PlatinumGames Vanquish-ed

When Sega introduced PlatinumGames to the world in May of 2008, the publisher announced that it would be handling the studio's first four titles: MadWorld, Bayonetta, Infinite Space, and a then-untitled game from Resident Evil director Shinji Mikami. That game finally has a name, as PlatinumGames today posted a teaser trailer for the Mikami-directed Vanquish on its Web site.

The teaser--which is behind an age gate--combines live-action footage with some computer graphics effects to provide a setting for the game. The clip starts with an armored soldier kneeling in a serene field, examining an insect on his finger. The camera pans to reveal a devastated city across a bay as military helicopters fly overhead.

A series of news channel press conference clips show a woman decrying widespread destruction of American cities by "enemy forces" and promising retaliation. Spliced between those shots are glimpses of robotic arms helping the previously glimpsed armored soldier into his equipment. The trailer wraps up with a firefight apparently on a giant orbiting satellite, with the armored soldier taking on a chicken-legged mech.

A credits card at the end of the clip reveals that the Vanquish game will be directed by Shinji Mikami and produced by Atsushi Inaba (Okami, Viewtiful Joe). As for the teaser, it was written and directed by Alexei Tylevich. According to the Internet Movie Database, Tylevich was the visual effects creative lead on last year's Zombieland and wrote and produced the opening movie for Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.

Unfortunately, there's no telling when or where gamers will be able to get their hands on Vanquish. The trailer gave no platforms or release dates for the game.