Vanquish Trophy Guide & Road Map

Vanquish
Vanquish Trophy Guide

Estimated trophy difficulty? 9.5/10
Number of offline trophies? 50 (42 , 5 , 3 , 1 )
Number of online trophies? None
Estimated time to platinum? 10-20 hours, depending on skill
Number of playthroughs required? 1 + Chapter select
Do difficulty trophies stack? Yes
Glitched trophies? None (though Survivor, ARS Operator and Living Legend can be confusing)
Do cheats affect trophies? No cheats
Special hardware required? Not applicable

NOTE: IF YOU COMPLETE THE GAME AND USE 'MISSIONS' SELECT FROM THE MAIN MENU TO ACHIEVE THE "SURVIVOR", "ARS OPERATOR" AND "LIVING LEGEND" TROPHIES, THEY WILL NOT UNLOCK!

This guide is only to be posted on PS3Trophies.org unless otherwise authorized by wottagunn

THOSE THREE TROPHIES MUST BE ACHIEVED DURING ONE WHOLE PLAYTHROUGH OF 'NEW GAME'.

This guide is written with the intention of obtaining Platinum as quickly as possible, and all controls listed in this guide refer to the default layout.

Introduction

VANQUISH is a third-person shooter directed by Shinji Mikami (Resident Evil 4). The gameplay is extremely fast and frenetic and entirely unique.

VANQUISH takes place sometime in the future, where the United States of America have engineered a space station to provide energy for their country to alleviate the short energy supply left on Earth.
A Russian organisation known as the Order of the Russian Star have taken over this space station, and have diverted its harvested solar energy into a blast wave that destroys San Francisco, aiming to force the US into a total and unconditional surrender. The main antagonist, known as Victor Zaitsev, demands that the American government surrender or he will choose New York City as his next target.

The President of the US (Elizabeth Winters) refuses, and instead puts in charge Robert Burns, a clichéd war veteran, to take back over the space station. She also calls in Sam Gideon, a researcher from an organisation known as DARPA, to give Robert Burns a hand.
You play as Sam, who is fitted with a cutting-edge mechanical suit with a vast array of combat and acrobatic functions, such as boosting, slowing down time, and performing amazing melee bashes. This suit is known as the Augmented Reality Suit (ARS). With this advantage, you must destroy Zaitsev and his plans along with him.

Road Map

Step 1: Complete the story on Hard difficulty + Don't Die + Collect all Pangloss Statues

The game does have a steep learning curve and at times can be very difficult, but you will soon get that hang of it and will be able to cope in battle. Start a new game on Hard difficulty from the main menu (and complete all the tutorials for a trophy), and make sure to never change the difficulty until you have completed the story. Doing so will net you all of the “Act Completion” trophies as well as Survivor and ARS Operator.

During this playthrough, you should also be aiming for the Living Legend trophy, which has you finishing the game without dying. You definitely will die in this playthrough, A LOT, but there is a way around this. When you die, rather than selecting continue, return to the title screen. This bypasses the auto-save of a death. At the main menu, select Continue and you will be put back to where you were before you died.

Another thing you can focus on during this playthrough is finding all of the collectibles in the game, which are known as Pangloss Statues. There are four statues per level, excluding the first chapter of the first Act, totalling up to 112 statues across the entire game. The statues are small golden humans, and shooting one constitutes collecting one. They will turn red and make a funny sound when they are shot.

Step 2: Earn remaining Chapter related special condition trophies

After you have completed the story on Hard (and any difficulty, for that matter), all completed Chapters within the Acts will be available to select from the main menu. There are 10 trophies related to meeting special conditions within certain Chapters, they are - That Ended Up Working Nicely, Failure Breeds Success, Leibniz Defense Agency, Tightrope Walker, Fisher is the Other Sam, Flyswatter, Guardian, Hurry the #@$% Up!, Civil Disobedience and Buzzard Beater.
You may achieve a few of these trophies during your Hard playthrough too, which will shorten this step. Read the walkthroughs for each individual trophy if you are missing any.

