Line #124 VideoGame/Vanquish


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vanquish.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350: ''War has accelerated.'']]
3
4	->''"SC-01 Providence is currently under the control of those responsible for the coup in Moscow. We believe the operation is being led by a red known as Zaitsev... Oh yeah, this is Sam. DARPA sent him to come along with us. Men, we've got eight hours to stop New York from becoming the next San Francisco. Make no mistake, we will stop that from happening!"''
5	-->-- '''Lt. Col. Robert Burns'''
6
7	''Vanquish'' is a StylishAction ThirdPersonShooter from Creator/PlatinumGames, the brainchild of Creator/ShinjiMikami. Said by many to be what it would be like to give ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar'' a few shots of espresso.
8
9	The plot revolves around a massive [[SpaceStation Space Colony]] named ''Providence'', established by the United States and outfitted with a massive solar-powered microwave array designed to collect energy and transmit it to Earth. However, the [[MakeTheBearAngryAgain Order of the Russian Star]], a militant regime that had recently seized control over Russia in an armed coup, has invaded the colony. They've turned its microwave transmitter -- meant to transmit power to ground-based collector stations as a limitless energy source -- into a [[KillSat weapon of mass destruction]] and cooked San Francisco's entire population. Following the attack is a prompt ultimatum: the United States will surrender to Russia, or they'll turn their new superweapon on New York City.
10
11	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:*]](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.
12
13	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 [[LegCannon 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.
14
15	''Vanquish'' was delivered to the world on October 19, 2010 for the Platform/{{PS3}} and Platform/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 Platform/{{PS4}} and Platform/XboxOne on February 18, 2020 as a 10th anniversary launch bundle.
16
17	----
18	!!This video game provides examples of:
19	* EleventhHourSuperpower: Sam convinces Elena to disable the limiters on his suit to fight Zaitsev more effectively in the final boss battle. This greatly boosts your sliding speed and doubles your boost meter, allowing you to spend twice as long in AR Mode and/or powersliding.
20	-->'''Sam:''' He's too fast! Dammit! Can't this suit react faster?! Elena, ditch the safety limiters on the suit!\
21	'''Elena:''' Sam! They're there for a reason! It isn't safe!\
22	'''Sam:''' Getting killed out here [[CaptainObvious isn't safe either]]!\
23	'''Elena:''' Understood...I'm disabling them now.
24	* AbilityDepletionPenalty: In addition to the other drawbacks of overheating, movement speed is reduced while the overheat meter is depleted.
25	* ActionBomb:
26	** The Jellyfish-L enemies that explode on close proximity ''and'' spawn smaller Jellyfish-M drones.
27	** Gorgies may also flash red while rapidly crawling towards Sam. If they get close enough, they will [[DeadlyHug hug him and self-detonate]].
28	* ActuallyADoombot: [[spoiler:You fight with two Bogeys, one red and the other blue. After killing the first one, no matter which, Zaitsev will say you killed the wrong one. Unfortunately, Zaitsev was never there to begin with; they're ''both'' remotely controlled.]]
29	* AdvancingWallOfDoom: You outrun a collapsing highway of doom in Act 3-3.
30	* AllThereInTheManual: Only in the manual is the player told that, if playing on Normal or Hard difficulty, the player character's current weapon will downgrade upon death as a penalty. God Hard takes this rule to the extreme, prohibiting weapon upgrades ''altogether''.
31	* AnArmAndALeg: The Disk Launcher can instantly chop off a Romanov's limbs and head. An achievement even requires you to remove a Romanov's arms and legs before putting it out of its misery with a melee attack.
32	* AntiFrustrationFeatures: Your progress on the [[CollectionSidequest Pangloss Statues]] is persistent throughout all difficulties. The game also tracks which statues are already found by pre-emptively turning them red, while the undiscovered ones are still gold.
33	* ArbitraryWeaponRange: The [[{{BFG}} LFE Gun]]'s blast dissipates after about five to ten meters.
34	* ArtificialLimbs: Lieutenant Colonel Robert Burns with his mechanical right arm.
35	** Not just his arm, over half his body is cybernetic as a result of the many tours of duty he's seen in his Marine career.
36	* ArtificialStupidity:
37	** Your friendly marines have a nasty habit of blocking your view, and you may constantly hear Sam shout "Get outta the way!" when aiming at them, and the NPC Marines are programmed to crouch when this happens (even if the entire area is clear). The problem is, they stop shooting at enemies when crouched, leaving them open to rushing robots.
38	** Enemy robots are susceptible to prioritizing your allies, and you can exploit this by taking cover after having been shot at, causing them to lose interest in you. This gets averted in [[NintendoHard God Hard]] difficulty, where enemies will ''always'' prioritize Sam.
39	** There's generally no friendly fire in the game; your guns will stun your teammates and they'll shout at you if you shoot friendlies, but they don't actually take damage, and they can't damage you with their gunfire. You can't even damage yourself with your Rocket Launcher (making it effective at close range). However, there is one glaring exception: grenades can and will kill you, whether they're your own or thrown by friendly marines. There are a few fights in the game which are made harder by the fact that you have to watch out for friendly marines getting in the way by throwing grenades around while you're trying to deal with a large enemy, such as the Crystal Viper fights.
40	* ArtisticLicenseEconomics: The final chapter reveals that [[spoiler:President Winters]] instigated the Russian coup and the colony takeover in an attempt to [[spoiler:ignite a war that would boost the economy through war spending, not expecting that Zaitsev would go so far as to actually destroy San Francisco]]. War is good for an economy in the ''short-term only'', with the sudden infusion of cash leading to an economic boom, but the allocation of resources to war is ultimately economically devastating no matter what happens -- the resources that could be used to improve the economy are instead used on war.
41	* ArtisticLicenseGunSafety: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]. If Sam aims his gun at an NPC ally, he'll yell something along the lines of "Get outta the way!", and the NPC will duck out of his line of fire.
42	* AssShove: [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] at the end of Act 1-6 after the tunnel collapses in front of the APC.
43	-->'''Burns:''' Shove some tungsten up this tunnel's ass!\
44	''(later)''\
45	'''Burns:''' This colony won't be walking straight for a while.
46	* AttackItsWeakPoint: Most robots have glowing red cores that serve as their weak points, allowing you to do increased damage. Bosses like the Argus have them too, but in its case, you may have to expose it first by sufficiently damging its joints.
47	* AwesomeButImpractical:
48	** Rocket-sliding and finishing an enemy with a DivingKick just feels so satisfying. It also helps that this is a powerful move that can instantly destroy Gorgies and send Romanovs flying backwards. The catch? It instantly overheats your suit just like other melee attacks (bar the [[ChainsawGood Disk Launcher]]), leaving you vulnerable to open fire unless you scramble to the nearest cover.
49	** In relation to the above, firing energy-based weapons such as the Laser Cannon ''while'' power-sliding and/or under the BulletTime effect. Watch as your suit rapidly overheats from the combined energy drain, consequentially leaving you with a much lower energy reserve to make the most out of the cannon's damage output.
50	** The Lock-On Laser fires off several HomingLasers against several targets at range. While the weapon can be a neat choice for taking out multiple infantry robots (or damaging several limbs of larger enemies) at once, the weapon can be outright useless if there are several obstacles that disrupt the path of the lasers. Because of such stage restrictions, the weapon is mostly available only during outdoor battles. Any ceilings or indoor surfaces make it difficult for the lasers to actually hit their target.
