Fans of PlatinumGames will be pleased to hear that their classic frenetic action games Bayonetta and Vanquish are getting remastered for Xbox One, in 4K Ultra HD and at 60fps. The news comes via an apparent early release of Microsoft Store links. The two games will be available individually or bundled together, in celebration of the games' 10th anniversaries. No prices are currently showing on the Store.
Vanquish
The hit sci-fi shooter returns. An overpopulated Earth suffocating under limited resources looks to Providence, the solar-powered space colony for support. When Providence is suddenly taken over by a mutinous group and its technology used to devastate cities, it’s up to a specially trained unit of space marines to reclaim the colony.
Bayonetta
Experience the genesis of the Bayonetta series with the cult classic, original action-adventure game. The tantalizing Umbra Witch rises from the depths after half a millennium in slumber with no recollection of her mysterious past. Immediately thrust into battle, she must vanquish her countless enemies to piece together the truth.
Bayonetta's 4K remaster will apparently set players back 12.87GB on install, while Vanquish's installation size is yet to be confirmed. So far the descriptions are fairly light – at the time of writing it doesn't seem that there will be additional enhancements or features beyond the 4K and 60fps upgrade.
There is one extra detail we know though – the two games and their bundle will apparently release on February 18th, 2020.
Vanquish originally released back in 2010 on Xbox 360 and PS3, with a PC port arriving a full seven years later. It was highly regarded across the press with an 84 rating on Metacritic, praised for it highly polished high-octane shooting experience and the fact that it made no concessions to the casual player. No sequels were ever made
Bayonetta came out in the year before in 2009, also on Xbox 360 and PS3, and managed to secure a 90 on Metacritic for its 360 version. Critics praised its bonkers action, fantastic characters and engaging gunplay – there simply were no other games like it. The game's success allowed PlatinumGames to make two sequels, unfortunately locked to Nintendo consoles – Bayonetta 2 was a Wii U exclusive, later made available on the Switch alongside upcoming Switch-exclusive Bayonetta 3. Perhaps these remasters will lead to platform ports for Bayonetta's sequels?
If you're familiar with PlatinumGames but not these titles, you might know them from their other successes, and one notable failure. PlatinumGames made the surprisingly good Metal Gear spin-off Metal Gear Rising: Revengance, and they are also responsible for the highly acclaimed Nier: Automata. They also crafted video games out of notable IPs The Legend of Korra and Transformers: Devastation. Notoriously, PlatinumGames were working on the Xbox exclusive title Scalebound around the time that Xbox started trimming the fat from their organisation; Scalebound was cancelled and the PlatinumGames contract dissolved, around the same time that Lionhead Studios was shuttered. Rumours persist that Scalebound might return in some form, but in the meantime, players can at least relive the time that PlatinumGames really delivered on an Xbox platform thanks to these remasters.