Bayonetta Review

Written by: Darren Cartledge Posted: 21st January 2010

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It's not about pointy things!

Bayonetta Details:

	Action
	PlayStation 3/Xbox 360
	PlatinumGames
	SEGA

15+

Out Now

With most of the latest third person action games seemingly sharing similar, or in some cases identical gameplay elements there's a real fear that the genre is in danger of becoming stagnant! What's needed is an injection of originality, and that is exactly what SEGA has tried to do with its latest offering Bayonetta.

Bayonetta puts you in the role of a very alluring witch who has no recollection of her origins or her past. But one thing she does know is to prevent her from being dragged into the pits of hell she has to sacrifice angels’ everyday.

Bayonetta comes from Japanese development Studio Platinum Games, and its influences are obviously other top Japanese developed games. Think Devil May Cry and to a lesser extent Resident Evil. Initially the game doesn’t seem any different from any other third person action games you may have played, it features a tall slender female lead who’s armed to the teeth, can look after herself and even has magical powers, being a witch and all. So how does the game differ to what has come before? Well the biggest difference is how fluid the games combat is, Bayonetta is seamlessly able to attack large groups of enemies at a time employing highly acrobatic moves that allow her to pull off powerful combinations that utilise her prowess and magical powers, turning her hair into huge fists that pound enemies or boots that stomp down her foes.

Bayonetta though doesn’t take the same approach as most third person titles, instead of you running through levels killing any enemies you come across Bayonetta is much more like a set-piece spectacular. Fights take place in predetermined areas which you are unable to leave until you have vanquished all the enemies occupying that area. Something which is easier said than done, with death becoming a common occurrence. This is due to the fact that the game likes to really add an edge to these battles, by seriously outnumbering you, but not only that the actual enemies are huge and quite formidable. As you progress through the game, they just seem to get bigger and much tougher giving the game the feel of one big boss battle. Thankfully Bayonetta’s magic powers really help when it comes to defeating the games enemies and they also look pretty good to. Firstly there are the Torture moves that see the various angelic forces tossed in to all kinds of horrific looking devices, these are then powered up by context sensitive commands the more button presses you manage the more devastating the move becomes. There are also a number of counter moves and grabs that work in the same way allowing you to punish Bayonetta’s various enemies. However, by far the best moves are saved for the Climax powers. These turn Bayonetta’s hair into huge monsters such as dragons, bird like creatures and so on, they are basically finishing moves and allow you to inflict the final blow on your enemies usually tearing them to shreds just before disposing of them.

The game though, isn’t just about melee combat, as I’ve already mentioned Bayonetta is armed to the teeth .Equipped with four pistols two in her hands and two attached to the very high heels of her boots. But despite this seemingly over the top approach the game isn’t particularly shooter intensive either, and instead revolves around flair and style. The developers have achieved this “stylish” gameplay by seamlessly combining the melee combat with Equilibrium-style gunplay mechanics. For example, when taking on an enemy, Bayonetta could be attacking using a range of punches and kicks and with just a few button pushes and without interruption she will let loose with a barrage of shots from her pistols. This approach also allows Bayonetta to perform some rather acrobatic gunplay moves. For these the camera moves to just over her shoulder as she twists her body around shooting in all directions. These gunplay moves can also be rather provocatively performed with her heel mounted pistols, except of course she twists her legs around???

One of the best things about Bayonetta is just how accessible it is. Despite the fact you can perform extremely powerful combos and various acrobat moves the games controls are extremely simple. There’s no fiddling with the analogue stick followed by complex button sequences, most of the games combos are performed using only two buttons. Not only does this approach make the game accessible, but it also allows for some extremely high paced and free flowing gameplay, especially when combined with Bayonetta’s acrobatic moves.

Away from the staged fights, the games levels are quite linear with set paths and a little combat mixed in. A fair proportion of the game adds a different dimension by allowing you to run or walk across walls and even fight enemies in the process. It may not sound overly exciting, but the way you can seamlessly go from the floor to wall and back again is truly outstanding.

This original approach is also complimented by some truly stunning visuals. Game environments are gorgeous and varied featuring a very impressive amount of detail. However the game really excels when it comes to the character design Bayonetta looks fabulous and moves in a very seductive fashion. But the originality of the angelic forces Bayonetta faces is amazing and completely the opposite of what you would expect, looking quite gruesome at times. Sadly the games great visual design is slightly spoilt by a pretty bad camera which can be hard to get in the right place, only a slight annoyance but none the less worth mentioning. Of course to finish the game off Bayonetta features a good soundtrack that fits in perfectly, made up of electro pop styled songs with really suit the high pace of the games combat.

Sadly though the games not perfect, the constant staged battles can make prolonged play feel a little repetitive, but this isn’t the games biggest weakness, that accolade goes to the way the story progresses. The story its self is not bad or anything it’s just extremely hard to follow as in places its quite vague. It also isn’t helped by several sections being progressed through cinema style stills and a series of déjà-vu flashback sequences.

Bayonetta may not be the easiest game to follow or be to everyone’s taste, but is full of original ideas. The fast paced combat and the original ideas the game introduces are a welcome addition to the third person action genre. If you’re looking for something a little different and crave an original title, then Bayonetta is definitely worth a look at in a genre that is saturated with many similar titles.

Bayonetta - The Verdict

9/10	Positives + Fast paced action + Gorgeous visuals + Highly accessible + Great variety of moves and weapons Negatives - Story hard to follow - Can get repetative - Irratating camera



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