51	** Entering BulletTime from a roll causes Sam to crouch in a cool-looking pose as he shoots. However, this often means that your gun is too low to shoot over cover or obstacles, and it's hard to gauge where you'll be shooting from the first few times.
52	* AwesomePersonnelCarrier: Act 1-7 has you aided by an APC armed with a [[{{BFG}} railgun]] that can take out [[GiantMook Romanovs]] in one shot.
53	* BadassBookworm: Sam. He's a former college football player who's gruff, snarky and chain-smokes, but don't forget that he's also a lead researcher at DARPA and was evidently one of the key minds in the creation of the ARS itself.
54	* BarehandedBladeBlock: In the first QuickTimeEvent against the Bogey, Sam punches its blade to deflect the slashes back repeatedly.
55	* TheBattleDidntCount: Played straight after [[spoiler:you first fight the Bogey]]. Played with during the finale, when [[spoiler:you defeat both Bogeys, but find out that Zaitsev was only remotely controlling them.]]
56	* BattleshipRaid: Act 3 focuses on gaining access to the [[TheDreadedDreadnought giant]] walking [[TheBattlestar Kreon]] and destroying it from the inside.
57	* BeamSpam: The Lock-On Laser is of the {{Roboteching}} type. The Bogey at the end of the first act has an even more spammy laser attack.
58	* {{BFG}}: Lt. Col. Burns' giant [[GatlingGood Vulcan cannon]] even has a ''retractable shield'' on it to provide him with forward cover as he mows everything down.
59	* BigBad: Victor Zaitsev, lead agent of the Order of the Russian Star.
60	* TheBigGuy: Lieutenant Colonel Burns, whose forearms are ''bigger than his head.''
61	* BittersweetEnding: Sure, [[spoiler:Sam manages to stop the microwave cannon from destroying New York and Moscow]], but [[spoiler:Zaitsev escapes and the Order of the Russian Star shows no signs of backing down.]] Not to mention, [[spoiler:President Winters commits suicide after her plan backfires horribly.]]
62	* BlackoutBasement: Near the end of Act 1, you are tasked to [[EscortMission escort]] an armored vehicle (the AwesomePersonnelCarrier from before) in a dark tunnel filled with robot ambushes and [[ActionBomb Jellyfish mobile mines]].
63	* BloodKnight: Sam. Best demonstrated during the enemy transport portion of Act 2, Mission 2:
64	-->'''Jason Macintosh:''' We've got a situation ahead. You DARPA folk need to fall back!\
65	'''Sam:''' Hey! Elena!\
66	'''Elena:''' I should lower your speed, right?\
67	'''Sam:''' You kidding!? Go faster! I want a piece of the action.\
68	'''Jason:''' We're not taking responsibility if you end up K.I.A., sir.\
69	'''Sam:''' I don't expect you to! Now where's the fight?
70	* BoringButPractical:
71	** While you can do all sorts of awesome maneuvers in the game, you still have standard cover shooting as an option. It can prove crucial if you're under fire and your suit is overheating.
72	** The [[KineticWeaponsAreJustBetter standard firearms]] are more appropriate in most scenarios than energy-based weapons like the Laser Cannon or [[SonicStunner LFE Gun]]. You're better off saving the suit's energy for evasive and BulletTime maneuvers. Said firearms are also easily scattered around the battlefield, and you can upgrade them to full stats faster than the rarer, high-tech EnergyWeapons.
73	** The Disk Launcher's melee attack does not overheat the suit, can be spammed ad infinitum, and can interrupt the attack animations of Romanovs at close range (especially if the player has managed to cut both of the target's legs first).
74	* BossCorridor: A particularly foreboding one occurs between [[spoiler:Burns and Zaitsev]].
75	* BossInMookClothing: The Romanov robots are twice as big as the [[MechaMooks Gorgies]], have high HP and durability, and are armed with rockets that [[BlownAcrossTheRoom blow Sam across the battlefield]] and instantly send him into critical mode, sweeping EyeBeams, and a OneHitKill WaveMotionGun ChestBlaster. Later versions have dual [[GatlingGood miniguns]] and homing missiles, flamethrowers, or [[RocketPunch launchable]] [[ThisIsADrill drill arms]].
76	* BrutalBonusLevel: The Tactical Challenges.
77	* BulletTime: Called "Augmented Reality" mode, it's triggered when aiming during certain actions, like dodging, sliding, vaulting over cover, or even during melee attacks. It also activates automatically if you take too much damage, giving you a chance to escape.
78	* ButtonMashing: In some QuickTimeEvent scenes, the game makes you tap a single button (or spin the stick) until Sam moves at full speed. And that's the speed of a man with rockets on his legs and back.
79	* CableCarActionSequence: Act 3-4 combines this with a [[StealthBasedMission stealth-based]] SnipingMission, where you ride in a slow monorail car and have to snipe searchlights and turrets to avoid being detected.
80	* CeilingCling: The Unknown does this when you first encounter it in a proper boss fight. If you think the robot is nowhere to be found, look up.
81	* CensoredChildDeath: In the prologue, a mother and her young child watch as the microwave laser array targets San Francisco. They are less than a kilometre away from the epicenter. And before we even get to see what happens to the child, there's only a blinding light, as the scene shifts to the other nearby citizens who are boiled alive by the intense heat.
82	* ChainsawGood: The melee attack for the Disk Launcher allows you to saw your opponents at close range. Since Sam is using the weapon itself, this is the only melee attack that does not cause the suit to overheat, allowing you to spam it as much as you want.
83	* ClothesMakeTheSuperman: As badass as Sam is in the [[PoweredArmor ARS]], he'd be significantly less so outside it.
84	* CognizantLimbs: A SpiderTank boss, the Argus, whose legs can be crippled. An achievement is awarded for destroying all of the individual body parts. {{Giant Mook}}s such as the Romanovs can also have their limbs disabled -- another achievement requires doing this then [[FinishHim finishing them off]] with a melee attack.
85	* CollapsibleHelmet: The helmet of Sam's ARS retracts when he is talking (or smoking) in the cutscenes, and re-assembles when he's geared up for yet another gunfight. In Some acts, he also retracts the helmet while indoors, or when in a stealth-based objective.
86	* ColonelBadass: Lt. Colonel Burns is a massive man with [[{{Cyborg}} cybernetics up the wazoo]] touting a big ol' minigun as his weapon of choice.
87	* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: Weapons on the ground have glowing color-coded outlines to help distinguish them individually:
88	** Red for heavy machine guns
89	** Orange for boost machine guns
90	** White for assault rifles
91	** Cyan for lock-on lasers and shotguns
92	** Pink for laser cannons
93	** Blue for [[HandCannon anti-armor pistols]]
94	** Green for rocket launchers and hand grenades
95	** Purple for sniper rifles
96	** Yellow for LFE guns, disk launchers and EMP emitter grenades
97	* ConcealmentEqualsCover: Zigzagged, where some pieces of cover are indestructible, while others are quickly destroyed by explosives and other heavy weapons, and some weapons, such as the Romanovs's [[ChestBlaster Chest]] DeathRay, ignore cover entirely (leaving it intact while frying whoever's behind it).
