I’ve been looking forward to this game for long time now. Made by the same man behind other games like Viewtiful Joe and the original Devil May Cry, Bayonetta, brings originality and inventiveness to the action/adventure genre. Unfortunately, it isn’t for everyone.
You play as a witch named Bayonetta. Suffering from amnesia, she’s tasked with defeating angels and sending them to hell. Using a vast repertoire of weapons, magic and her hair (yes, her hair), she must battle the forces of Paradiso and uncover the mysteries of her past. Along the way, you’ll encounter a variety of supporting characters, such as Rodin the demonic arms dealer, Luca the investigative journalist (who is looking to expose Bayonetta to the world) and a mysterious young girl claiming to be Bayonetta’s daughter.
The narrative tends to get a little complicated, especially towards the end, but I still found it intriguing. I actually became interested in reading more about the history of all the characters within the game’s encyclopedia. There’s a surprising amount of depth put into the game’s lore as well as the look of the game. The environments are detailed, the art is unique and the game has a ton of originality, thanks in part to the characters that inhabit this world. The titular character in particular expresses her exuberant personality through almost everything she does. She has a ton of sex appeal and it gives her, and the game, immense amount of personality.
In the vein of games like Devil May Cry, players must explore, defeat enemies and overcome other obstacles. Spread across sixteen chapters, along with a prologue and epilogue sequence, the game will take around 10-12 hours to complete. However, simply beating the game once isn’t enough to experience everything the game has to offer. Bayonetta welcomes–nay, it intends players to repeat previously completed chapters to improve their rankings, collect halos (the game’s currency), and unlock hidden weapons and items. Halos are used to upgrade your abilities, buy support items and purchase accessories for you to use. The amount of content for this game is immense and it’s surprising to see how much the developers packed into this game
The combat system is the heart and soul of Bayonetta. The game has a variety of different weapons for you to equip on your hands and your feet. Yes, you can place certain guns and weapons onto your feet and use them in combat. And it works very well. Combat feels fluid, natural, and it’s constantly rewarding. While in combat, you’ll be able to pull off bizarre maneuvers such as breakdancing attacks, performing a handstand while firing foot-weapons against surrounding enemies, and you even get to transform into animals. I had large grin on my face whenever I pulled off these crazy moves in fluid succession.
The most impressive and awe-inspiring moves by far that your have at your disposal is your hair magic. Bayonetta magically uses her hair to summon demons to perform devastating attacks and to finish off boss monsters. Even her costume is made out of her hair so that every time you use magic, it exposes more skin. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen a giant hair dragon devour an angel and drag the rest of the body into hell.
Unfortunately, the only real problem with this game is that there can be an issue with the PS3 version of the game. The PS3 version has issues with running the game and has longer load times than the Xbox 360 version. Also, the graphics are slightly toned down on the PS3. However, the game is still very playable and if the PS3 version is your only option, you should still play the game.
As much as I enjoyed this game, I have to say that this game isn’t for everyone. Many people may be put off by the vibe this game gives, which is understandable. The things I’ve already mentioned don’t even begin to scratch the surface on how zany this game. But if you’re not put off by things that are over the top and a game that doesn’t take itself seriously, then give Bayonetta a shot. This game is a breath of fresh air for the genre and it’s one of the best action games to come out in years.