Step 3: Clean up remaining combat trophies

At this point, you will have the Tactical Challenge trophy left (it is the Hidden trophy) and may possibly have a few combat related trophies remaining, such as destroying Romanov's in different ways. Search the guide for individual methods to getting these trophies.

Step 4: Complete the Tactical Challenges

These challenges are unlocked for the main menu after completion of each Act of the story on Normal difficulty or above.

There are 5 Challenges, and a bonus 6th if you complete all previous 5.

(Credit goes to F8L Fool for his help with pictures and additional info)

[PST Would Like to Thank wottagunn for this Roadmap]

Further Resources:

VANQUISH CHALLENGE MODE WALKTHROUGH

Platinum

Earn all available trophies in VANQUISH.
(11)
One Day at DARPA

Complete all DARPA training exercises.
(3)
When you first start your new game, simply complete all of the tutorials.
Space Normandy

Complete Act 1.
See the “Operation Overlord II” trophy.
Storming Grand Hill

Complete Act 2.
(1)
See the “Ain't Life Grand?” trophy.
I Don't Speak Kreon!

Complete Act 3.
See the “Cry on, Kreon!” trophy.
My Way

Complete Act 4.
See the “The High Way” trophy.
End to Major Combat Operations

Complete Act 5.
See the “Mission Accomplished” trophy.
Survivor

Complete all Acts.
See the “ARS Operator” trophy.
Operation Overlord II

Complete Act 1 on Hard difficulty or above.
Story related. Impossible to miss when playing on Hard. Doing so will also unlock the “Space Normandy” trophy.
Ain't Life Grand?

Complete Act 2 on Hard difficulty or above.
Story related. Impossible to miss when playing on Hard. Doing so will also unlock the “Storming Grand Hill” trophy.
Cry on, Kreon!

Complete Act 3 on Hard difficulty or above.
Story related. Impossible to miss when playing on Hard. Doing so will also unlock the “I Don't Speak Kreon!” trophy.
The High Way

Complete Act 4 on Hard difficulty or above.
Story related. Impossible to miss when playing on Hard. Doing so will also unlock the “My Way” trophy.
Mission Accomplished

Complete Act 5 on Hard difficulty or above.
Story related. Impossible to miss when playing on Hard. Doing so will also unlock the “End to Major Combat Operations” trophy.
ARS Operator

Complete all Acts on hard difficulty or above.
(1)
This trophy can only be unlocked by selecting 'New Game' from the main menu. The game must then be played until it is finished. Never use Mission select from the main menu. That will cause this trophy to stay locked!

Story related. Impossible to miss when playing on Hard. This trophy will pop after the credits, during the final statistics screen, along with the “Survivor” trophy. The game is not overly difficult on Hard, and clocks in at about 5 hours. Once you understand how to preserve your suits power, you will be fine. Here are a few tips:
- Always keep an eye on your suits performance. Try to allow it not to drain.
- Do not worry about score and time.
- A melee attack is very powerful, but completely drains your suits power. Use it wisely.
- Sometimes, take it slow and use cover like any other shooter.
- Evading with and holding is perfect for eliminating 70% of enemies.
- EMP's are powerful but short lived. Act fast once you throw one.
Gun Runner

Scan and acquire all weapons.
This will come without even trying. Simply pick up every weapon you see and this will unlock within 1 hour of starting the game.