98	* ContinuingIsPainful: Continuing from a checkpoint causes you to lose your weapon upgrades by 1 level, but restarting from the beginning of a level has you retain the upgrades you had when you entered.
99	* ContractualBossImmunity: Due to their crystalline bodies, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Crystal]] [[ReportingNames Vipers]] are immune to optical weapons such as the Laser Cannon.
100	* CoresAndTurretsBoss: The Jamming Tower at the end of Act 2; a carousel-like structure with three tips containing cores shielded by shutter doors, and armed with cannons, purple death lasers, gatling guns, and missile batteries.
101	* CorridorCubbyholeRun: In Act 2-5, you must ascend a ramp while chunks of debris, and occasionally entire buildings, are bouncing down towards you.
102	* CoupDeGraceCutscene: Happens for quite a few bosses. Odd thing is, occasionally they combine it with a [[PressXToNotDie quick-time event]], so what might become a coup de grace can blow up in your face, forcing you to fight another mode of the boss or start all over again.
103	* CranialProcessingUnit: Headshots kill the majority of robotic enemies (i.e. Gorgies) much faster. However, larger ones (i.e. Romanovs) can still fight despite losing their head.
104	* CreatorCameo: One of the soldiers in Act 3 is named Creator/ShinjiMikami.
105	* CriticalAnnoyance: This game has the screen [[InterfaceScrew pulse red]] with [[HeartbeatSoundtrack frantic heartbeats]] when Sam is near death.
106	* CutscenePowerToTheMax: Depending on the situation, this pops up in cutscenes, with Sam being able to run and jump far faster and farther than he can in-game, and there are certain special attacks against bosses that take it to almost ludicrous levels, i.e. stopping an Argus mech's leg from crushing him, shooting it in the core with his off-hand, then leaping on top of the stunned machine and drilling down into its core with his feet.
107	* CyberCyclops: The [[{{Mooks}} Gorgies]] and a few other robots.
108	* CyberPunkIsTechno: The soundtrack is predominantly industrial techno, with a touch of [[OrchestralBombing orchestra]].
109	* DashAttack: Both Sam and the Romanov-Ds are capable of this.
110	* DeadlyDisc: The Disk Launcher shoots homing discs that boomerang. Luckily, they don't damage Sam on return.
111	* DeathEqualsRedemption: After Sam defeats [[spoiler:Burns, he decides that Sam has fairly won and prevents his men from killing Sam.]]
112	* DefeatEqualsExplosion:
113	** The death animation that doesn't [[BlownAcrossTheRoom send Sam flying]] has him collapse before his suit [[MadeOfExplodium detonates from overheating]].
114	** The first Crystal Viper's death causes a massive explosion that destroys the Grand Coulee Dam and results in [[ContinuousDecompression a hole]] being punched clean through Providence.
115	** Not to mention, most, if not all, of the enemy robots you face explode to some degree when adequately filled with lead.
116	* DestructibleProjectiles:
117	** 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.
118	** You can force a grenade to blow up by shooting it, a maneuver commonly seen used in Tactical Challenges.
119	* DidntNeedThoseAnyway:
120	** Most infantry robots like the Gorgies can still switch to [[ActionBomb charge and self-destruct]] at you if they still have HP left when their lower half is cut off.
121	** For the larger EliteMook like Romanovs and humanoid bosses like the Argus, destroying their limbs through sustained damage will simply negate them of an offensive move, as they can still attack you with their remaining limbs, or weapons directly attached to their main body. However, Romanovs immediately get destroyed when you have cut off all their limbs, since they have no means of fighting back anymore.
122	* DirectContinuousLevels: Most levels have seamless transitions in between.
123	* DiscOneNuke:
124	** The shotgun are one of your starting weapon and it's pickup are everywhere, making it easy to level up. Fully upgrading up the shotgun turns it into a close ranged semi automatic death machine that can wipe out multiple mooks in one shot, stun locks EliteMook, and carve through humanoid sized boss such as the Crystal Vipers and even the FinalBoss.
125	* DisproportionateRetribution: In the intro, Sam offers Burns a position at DARPA while smoking. His response? To suddenly swing a large knife at Sam's face ''close enough to cut his cigarette in half'' '''''because smoking isn't allowed.''''' It's implied that he knew Sam would be fast enough to dodge it, since he has some idea of the capabilities of the ARS. [[spoiler:Or he was preemptively trying to take Sam out.]]
126	-->'''Sam:''' What the [[PrecisionFStrike fuck]], man?!
127	* DivingKick:
128	** Initiating a melee attack while power-sliding will have Sam perform a diving kick with both feet at the nearest target. While powerful enough to instantly destroy the lesser robots, it can knock back larger ones. And just like the other melee attacks, it also overheats your suit!
129	** Zaitsev also does this to Sam in the cutscene before their first fight.
130	* DodgeTheBullet: Because every enemy bullet is rendered and [[EveryBulletIsATracer has a trail]], and because of [[BulletTime AR mode]], there's plenty of opportunity for this.
131	* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:President Winters shoots herself in the epilogue.]]
132	* DroneOfDread: The Romanov-Gs' OneHitKill super missiles [[SoundCodedForYourConvenience emit a droning sound]].
133	* DualBoss:
134	** Act 2 pits you against two Argus robots. While you've already seen one transform in your first fight, here, you get to fight its two separate forms at once.
135	** [[spoiler:In the final Act, you face two Bogeys remotely controlled by Zaitsev.]]
136	* DynamicLoading: The game switches to a first-person HUD/visor view and slows Sam to a walking pace when loading a level or sublevel. Other devices such as elevators or airlocks are also occasionally used.
137	* {{Eagleland}}: [[WhoYouGonnaCall Who you gonna call]] when rascally Russians hijack your space station? A football player turned supersoldier and his grizzled old Sarge (OK, Lieutenant Colonel, but he's got all the trappings of a SergeantRock).
138	* EasierThanEasy: "Casual Auto" mode, which is just like Casual, except that your aim snaps to the nearest enemy when aiming.
139	* EasilyForgiven: [[spoiler:Sam to a defeated Burns, which may be why Burns helps him out right afterwards.]]
140	* EliteMook:
141	** Gorgie-USG and USR variants, which are more heavily armored (and in the USG's case, equipped with shotguns and jetpacks), as opposed to the standard USN model, which only has a machine gun. The USS variant doesn't really count, since it's just as fragile as the USN and the only difference is that it uses a sniper rifle.
142	** [[spoiler:The squad of U.S. Marines defending Burns in Act 5.]]
143	* {{EMP}}: Sam has EMP grenades that temporarily paralyze robot enemies, and certain enemies have EMP-type attacks that [[{{Overheating}} overheat]] Sam's PoweredArmor and prevent him from using Boost or [[BulletTime AR mode]].
144	* EmpoweredBadassNormal: Burns ''again'', who was already a musclebound, gritty SpaceMarine, even before you factor in that half his body was replaced by cybernetics.
145	* EquipmentUpgrade: The BLADE weapon system allows you to pick up the same weapon to replenish your ammo. When you have full ammo for that weapon, any subsequent pick-ups will upgrade it by one third of a level. Repeat this enough times to improve the gun's capacity, accuracy or firepower. It is also notorious, as any death on Normal and above difficulties will degrade the weapon's rank by one level.
