The biggest reveal is was that the original plan was for Vanquish to be open-world. Once the development commenced, Platinum changed their mind and targeted for more of a “linear structure”.
Mikami explains the open-world switch:
By scrapping the open-world environment, the developers were able to put more time into the enhancement of the visual experience. Mikami is hoping the quality of the graphics are the curator of the buzz around the title.
Another change to the title was in enemy identification during gameplay. Mikami explains how one type of enemy you’ll see the most are robots called Gorgie. The first iteration of Gorgie was mostly white in color, however they were difficult to identify against a primarily gray environment. Mikami received the feedback from gameplay tests and decided that red was the way to go.
I’ve been looking forward to Vanquish, and these development adjustments are positive in my opinion. Focusing on creating a visually pleasing game and avoiding any unnecessary frustrations are parts of the formula to develop a great title. Although an open-world futuristic space/sci-fi game (done with a hat tip to Red Dead Redemption) could be amazing, I’m on board with the direction Vanquish is going in.
Vanquish is set to hit shelves this winter for PS3 and Xbox 360.
Source: Platinum Games blog