There is a total of ten weapons. You start the game with five of them equipped (EMP, Grenade, Shotgun, Assault Rifle, and Heavy Machine Gun). The weapons you must acquire are as follows, in the order they first appear in the game:

Sniper Rifle - First appears in Act 1, Mission 3
Disk Launcher - First appears in Act 1, Mission 4
Lock-On Laser - First appears in Act 1, Mission 5
Rocket Launcher - First appears in 1-6
LFE Gun - First appears in Act 1, Mission 6
King of the Hill

Level a weapon up to maximum operational capability.
(2)
Weapons level up when you collect ammo for them and by picking up Green Upgrade cubes dropped by enemies. Whatever weapon you have equipped will be the weapon that is upgraded when you pick up said cube. Try getting this with the assault rifle. It's common and quite powerful when it is upgraded. Pick up every assault rifle you see in the game as well as green cubes and you should have a fully upgraded rifle and this trophy, by the time you reach Act 3.
Fight or Flight

Manually trigger AR Mode and destroy an enemy robot.
See the “Adrenaline Rush” trophy.
Adrenaline Rush

Manually trigger AR Mode and destroy three enemy robots in a row.
(3)
This trophy should come naturally. You can manually trigger AR mode by holding during any manoeuvre, such as evading. When you trigger it, time will slow down for a short period. In this time kill three robots. Aim for head shots in a group.

AR Mode can be manually triggered long enough by either of the methods listed below:
- Boost + Aiming ( + )
- Evade + Aiming (+ + )
Going in for the Kill

Destroy ten enemy robots with melee attacks.
See “A Heartbreaker and Lifetaker” trophy.
A Heartbreaker and Lifetaker

Destroy 100 enemy robots with melee attacks.
(7)
This trophy is cumulative across all playthroughs. You can melee robots using the button, whether that be when you are sliding or standing upright. Just be aware that a melee attack will fully drain your suits performance.
Helloooo, Nurse

Revive a friendly troop.
See the “Knight in Shining White Armor” trophy.
Knight in Shining White Armor

Revive 20 friendly troops.
Allies will fall during battle. When this happens, going up to them and pressing will revive them and give you some ammo in return. When an ally is down, an icon of a green cross will appear on your screen and a dot will appear on your radar. Simply revive 20 across the game and the trophy will unlock, this trophy cumulative across all playthroughs.

Here is a picture of a troop that needs reviving:
Death Wish

Destroy three enemy robots while in damage-triggered AR Mode.
Damage-triggered AR mode occurs when you are near death. The screen will turn red and everything will slow down. This is your time to kill three enemies. Again, go for head shots within a group of enemies. This trophy is an easy one and will most likely come without trying.
40 Yard Dash

Maintain a Boost dash to the limit of the ARS reactor without overheating.
Very easy. When you are in a large open area or a long hallway, hold and slide until your performance meter is almost finished, then release . If you let go of at the last possible second before your suit overheats, you will get this trophy.
Home Run

Destroy an incoming missile or grenade.
See the “Home Run God” trophy.
Home Run God

Destroy ten incoming missiles or grenades.
Romanov's, RPG robots and Argus robots will all fire missiles at you. When this happens, which will be a lot, enter AR mode and shoot the missiles to destroy them. This trophy will come quickly and easily.

A great place for this though, if you are impatient, is Act 1-3. When the Argus robot transforms and fires a barrage of missiles at you, enter AR mode and shoot them. The Argus fires well over 10 missiles, so you can get this trophy in one hit.

All credit goes to RoosterTeeth for this video:
Brutality Bonus

Destroy a Romanov's arms and legs, then finish it with a melee attack.
(2)
Romanov's are the larger type enemies you face and come in three forms: Rocket, flame and drill types. The rocket type is the one you will come across the most.

For this trophy, enter AR and shoot the Romanov's legs until they blow off and it starts crawling around. Now shoot one of its arms off (shooting off both will kill it) and it will be pretty much motionless. Walk up to it and hit to finish with a punch and unlock the trophy.
Romanov This!

Destroy a Romanov with a melee attack.
See “The Hand of God” trophy.
The Hand of God

Destroy two Romanovs in a row using only melee attacks.
(3)
In Act 2-1, after going up some stairs, you will enter a section with two rocket Romanov's. This is the best spot to get this trophy. Play on Easy then walk up to a Romanov and only use Melee to kill it, then go for the other one.