146	* EscortMission: Done in a BlackoutBasement with an armored vehicle that must be guided to destroy a barricade at the end of a tunnel.
147	* EveryoneLovesBlondes: Elena remarkably achieves MsFanservice despite being modestly dressed compared to other Creator/PlatinumGames female characters.
148	* EvolvingWeapon: Grabbing upgrade chips (or collecting ammo for an equipped weapon while you're at full capacity) upgrades your weapon in numerous ways. Not only can its firepower, speed and clip size increase, after a number of levels, they will obtain minor aesthetic changes as well.
149	* ExplodingBarrels: Every now and then, but they're surprisingly uncommon for such an action-packed shooting game.
150	* ExplosiveOverclocking: Overclocking the ARS in Vanquish by removing its limiters can have unpleasant effects on the user. In-game, if Sam takes too much fire from enemy troops, he passes out, and the suit's presumed attempts to repair and compensate for the damage result in it overloading and exploding.
151	* {{Expy}}: The Crystal Viper is visually similar to an exposed ''ComicBook/DoctorDoom'' while also having a fair share of electricity and subtle telekinetic powers. It can also turn invisible, much like ''ComicBook/InvisibleWoman''. If you successfully parry it's sword attack, Sam can punch the fragile coating of the robot to reveal a mechanical exoskeleton with red eyes, just like a T-800 from ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}''.
152	* FauxAffablyEvil: Sam lights a cigarette upon reaching Zaitsev, and he stops to both let Sam finish it and talk a while.
153	* GameplayAllyImmortality: Unlike the other nameless marines who can get K.I.A., Burns cannot, no matter how much damage he takes from any enemies.
154	* GameplayAndStorySegregation:
155	** Sam is capable of a lot more creative combat choices in cutscenes than he is in gameplay.
156	** In the cutscene before the battle with Zaitsev, Sam uses an assault rifle, shotgun, and rocket launcher no matter what weapons he actually has equipped.
157	* GatlingGood: Burns's weapon is a massive gatling gun with a deployable blast shield.
158	* GiantEnemyCrab: The KNRB-0 Argus. You [[AttackItsWeakPoint shoot at its joints]] so you can attack its core. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in-universe; Elena states that the robot's armor plating was deliberately reduced to enable it to carry more ammunition. And considering how many [[MacrossMissileMassacre missiles]] it fires...
159	* GiantMook: The Romanov-N. This big guy is fond of blowing people apart with its [[ArmCannon missiles]], frying them with its [[EnergyWeapon 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?
160	** And there are the other Romanovs, like the [[ThisIsADrill Romanov-D]] and the [[KillItWithFire Romanov-F]].
161	* GoryDiscretionShot:
162	** The civilians that explode in the intro do so off screen.
163	** [[spoiler:President Winters' suicide.]] We ''are'' shown [[{{Gorn}} the direct aftermath]] however...
164	* GuideDangIt:
165	** If you haven't been paying enough attention in the tutorial section, you'll never know that you could actually shoot your own grenades when you enter [[BulletTime AR mode]] after lobbing one. It does mention the ability to shoot grenades and projectiles from ''enemies''.
166	** An achievement requires you to kill three robots distracted by your cigarette. However, the game doesn't explicitly tell you that Sam can smoke a cigarette while under cover by pressing the "slide" key without directional input. There is one part of the HUD that is displayed when you are in cover - a cigarette icon and its counter.
167	** Good luck finding all of the Pangloss Statues for one achievement -- it'll be a PixelHunt without a guide.
168	* TheGunslinger: Sam Gideon, in comparison to a lot of Creator/PlatinumGames' other well-known protagonists.
169	* {{Hammerspace}}: One has to wonder how something as big as [[https://www.flickr.com/photos/segaamerica/4775713892 the Laser Cannon]] could [[https://gfycat.com/forsakensecretdormouse collapse into a little receiver]]. [[RuleOfCool Not that it matters]].
170	* HandCannon: The Anti-Armor Pistol lives up to its name by packing quite a punch. Despite its more compact form than most guns, it deals just a bit less damage than the Sniper Rifle (but still enough to [[OneHitKill one-shot]] Gorgies) at a range similar to the HMG.
171	* HarderThanHard: [[VideoGame/GodHand God Hard]].
172	* HeWasRightThereAllAlong: In Act 2-6, you will observe a strange carousel-like object at the top of the hill from several points in the level. That's the Jamming Tower that serves as the act's boss.
173	* HellIsThatNoise:
174	** The charge prior to Zaitsev's WaveMotionGun attack described below, which plays at a lower pitch than his [[BeamSpam lock-on laser attack.]]
175	** The pitch-increasing alarm when the Romanov-G fires its OneHitKill homing missile.
176	** Bia's screeches.
177	* HitboxDissonance: If you stand too close to a Romanov as it charges a large ball of energy [[ChestBlaster from its chest]], you can be [[OneHitKill insta-killed]] even if you're behind it (its back is fully armored like the rest of its body, except for the opening in its chest).
178	* {{Hitscan}}: [[PlayingWithATrope Played With]]; in BulletTime, all kinetic weapons have visible projectiles that can be dodged.
179	* HitStop: AR mode is automatically activated if Sam takes enough damage. Most of his death animations are also played in slow motion.
180	* HoistByHisOwnPetard:
181	** In Act 2, Sam uses a flying transport to redirect the heat-seeking homing missiles of the KNRB-0 Argus by ramming the vehicle back at it, with Sam [[DeadlyDodging jumping out of the way]] while the missiles destroy their sender.
182	--->'''Sam''': [[ThisIsGonnaSuck This is gonna hurt!]]
183	** Sam manages to take Zaitsev's gun and finish him off with it. [[spoiler:Well, his empty remote-controlled suit, at least.]]
184	* HomingLasers: Sam's Lock-On Laser, as well as [[BeamSpam one of Zaitsev's attacks.]]
185	* HumongousMecha: The game is crawling with these; some are {{Elite Mook}}s, bosses taking up the size of an arena, transports, or even ones you can mount and use.
186	* HyperspaceArsenal: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]. You have the new prototype BLADE (Battlefield Logic [=ADaptable=] Electronic) weapon, an expandable carbon nanotube device which can rearrange itself into any weapon stored in its memory, including weapons bigger than your torso. The catch is, the data needed to make up a whole gun-sized object, down to the molecular level, is enough that the system can only store three configurations at a time. These can be swapped by scanning different guns, which also provide more ammo.
187	* IdiosyncraticDifficultyLevels: [[EasierThanEasy Casual Auto]], Casual, Normal, Hard, [[VideoGame/GodHand God]] [[HarderThanHard Hard]].
188	* IKnowMaddenKombat: When moving around, Sam's grenade toss animation is similar to a football toss. Justified; an in-game document explains that he played college ball before joining DARPA.
189	* InTheBack: The preferred strategy against the Romanov-F robots, since [[AttackItsWeakPoint their gas cylinders]] are located on their backs, and shooting those will also detonate the Romanov itself, regardless of any remaining health.
190	* JoinOrDie: In the prologue, Zaitsev threatens the U.S. to join their Russian forces, or else they will fire the microwave energy array like they did with San Francisco.
