man for the job).

** Not just his arm, [[UpToEleven over half his body]] is cybernetic as a result of the many tours of duty he's seen in his Marine career.

* TookALevelInBadass: When Sam stops boosting, he spins out of it feet-first, before landing on his feet. Taken UpToEleven in the cutscene before the final boss, where Sam boosts off a ramp, spins at least ''five times'' in midair, and lands in a kneeling pose on an overhead walkway.

* UnnecessarilyLargeInterior: The ''Providence'' space colony takes this UpToEleven.

* [[spoiler:SequelHook]]: [[spoiler:Zaitsev gets away, and is revealed to be merely an agent for the Order of the Russian Star.]]

* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler: Zaitsev gets away, as the final DualBoss turns out to [[ActuallyADoombot both be "slave units"]] rather than the real thing. He was probably meant to come back (and get KilledOffForReal) in a sequel that ]]

* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler: Zaitsev gets away, as the final DualBoss turns out to [[ActuallyADoombot both be "slave units"]] rather than the real thing. He was probably meant to come back (and get KilledOffForReal) in a sequel that [[StillbornFranchise never showed up.]]]]

* MoodDissonance: For a good 95%+ of the game, you're blowing up somewhat cheesy-looking robots with goofy names like "Romanov," "Gorgie," and "Bia" and are probably pretty used to the bright blue explosions and flying scrap metal that are the result of defeating your enemies. Then, Act 5-2 comes along, and [[spoiler:there are no robots; you're fighting flesh-and-blood human beings. It can be very jarring to suddenly begin seeing blood bursting out of the targets you're shooting instead of sparks and metal. What's even more unsettling is that your human enemies (save for Burns) never speak a word, making them NotSoDifferent from the robots you've been blowing up. It doesn't help that they're also FacelessGoons.]]

* NotSoDifferent: Sam puts a lampshade on this as he compares himself to Burns at the game's epilogue:

The main gameplay thrust is that Sam is covered head to toe in PowerArmor that gives him a variety of unique features. Not only does it protect him from gunfire, but it also allows him to move at [[LightningBruiser exceptionally fast speeds]] by firing [[CrazyAwesome jets out of the back of his knees]]. Couple this with a time slowing ability, a variety of insane melee attacks, and huge heaping of big guns, and it's clear ''Vanquish'' is interested in allowing the player to feel as powerful as possible.

-->--'''Lt. Col. Robert Burns'''

* GiantMook: The Romanov-N. This big guy is fond of blowing people apart with its [[ArmCannon missiles]], frying them with its [[FrickinLaserBeams eye laser]], and simply [[{{Gorn}} tearing people in half]]. And oh yeah, did we mention it can kill you in one hit with its ChestBlaster?