It is best to focus on one Romanov at a time for this. It is ok if allies shoot the Romanov's, you just have to make sure you don't shoot them. The trophy will pop once the second one is destroyed. For some peace of mind, there is a checkpoint right at this area so if you miss out simply reload checkpoint.

Here is another method, suggested by Xtreem813:

Ok, I don't know if yours is easier but I got it in 5-1 while going for the Buzzard Beater trophy. I did it on Casual so it was pretty easy. There's the two rocket Romanovs there as well so you jet in and do the rocket kick, get behind cover and recharge. Repeat this until they're both dead. After that you can head over to the turret and follow your Buzzard Beater tips. It worked for me and very efficient.
Robots Tend to Blow Up

Destroy three enemy robots at once with one hand grenade.
There are more than enough chances to get this trophy. It will most likely unlock without trying. If you are super keen to get it, the earliest chance you have is during 1-3 'Giant'. When the two large enemy transport ships arrive and land at the back of the area, boost over and throw an EMP into the back of them. Now that they are stunned, throw a grenade. The trophy will unlock.

Thank you RoosterTeeth for the video:
Hole-in-One

Destroy a Chicane with a hand grenade.
(4)
Chicane's are the little robots that run on all fours and act as a portable barricade when they transform. They first appear in Act 1-5. When you see one, boost around the back of them and throw a grenade at their feet. Trophy unlocked. Another good area for this is the very beginning of 2-1. There are about 4 Chicane's right here.

This is a Chicane before and after it transforms into a barricade.
Short Circuit

Destroy ten enemy robots that have been disabled with an EMP emitter.
Another easy one. This trophy is cumulative and will most likely unlock without trying. Whenever you throw an EMP, enemy robots will stand still for a few seconds. Simply kill 10 of them during this time.
Two Birds with One Stone

Destroy two or more enemy robots at once with the LFE gun.
The LFE is a bulky gun that shoots large glowing purple orbs. Whenever you pick one, save it for a section where a lot of robots are bunched together. Get as close as possible and fire one LFE shot into the pack and you will unlock the trophy. The gun fires slowly but is powerful. This trophy can be achieved without upgrading the LFE at all.
Trick Shot

Destroy three enemy robots at once with rocket launcher splash damage.
You will have many chances to get this. The easiest way however is to save at least one rocket for an enemy transport. When you see an enemy transport, enter AR mode and lock a rocket onto it. Now shoot and the ship will go down, unlocking the trophy.
Flash! King of the Impossible

Destroy four enemies simultaneously with the Lock-on Laser.
(4)
The Lock-on Laser is used by holding then to target and fire upon enemies. When the weapon is upgraded, you can fire more missiles, making this easier.

There will be multiple times in the game where you can achieve this trophy. One in particular is the very beginning of Act 2-1. Play on Easy, then simply load up this Act, lock on to the enemies and keep firing.
Piece by Piece

Destroy the arms, head, and back of an KNRB-0 Argus robot.
The KNRB-0 Argus is the huge boss robot that first appears in 1-3, and this is where I recommend going for this trophy. Shoot the legs of the robot then it's core until it transforms into bipedal mode (see the “Failure Breeds Success” trophy). Now, aim for one of it's arms until it is blown off. The robot will pick you up and you will then be prompted to shoot off it's head. Do so using . When it puts you back down, move around to it's back and shoot the red core at the top of it's back near it's neck. When that is destroyed it's core on it's chest will open up. Shoot that core until the Argus dies, unlocking the trophy.

It is important that you do not shoot the core on it's chest until you have removed the one on it's back.
That Ended Up Working Out Nicely

After taking control of the enemy transport in Act 2-2, do not let a single enemy escape.
During this chapter you will jump on an enemy transport vehicle with your allies. Shortly after which, an enemy transport will appear to the side of you. Simply aim with at all enemies you see and shoot. There are only a handful of enemies, and you will most likely get this trophy without even trying. Take note of the turrets on the transport also.

The trophy will pop when all enemies are dead.
Failure Breeds Success

Destroy two Argus robots in Act 2-3 while they are in bipedal mode.
This can be difficult, especially on Hard. I highly recommend trying this on Casual Auto to avoid frustration.