191	* JurisdictionFriction: Sam (of DARPA) and Burns (of the U.S. Marine Corps) tend to bicker over who gives the orders and who takes them.
192	* JustifiedTutorial: The game begins with Sam testing the ARS. Thankfully, you can cut the session short, but you have to complete a few of the exercises before you get the option to do so. But you'll have to complete all segments if you want to earn an achievement.
193	-->[[LampshadeHanging "Look,]] I know you're in a rush to get to the bar, but we've got a lot to go over..."
194	* KaizoTrap:
195	** The first [[WakeUpCallBoss Bogey]] boss fight ends with a tricky PressXToNotDie cutscene, just when you have finally depleted its HP to 0 (or whittled it down enough).
196	** There's a small maze of cargo containers on a platform in Act 2 that appears to be empty at first despite weapon boxes being visibly scattered around. The area is actually scripted in which Gorgies will ambush and flank you when you turn a corner.
197	** In the third fight against the Argus (in Act 4), it'll fire off its instant kill laser at you after you completely deplete its health. It ''can'' get you killed if you don't see it coming.
198	* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler: Zaitsev gets away, as the final DualBoss turns out to [[ActuallyADoombot both be "slave units"]] rather than the real thing.]]
199	* {{Kiai}}: A particularly epic one occurs after a QTE during the final battle. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdesaE1DzgE Here's a clip of it in Japanese]].
200	* KillEnemiesToOpen: Prevalent in a sense that almost every scripted sequence and cutscene will only trigger once all enemies in the current area are defeated.
201	* KillSat: The [[BlatantLies "peaceful"]] space colony, Providence, can use its solar energy to destroy entire cities, as the Russians demonstrated by ''[[FamilyUnfriendlyDeath microwaving San Francisco.]]''
202	* KungShui: The cutscene between the tutorial and the first playable mission alone probably racks up trillions in property damage, and [[SerialEscalation things only get rowdier from there on out]].
203	* LadderPhysics: Sam leaps to the top of ladders rather than climbing them.
204	* LargeHam: Pretty much every single thing Burns says.
205	* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: When Elena explains to Sam that the Crystal Viper is immune to optical weapons like lasers.
206	-->'''Sam:''' [[SelfDeprecation This is starting to sound like a bad video game.]]
207	* LeapAndFire: Holding the aim button while vaulting over a chest-high wall triggers a brief spurt of BulletTime, allowing you to pick off enemies or get height on others.
208	** A legitimate strategy for speedruns or Tactical Challenges is to keep the Heavy Machine Gun on hand for its melee attack (a backflip kick). AR mode can be triggered in midair, allowing you to pick off an enemy or two before you land. The best part is, ''the ARS only overheats if a melee attack connects'', so backflipping for the sole purpose of gaining height can be done regularly from a distance.
209	* 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.
210	* LiteralMetaphor: Teleportation experiments do not work well for living beings, as Sam states that a rat got into a TeleFrag accident "with its head literally shoved up its ass".
211	* LoadBearingBoss: [[spoiler:The [[DualBoss twin Bogeys]] in the final level are armed with tactical nukes that activate after Sam defeats them, destroying the space colony.]]
212	* LoadingScreen: Notable in a sense that it displays additional information regarding the characters and technology in the world of ''Vanquish''.
213	* LocomotiveLevel: Act 2 has two sections of this -- one with a larger transport that sets off a wave defense gameplay alongside the Marines, and the second with Sam riding a commandeered enemy transport across the train tracks.
214	* LudicrousGibs: Doesn't apply to Sam, but to the soldiers in Act 5-1 when they start to run across the bridge [[ArtificialStupidity when the lasers are firing.]]
215	* MacrossMissileMassacre: Argus bots and Buzzards specialize in this. The Argus in particular lets off all its missiles through the entire stage before transforming into a bipedal form.
216	* MadeOfIron: Sam Gideon can survive falling from tall heights, explosions and kinetic impact. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] thanks to his extremely durable PoweredArmor. In Normal or lower difficulties, he can even take a direct hit from a rocket without instantly dying.
217	%%* MakeTheBearAngryAgain: The Order of the Russian Star regime.
218	* TheManBehindTheMan:
219	** [[spoiler:President Winters]] was the one who supported Zaitsev's coup in Russia, so that [[spoiler:the United States would have a legitimate reason to go to war against a "bad guy" and [[RippedFromTheHeadlines stimulate the weak American economy]]]].
220	** As mentioned before, [[spoiler:Zaitsev's boss, who is apparently a high-ranking member in the Order of the Russian Star.]]
221	* MaleGaze: When a scene focuses on Elena there are times when the camera shifts its focus [[LegFocus towards her legs]] or rear.
222	* MechaMooks: 99% of the enemies in this game are robots.
223	* MilitaryMashupMachine: The Kreon is a [[SpiderTank walking]] land [[TheDreadedDreadnought dreadnought]].
224	* MissileLockOn: The rocket launcher is equipped with this, and some of its upgrades reduce the lock-on time. A fully-upgraded rocket launcher locks on to targets instantly.
225	%%* MissionControl: Elena Ivanova.
226	* MiniGameCredits: Shooting asteroids with pictures of the development team on them.
227	* 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 not that different from the robots you've been blowing up. It doesn't help that they're also FacelessGoons.]]
228	* MoodWhiplash: [[spoiler:A long, lingering shot of the president after she shoots herself in the head]]...followed by cheery space adventure music as you shoot asteroids with the development team's faces on them.
229	* MorphWeapon: The Battlefield Logic [=ADaptable=] Electronic weapons system ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEQc7p3X4HM BLADE]]) not only transforms into up to three different weapons on command, it can [[http://makeagif.com/T59dzv store itself in the ARS' arm]]. How does it work? [[RuleOfCool Who cares?]]
230	* MultiMookMelee: The Tactical Challenges let you fight against waves of enemy robots, with only a few seconds of rest before each wave arrives.
231	* NeckLift: After boarding an enemy transport in Act 2-2, Sam throws its pilot overboard by the neck. It sparks when he picks it up.
232	-->'''Sam:''' [[MechaMooks You're]] last year's model!
233	* NintendoHard: Hoo boy. The campaign is manageable, but the Tactical Challenges... Challenge 4 is essentially self-punishment, and [[spoiler:the secret Challenge 6 is [[SerialEscalation even harder.]]]]
234	** Played entirely straight in the campaign with God Hard difficulty, which lives up to its' name to the ''n''th degree: Sam's health is immensely lowered, enemies focus on ''you and you alone'', health regen is slowed by half, weapons cannot be upgraded, the ARS has only a quarter of its regular energy capacity and recovers at half speed, rockets cannot be found in weapon crates, and harder enemies are encountered much earlier. To top it off, getting hit by a stray grenade is almost a guaranteed one-hit kill, and they'll be lobbing them at you in the dozens.
235	* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: President Elizabeth Winters is fairly clearly modeled on Hillary Clinton.
236	* NoDeathRun: Encouraged in one achievement.
237	* NotSoDifferentRemark: Sam remarks on it as he compares himself to Burns at the game's epilogue:
238	-->'''Sam:''' You know, I'm not that different from Burns.\
239	'''Elena:''' Hm?\
240	'''Sam:''' We both sacrificed others to uphold our own ideals.
