In order to start this review off in the most positive light, I need to explain just how little anticipation I felt for Bayonetta prior to its release.
Bayonetta’s lead developer was Hideki Kamiya who, while working with Capcom (and Clover Studio), was one of the lead developers on a number of critically acclaimed games, such as Okami, Viewtiful Joe, and the extremely well-known Devil May Cry. He has since become part of the company Platinum Studios, with a number of former Clover Studio staff. Platinum have to date created Mad World on the Wii, Infinite Space on the Nintendo DS and Bayonetta.
The Devil May Cry series of games never captured my attention. I could appreciate how they would appeal to fans of the action-genre but I could never get past my own button-mashing to develop any sort of skill during the games, and hence I wrote them, and the majority of games in their vein, off as games that I could never enjoy. Due to this, I just hadn’t mustered any sort of interest up for the game and only decided to even try it out when I found out that Cameron was going to be reviewing it himself.
Within half an hour of beginning the game, my metaphorical eyes were opened. The game got me hook, line and sinker, and created a passion within me that caused me to blast through it in around eleven hours, over a two-day period. In all honesty, I don’t think I’ve ever been so motivated that I’ve completed a game with that sort of eagerness. I’ve finished games in 8-10 hours (Arkham Asylum, for example) but never with the obsessive regularity of gaming sessions that I did with Bayonetta. This review is literally written immediately after my completion of this game – I’m trying to keep things as fresh as possible.
Bayonetta has the standard sort of fantasy story that we are used to from games of this genre. At the outset, it has three diffifculty levels: Very Easy, Easy and Normal; with two additional ones unlockable upon completion of ‘Normal’ and the unlockable ‘Hard’ settings.
Our main character, Bayonetta, has inhuman mystical powers that enable her to be extremely strong. Using this strength, she battles creatures of light such as angels, cherubim and the suchlike. She also brandishes four pistols, known as ‘Scarborough Fair’: Two in her hands, and one on each foot, that make up the heel part of her high-heeled boots. This allows for a unique fighting system. On the Xbox 360, the X-button is for shooting only, the Y-button is for punching moves (accompanied by shooting) and the B-button is for combination kicking and firearm-play. You’d not be wrong if you called Bayonetta trigger-happy.
All the fighting options are able to be used in conjunction with ‘Wicked Weave’ moves (which you’ll come to understand after playing the game for a while) and Witch-Time (which is a snazzy slowed-down-time effect that happens if you accurately dodge an attack). As with many games of this ilk, you earn points to buy new techniques and supplies by collecting halos from fallen foes (halos that look remarkably like rings… SSSEEEGGGAAA!!! *waves fist*)
On the whole, the story is solid and utterly enjoyable. The game’s cinematic style during cut-scenes is unique and not like anything I’ve seen to date. They couple awesome animations and beautifully rendered characters with freeze-frames moments where the camera pans around characters (who are motionless except for their hair or clothing moving in the wind) and the viewpoint switches as they are talking. It’s hard to accurately explain it in words… It’s something that has to be seen.
The game-play is split up into chapters. 15 to be precise (not counting the prologue or epilogue) which are made up of sequences of third-person exploration where you walk around the city of Vigrid and its surrounding area and that is interspersed with segments of combo-based fighting with the various types of enemies and bosses that the game has to offer. You are awarded a certain type of medal based upon your performance in the fighting sequences, such as the amount of time taken, and the amount of damage taken by Bayonetta. There are 6 medal types in all: Stone, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Pure Platinum. It’s a method of grading your game-play that is extremely reminiscent of many SEGA titles, such as Sonic Heroes. Health and Power-ups are dealt with via the means of purchased or ‘concocted’ lollipops. Bayonetta is definitely a unique character in that sense. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that aspect of a game approached in such a unique or amusing fashion before.
One of the best things about Bayonetta is the constant flow of the game experience. The games momentum carries you through it with ease. It was hugely enjoyable to play. Regardless of the odd occasion that I had to use continues (usually due to my inability to jump in a straight line), I never found myself getting frustrated with it. It helps that the aforementioned game-play sequences are broken up by other types of sequence such as airborne sequences, vertical climbing sequences, sat-on-top-of-a-missile sequences and driving-too-fast-on-a-motorbike sequences… among others. These are refreshing elements of the game that help to keep everything interesting throughout. It really does make for a rich and varied gaming experience.
With everything spoken about and very little to criticise, it seems natural to draw this review to its conclusion now, stating that Bayonetta is an utterly outstanding game. I’ve been truly converted to it after really expecting to be disappointed by it. It will stand as a monument to me to not judge a game before I’ve had a chance to properly play it and marks an extremely good start to my (gaming) 2010.