At the end of this level, you will walk out onto a large open area and will be presented with two KNRB-0 Argus robots. This type of robot appeared first in Act 1-3.

Start off by fighting the one on all legs. Shoot at a leg until it is destroyed. The robot will then fall over and expose it's core. Shoot it's core until it stands up again. When it does, shoot another leg, then it's core again. Do this until a set piece happens where you 'drill' yourself through the body of the robot. When this sequence happens DO NOT follow the on screen prompts to drill through it, but instead fail it. The robot will then transform into bipedal mode, meaning it will stand up (just like the other KNRB-0 at the back). Now you are free to destroy it. Shoot it's limbs then core until it is destroyed.

Now move onto the other robot which is already in bipedal mode, so just kill it as per usual and the trophy will pop upon is death. Beware of the final beam attack this robot can do when it dies.
Leibniz Defense Agency

Defend the Pangloss statue in Act 3-2.
During this stage an enemy tank-like vehicle will burst through some rubble and drive directly towards a statue at the back of the area. As soon as it bursts through the rubble, throw an EMP and slide around to the back of the vehicle to shoot at it's weak point. As soon as it recovers from the EMP, throw another one and again shoot it's weak spot. Continue doing this until it is destroyed.

If you do not throw EMP's the tank will move forward and destroy the Pangloss statue in seconds. If this happens, hit and reload the checkpoint.
Tightrope Walker

Destroy two cannons in Act 3-3 and complete the mission.
(1)
During this mission a highway will collapse from under you. At the end of this highway are six cannons, and they will be shooting at you. When you reach the final section of highway, enter AR mode and destroy the cannon on the left. Be quick because the ground it is on is destroyed and the cannon will go with it. When that one is gone focus all of your attack on the second cannon. Use a rocket launcher if you have one. If not, use a machine gun. Ignore the Romanov's for now and just destroy the cannons.

The trophy will pop once both cannons are destroyed and you have progressed forward and completed the mission. This trophy can be a little tricky so I recommend trying for it on Casual Auto. See here for a video guide (Credit to BloodyQuenchedSoul for the video):
Fisher is the Other Sam

Proceed on the monorail in Act 3-4 without being spotted by the enemy troops or searchlights.
(2)
This is the stealth mission. You will be on a transport vehicle loaded with sniper rifles. You will be tasked with shooting spotlights, and these will appear on your radar. Midway through shooting these spotlights, an enemy transport will appear in front of you and will quickly move behind you. As soon as you see the transport in front of you, enter AR mode and shoot the pilot. If done correctly, the ship will blow up and you will remain unseen. Continue forward shooting the spotlights and you will soon unlock this trophy.

If you are spotted by the enemy transport (you will be fired upon), restart the mission from the checkpoint.
Flyswatter

Destroy all the floating turrets in Act 3-4.
(2)
This is the same mission where the “Fisher is the Other Sam” is achieved. Towards the end of the sniping section an ally will say "enemies up ahead". If you look towards the tunnel, you will be able to see two floating enemy turrets towards the right side of the area. These singular turrets are manned by one enemy robot each. When you spot them, aim with using the sniper and shoot down each turret before they reach the left side of the area. The trophy will then unlock. Be quick.

Evading backwards and entering AR mode will allow you a little extra time. Shoot the enemies too rather than the turret itself.

Again, restart checkpoint if you miss out.

Here is a video on how to do it, credit to hayabusaDGO
Guardian

Do not allow any friendly armor to be destroyed during Act 3-5.
This is an easy one. After destroying the enemy vehicle at the start, go up a walkway at either side of the area and man a turret. Now simply aim the turret over the next area and destroy all enemy armor vehicles that you see. There are 5 in total.

If you use a turret, this trophy is beyond easy. If for some reason a friendly vehicle is destroyed simply reload the checkpoint.
Hurry the #@$% Up!