241	* NotTheFallThatKillsYou:
242	** Averted. When Sam falls from a long distance in a cutscene near the end of the game, he uses his boosters to slow himself down enough so that he won't rip his arm off when he grabs a ledge. And while hanging, the first thing he does is [[SmokingIsCool light up a cigarette]] and ''then'' pull himself up.
243	** Played straight, though, in Act 3's ending. As Sam leaps off of the exploding Kreon, he falls for a while until Burns catches him and swings him into the dropship. Justified for Burns since he caught Sam with his mechanical arm; not so much for Sam since he didn't even activate his boosters when falling.
244	* OneHitKill: Quite a few things can push you right past forced AR activation and into death, regardless of the difficulty setting, or how much damage you've soaked up to that point. Most notable is the Unknown's instant-kill attack, which '''''will''''' catch you off guard the first time it happens.
245	* OneWayVisor: The blue-tinted visor of Sam's PoweredArmor helmet covers the lower half of his face.
246	* OptionalStealth: In Act 3-4, you have to destroy searchlights and a patrol vehicle to avoid detection while your team infiltrates a monorail. Surprisingly, there is a silencer-equipped sniper rifle for you to do the job cleanly. Firing anything else triggers the alarms and missiles will be fired at your position from the gates. That doesn't mean that you'll have to stick to stealth though; you can [[SelfImposedChallenge fire your weapons at the incoming missiles to deflect them one by one]] until your monorail reaches the gate.
247	* {{Overheating}}: A core gameplay mechanic -- several maneuvers such as melee attacks, power-sliding and BulletTime as well as energy weapons like the Laser Cannon draw power from your ARS suit. An HUD, audio and visual indicators help you keep track of this, and if your suit does overheat, you won't be able to utilize said maneuvers and weapons until your suit fully cools down. Some enemy attacks and environmental hazards like the Kreon's afterburners will instantly overheat your suit when you're in their proximity.
248	* PaletteSwap: It's not obvious at first, but the [[SpaceMarines Marines]] and the Gorgies. [[spoiler:It also doubles as a bit of {{foreshadowing}}.]]
249	* PixelHunt: Searching for and shooting Pangloss Statues. Not only are they small, their [[NoticeThis glimmer effect]] is not very outstanding, as their gold/bronze color blends with the game's [[RealIsBrown greyed-out color palette]].
250	* PopGoesTheHuman: This happens to several victims of the [[KillSat microwave beam]] attack during the intro.
251	* PoweredArmor:
252	** Sam Gideon's shtick. He's testing it for DARPA.
253	** Zaitsev's also got one. Sam mutters that it's "patented."
254	* PowerOfTheGodHand: As noted in ShoutOut, there's an achievement called "[[VideoGame/GodHand The Hand Of God]]."
255	* PummelDuel: Sam's fight against Zaitsev, [[spoiler:both times]].
256	* QuickTimeEvent: Mostly initiated when you knock down a boss's HP to a certain threshold. This is also done in tandem with ButtonMashing, as every on-screen key input requires you to mash the button within a time frame.
257	* RailroadTracksOfDoom: In the train level, after the enemy train shows up, you have a [[TimedMission limited time]] to kill all the baddies on board, or else the trains collide at the intersection and you die.
258	* RandomNumberGod: The weapons that you receive from item boxes or fallen robots may change if you reload the same checkpoint.
259	* RatedMForManly: '''''No shit''''' -- almost all of the {{Space Marine}}s are muscular soldiers, while Burns himself is a massive, bulky soldier who wields a futuristic gatling gun. While your PlayerCharacter Sam Gideon has a normal build under that armor, his [[PoweredArmor ARS]] allows him to perform high-speed slides, vaults, dodges, and close-quarters combat.
260	* RapidFireFisticuffs: Returns once again as a Creator/PlatinumGames Tradition, between Sam and Zaitsev.
261	* RecurringBoss: The [[TransformingMecha KNRB-0 Argus]] is fought two more times after its first appearance in Act 1-3; as a DualBoss in Act 2-3, and once again as a solo boss in Act 4-2. The FinalBoss is [[spoiler:a DualBoss version of the Bogey from Act 1-8]].
262	* RecursiveAmmo: The Buzzard mini-boss's cluster missiles.
263	* RedShirtArmy: The Marines have pathetic lifespan expectancies. Everyone, including them, [[GenreSavvy seems to be aware of this]].
264	-->'''Sam:''' That transport [[HellishCopter might as well crash itself right now]].
265	* RegeneratingHealth: Typical for a shooter game released in the 2000's. Not taking damage for a given period will restore Sam's health.
266	* RenegadeRussian: Zaitsev, who initiated a coup in Russia with his [[MechaMooks robot army]].
267	* RoboTeching: The Lock-On Laser. Lasers go up, then down, kind of like a high-tech version of the Javelin Missile Launcher. It's nowhere near as powerful as that, though.
268	* RobotWar: The only ''non-robot'' Russian combatant deployed is BigBad Victor Zaitsev. Except in Act 5-2, when Sam gets into a lethal conflict of interest with [[spoiler:the genocidally patriotic Burns and his U.S. Marines.]]
269	** [[spoiler:Even the final battle with Zaitsev ends up being against two, simultaneously-controlled "slave" units.]]
270	* ReverseThePolarity: Invoked word for word by Elena when instructing Sam on how to destroy the Kreon's energy source. Of course you're trying to cause a malfunction rather than a miracle in this case.
271	* RuleOfCool: Is the US government designing a [[PoweredArmor battlesuit]] that lets the user slide around at 50 mph on their knees? Doubtful. Would they ever consider such a venture to be a practical evolution of warfare? Probably not. Does it still make a good gameplay feature in spite of that? ''You better [[PrecisionFStrike fuckin']] believe it.''
272	** How many video game protagonists are there who can rocket-slide into a wall, kick off it, perform a backflip in the air, pull out a rifle, and snipe two guys in the head, ''while still descending from the backflip?''
273	* SaveScumming: In the Normal and higher difficulties, dying and continuing from the game over screen will degrade the rank of your weapons by one level (and also forfeits a NoDeathRun achievement). However, if you choose to return to the title from the game over screen, your record will not be penalized, and you can just simply continue from the main menu with your weapon upgrades at their state on the saved checkpoint, as well as no death recorded in your end-of-level statistics.
274	** In other words, there is actually a difference between the options presented when you die - "Continue" will retain all your current weapon upgrades, while choosing "Return to Title" will revert the upgrades to when the checkpoint was saved, forcing you to scavenge boxes again for the weapons.
275	* SceneryPorn: The entire game takes place on a super-technologically-advanced cylindrical space colony a la Series/BabylonFive named "Providence." You even get full control over the camera in the title menu.
276	* SchrodingersGun: Played straight at the final battle when you fight [[spoiler:two Bogeys like the one at the end of Act 1: one red, one blue. Whichever you destroy first, [[BigBad Zaitsev]] will contact you and say: "The wrong one, I'm afraid"]].
277	** Subverted when [[spoiler:both are revealed to be empty remote-controlled drones]].
278	* SelectiveGravity: There's a zero-gravity zone in Act 5 that your team has to traverse. While bullets, casings and light covers do float in space, Sam can still move normally due to his ARS PoweredArmor. Your fellow marines do float as lifeless corpses when they die in this area. However, the most egregious case comes with the Unknown boss fight. Its mechanical parts still float away randomly every time you take a chunk out of it, while the core can walk on the surface just as normal, without being affected by the physics whatsoever.
279	* SerialEscalation: In Act 1-3, you grab the artillery shell from an [[GiantEnemyCrab Argus robot]] and [[https://youtu.be/6ngp2TbG7Q8?t=36 slam-dunk it back down its gun barrel.]] It only gets better from there.
280	* SequelHook: [[spoiler:Zaitsev gets away, and is revealed to be merely an agent for the Order of the Russian Star.]]
281	* ShockwaveStomp: In the second Argus battle, its bipedal form has a stomp attack that generates an {{EMP}} that overheats Sam's armor.
282	* ShootTheBullet: You can shoot down enemy bullet projectiles while in BulletTime mode.
283	* SmokingIsCool: Sam lights up at pretty much every opportunity, [[SmokyVoice 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.]]
284	* SociopathicSoldier: Burns.
285	* SongsInTheKeyOfPanic: The [[TimedMission first part]] of Act 2-2.
286	* SpaceMarine: Your allies are the [[SemperFi U.S. Marine Corps]], ''[[RecycledInSpace in space!]]''
287	** Averted with Sam and Elena, who work for DARPA. This causes some JurisdictionFriction between Sam and Burns over whose orders take precedence during the operation.
288	* SpiderTank: The KNRB-0 Argus.
289	* SpinToDeflectStuff: [[TransformingMecha View Hounds]] can spin their rotor blades to deflect attacks while in robot mode.
290	* SpitefulAI: In God Hard difficulty, even if you're surrounded by bulky Marines carrying rocket launchers while you are completely out of ammo, every single enemy will try to gun ''you'' down specifically. Even when you're behind cover, enemies will still suicidally charge forward just to get behind your barricade and stab you in the face. It is somewhat justified in that the enemies for 99% of the game are robots, as well as the fact that with the [[SuperPrototype ARS]], you're likely considered to be a bigger threat. Not so justified when [[ArtificialStupidity your allies]] seem to enjoy running in front of you while you're firing or rushing into an enemy warp point that fries them, as well as ''sitting'' on grenades. Even worse, the more friendly casualties, the lower your overall score.
291	* SportsHeroBackstory: Sam Gideon was a college quarterback before he became a DARPA researcher testing out a prototype PoweredArmor.
292	* SkewedPriorities: After barely catching a ledge in a cutscene, Sam continues hanging over a death drop by one arm ''[[RuleOfCool to light]] [[SmokingIsCool a cigarette]].''
293	** Sometimes during gameplay, [[spoiler: (including ''during his boss fight with you)'']] Burns will take out a flask of whiskey and take a long swig.
294	* SnarkToSnarkCombat: Sam and Burns run on this.
295	** In Act 2-3, when Sam runs into the two Argus bots:
296	---> [Burns descends from a chopper]
297	---> '''Burns''': [[SarcasmMode Miss me, sweetheart?]]\
298	'''Sam''': Jesus, you? I liked you better when I thought you were dead.\
299	'''Burns''': And I liked you better when I didn't have to hear your shit. Let's go!
300	** Again before Act 4-2, at the Grand Coulee Dam:
301	---> '''Sam''': They really rolled out the welcome mat.\
302	'''Burns:''' Must have a thing for [=VIPs=].
303	* SnipingTheCockpit: Taking out the pilot of a light troop transport will bring the vehicle down, taking all its passengers with it.
304	* StandardSciFiFleet: The ship that Burns uses to infiltrate Providence looks very similar to a ''Franchise/StarWars'' Blockade Runner.
305	* StealthParody: The writer of [[https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/vanquish-review/1900-6282239/ the review of ''Vanquish'' on Gamespot]] seems to think it is this.
306	* StockScream: There's a Wilhelm scream in the cutscene when the Bogey is first introduced.
307	* SuperweaponSurprise: The microwave emitter on Providence was not intended as a weapons system, but the Russians got creative.
308	* SwissArmyGun: The BLADE weapon system. It can transform itself to replicate any compatible weapon that Sam encounters on the battlefield, from armor-piercing {{Hand Cannon}}s to rocket launchers and laser cannons; Sam only needs to supply the ammo.
309	* SwordLimbo: Sam Gideon does this when Robert Burns slices at him at the start of the game. Sam successfully dodges thanks to his PoweredArmor, but also gets his cigarette cut in half -- in SlowMotion.
310	* TacticalSuperweaponUnit: ''The entire third act of the game'' is a BattleshipRaid against the ''Kreon,'' a huge TransformingMecha space-battleship/SpiderTank that's too big and nasty to fight conventionally.
311	* TakeThat: One ad pokes fun at ''Franchise/{{Halo}},'' stating that "If it takes a decade to finish the fight, you should probably switch tactics."
312	* TakeCover: But you probably won't; you'll be too busy powersliding around the battlefield. Plus, you're more robust than most protagonists who take cover. Sam has a number of high-speed moves that allow you to easily dodge enemy fire while retaliating. When you're dangerously low on health, BulletTime kicks in, allowing you to find the necessary cover easily. The score system also penalizes you based on how long you've sat in cover.
313	** The game's developers had already experimented with cover mechanics years before they became popular, such as Creator/ShinjiMikami's ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' and Sega's ''VideoGame/BonanzaBros'', and are now doing the same with ''Vanquish''.
314	*** Of note is actually how good said system is -- you can boost out of cover, roll into a slow-mo shot, hop over cover for ''another'' slow-mo shot, throw a distraction out to draw fire, and there are even 3 kinds of cover. Walls give you the most protection but have a hard time being boosted from, low cover means little space to hide and standing straight up to shoot, but being able to boost in a second, and chest-high cover is somewhere in the middle.
315	* TakingYouWithMe: [[spoiler:Burns' death; demanding Sam leave him, he stays behind to detonate a bomb in his arm and kill several Marines.]]
316	--> '''Burns''': [[spoiler:My men are dead. [[DyingMomentOfAwesome I belong with them.]]]]
317	* TechnologyPorn:
318	** Sam's ARS suit has parts surrounding the reactor that constantly move, and the parts of his BLADE weapon [[https://gfycat.com/forsakensecretdormouse fold onto each other]] as it's configured.
319	** Zaitsev's Bogey suit, especially its introduction scene, and when it opens its wing pods for a laser attack.
320	** The tutorial chamber features huge weapon benches that fold out of tiny tiles on the floor.
321	** Elena's holographic support console qualifies, with all kinds of free-floating, touch-sensitive displays that can be pulled and slid around in a ''Film/MinorityReport''-like fashion.
322	* TeleFrag: The robots can teleport in reinforcements. The Marines... not so much. Sam states that living things won't survive the process, and that a rat involved in a teleportation experiment ended up "with its head literally shoved up its ass" and that "it'll be at least three more years before [DARPA] can get a human in that state".
323	* TheManyDeathsOfYou: At first glance, it may appear that Sam has only two death animations, but those are just in standard combat...
324	** The most notable non-standard death animation for Sam is the Unknown's finisher, in which it [[spoiler:grabs Sam, slices off his head, and crawls away [[BattleTrophy with his body]]]].