Destroy five or more enemy transports from atop the Kreon in Act 3-7.
(1)
Another easy one. Right at the very top of the Kreon, before pulling the huge glowing orange cable, simply shoot down 5 enemy transports. To make this easier, enter AR mode and shoot the pilot of the vehicles in the head with the assault rifle.

This is what the big cable looks like. If you rip it apart, the level will end so make sure you get this trophy before pulling the cable:
Civil Disobedience

Ignore the elevator start order in Act 4-1. Instead, hold position and destroy all reinforcements.
(1)
During 4-1, after fighting back a few enemies dropped off by large transport ships in some grass, you will be asked to step on an elevator and to get it moving. BEFORE pressing to move the elevator, make sure you stay put and destroy ALL enemy back up troops. This is easy, but can take a while. Just stay away from the elevator and keep killing robots until the trophy pops.
Buzzard Beater

Destroy the Buzzard without allowing it to reach ground level in Act 5-1.
(1)
This is a tricky one. You will enter an area here with a few robots, one Romanov and the Buzzard up on a ledge to the right. The Buzzard is the larger robot on four or so legs. Kill the romanov and all enemies on the ground floor. Once dead, enter the area on the left of the area and man a turret. Shoot the Buzzard a little, then throw an EMP. While it is stunned, get back on the turret and shoot it again. Throw another EMP and then continue shooting the Buzzard. Keep this up until it is destroyed for the trophy.

When the Buzzard has about 50% health, it will jump onto the level you are on. If it hits the ground, the game automatically saves and the trophy is void. If you see the animation of the Buzzard jumping, immediately hit and reload checkpoint. It's for this reason that you must keep a constant run of EMP's on the Buzzard when it is below 50% life. This may take a few tries, but you will get it.

Here is an another solution posted by groo:

What I did was clear out all the other enemies without touching the gattling guns. I took the Buzzard down to about 60% health. I then ran to the leftmost gattling gun, threw an EMP grenade and while it was still in the air, started firing the gattling gun. He goes into EMP shock and the gattling gun takes his health down extremely quickly and he explodes long before the first EMP wears off. No emp juggling or any timing whatsoever.
Smoke 'em if ya got 'em!

Destroy 10 enemies distracted by cigarettes during one mission.
(5)
When taking cover, pressing will make Sam light a cigarette and then throw it. If you do this near enemies, the robots will change their fire from you and onto the cigarette. You get 3 cigarettes per chapter so make use of them. A good spot for this is near the end of Act 3-5. Your objective will read "Infiltrate the Kreon". Go to the picture below, throw a cigarette and fire a rocket at the enemies.
Auld Lang Syne

Destroy two enemy robots who have been distracted by a cigarette.
See the “Smoke 'em if ya got 'em” trophy.
The Best of All Possible Worlds

Find and fire open all of the Pangloss statues hidden on the colony.
(12)
There are four statues per level, excluding the first chapter of the first Act, totalling up to 112 statues across the entire game. Shooting a statue constitutes collecting one. They will turn red and make a funny sound when shot.

Credit goes to RoosterTeeth for the videos.
Living Legend

Complete the game without dying, regardless of difficulty level.
(12)
This is not as hard as it sounds. Whenever you die, selecting the title screen option rather than continue will void your death. When playing through the story, doing this every time you die and then completing the game will net you this trophy.

If you choose Mission Select to complete any levels that you may have died in, this trophy will NOT unlock.

Tactical Challenger

Complete all of the Tactical Challenges in VANQUISH.
(36)
After you complete all 5 Acts of the story on Normal difficulty or above, 5 Tactical Challenges will be available to select from the main menu. If you finish all 5 challenges, a 6th one will unlock. It is worth mentioning that this trophy is the reason Vanquish earns a 9.5 in terms of difficulty. Challenge 6 is very difficult and requires absolute precision. One mistake and it's over. Go here for any and all additional information on how to beat these challenges (credit to x410xDragon for this): Vanquish Challenge Mode Walkthrough