325	** There's also the Romanov-D: it will [[spoiler:suspend Sam in the air with one of its drill arms, which is spinning its way into Sam's torso, before thrusting that same arm into the ground, pinning Sam as he is eviscerated by the drill. Surprisingly, [[BloodlessCarnage no blood is shed]], only sparks (despite how far into Sam's body the drill is by the time the "Mission Failed" screen finally pops up).]]
326	** If you fail the [[PummelDuel QTE between Sam and Zaitsev]] during their first duel, Zaitsev will leave a nice, deep cut in Sam's shoulder courtesy of his rifle sword.
327	** Reprised with [[spoiler:Bogeys Alpha and Bravo]] in the final battle, where if you don't mash that button hard enough, [[spoiler:they knock Sam into the sky before he's used as a target for their lasers in midair]].
328	*** After the final battle, if you [[spoiler:fail to dodge the remaining Bogey's sword attacks, Zaitsev [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice plants his sword straight through Sam's heart]]. What makes this death animation special is that a first-person view is used during this sequence]].
329	** Act 3-3 has Sam's falling animation if he fails to cross the bridge in time.
330	* TheWormThatWalks: The "Unknown" boss consists of a [[AttackItsWeakPoint red core]] and pieces of robotic junk that assemble into various shapes.
331	* ThisIsADrill: The Romanov-D is equipped with two drills on both arms and can lunge towards you similar to [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry Dante]]'s Stinger. They can also dig through the ground.
332	* ThrownOutTheAirlock: Happens to your allied soldiers in the prologue, when enemy fire blows open the airlock doors. Fortunately, Sam's suit can hold on to the ground until the doors close.
333	* TookALevelInBadass: When Sam stops boosting, he spins out of it feet-first, before landing on his feet. Exaggerated 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.
334	* TooKinkyToTorture: [[https://youtu.be/GRoHgX1B1kc?t=504 One of the Marines that you rescue from electrical restraints in Act 1-4]] is a bit more cheerful than the rest.
335	-->'''Marine''': Thanks. You save the others?
336	-->'''Sam''': Yeah, they're already free.
337	-->'''Marine''': Their loss. Those bindings felt ''great!''
338	-->'''Sam''': I don't believe this.
339	* TrappedInContainment: [[spoiler:The majority of the Marines stationed on Providence asphyxiate to death when they are unable to get past a blast shield that was closed by Burns to contain a breach in the colony's outer hull.]]
340	* TransformingMecha:
341	** The Argus is a quadrupedal robot that can turn into a bipedal HumongousMecha.
342	** The Bia bot is a robot scorpion that can transform into a mech wielding a massive axe.
343	** The Buzzard has flight and land modes encountered at different points in the game.
344	* TurnsRed: [[spoiler:After you defeat one Bogey in the final battle, the other greatly increases its speed]]. Sam notices this change and orders Elena to [[EleventhHourSuperpower disable the limiters]] on his suit as well.
345	* UndergroundMonkey:
346	** The standard {{Giant Mook}}s, the Romanovs, also have four varieties with different weapons and abilities.
347	** The [[MechaMooks Gorgies]] have four variants:
348	*** The red USN type are TheGoomba.
349	*** The yellow [=USRs=] lead squads and are more intelligent and well-armed.
350	*** The green [=USSs=] are snipers that can OneHitKill Sam.
351	*** The blue [=USGs=] are EliteMooks with flight capability and shotguns.
352	* UnexpectedGameplayChange: A brief one during the final level. [[spoiler:The game has you fire the remaining Bogey's rifle at it in first-person perspective.]]
353	* UnexpectedShmupLevel:
354	** A rail shooter sequence on a hijacked enemy transport in Act 2-3.
355	** A ''VideoGame/SilentScope''-style {{stealth\|BasedMission}} {{sniping mission}} on a monorail in Act 3-4.
356	* UniqueEnemy: [[ActionBomb Jellyfish-Ls]] only appear in Act 1-6. Jellyfish-Ms appear in Act 1-6 and Act 4-3.
357	* 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.
358	* VideoGameDashing: Sam has a jet-powered slide dash ability courtesy of his [[PoweredArmor ARS]].
359	* VitriolicBestBuds: Sam and Burns. Probably the best explanation for [[spoiler:Sam trying to help Burns in Act 5-2, even after Burns betrays him and Sam is forced to gun him down -- and Burns doing the same in buying Sam time with his explosive death.]]
360	* VoiceWithAnInternetConnection: Elena Ivanova, of course.
361	* WakeUpCallBoss: The Bogey, despite only being the second boss, can be very frustrating, having [[MarathonBoss high HP]], fast flight abilities (making it difficult to hit with heavier weapons), {{Roboteching}} {{beam spam}}s just like the player's Lock-On Laser, {{EMP}}s that cause Sam's armor to overheat, a plasma WaveMotionGun that can OneHitKill, and to top it all off, a PressXToNotDie sequence at the end.
362	* WaveMotionGun:
363	** 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]].
364	** Zaitsev's Bogey has an attack that can do this, sweeping a giant laser beam along the ground towards you that's tricky to dodge, making cover quite helpful.
365	* WeaksauceWeakness:
366	** The Disk Launcher is the most effective weapon against Romanovs (despite dealing a small amount of damage against bosses), precisely due to its ability to [[AnArmAndALeg cut off their limbs]]. By aiming at a Romanov's arms, legs and head, players are able to finish Romanovs in a minimum of 5 shots, and they would immediately be destroyed if they have no means of fighting back, regardless of remaining health! While the Romanovs can still fight back despite having their legs chopped off, Sam can use the Disk Launcher's melee attack to saw at them as many times as the player wants, since the weapon does not overheat the suit, and its melee attack can interrupt the attack animations of enemies.
367	** While the LFE Gun's main gimmick is to push enemies away despite doing a minuscule damage, it is one of the two weapons (along with the Rocket Launcher) that can [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomp]] the Unknowns. Both of these weapons have a large area-of-effect that works against the Unknowns' shielded cores. However, the Rocket Launcher has a very limited capacity, while the LFE Gun can hold a couple dozen shots. In a close-ranged combat, the LFE can easily take away chunks of an Unknown's health with just a few well-timed shots at the center.
368	* WeHaveReserves: Burns has a ''really'' bad case of this.
369	-->'''Burns''': Screw it! Leave 'em! Elena, close this door!\
370	'''Sam''': [[WhatTheHellHero So this is how the Marines do business?]]\
371	'''Burns''': Marines complete the mission. [[TrialByFriendlyFire We don't]] ''[[TrialByFriendlyFire get]]'' [[TrialByFriendlyFire the luxury of choosing how.]]
372	** Of course, things [[{{Deconstruction}} get a lot less clear-cut]] when [[spoiler:Burns and his marines turn on Sam and he has to mow them down ''himself''.]]
373	* WhamShot: [[spoiler:Sam finds Professor Candide in the Providence's control chamber. Just as Candide shuts down the weapon, bullets fly in slow motion from behind Sam, killing the professor and revealing Burns to be against DARPA's side]]. A boss fight ensues.
374	* YourHeadASplode: In the intro cutscene, this happens to several victims of the microwave KillSat attack on San Francisco.

Context VideoGame / Vanquish