Feb 14 2010
Bayonetta
Devil May Cry. Viewtiful Joe. God Hand. Okami. These are titles that have spawned forth from the mind of Hideki Kamiya and they all have one thing in common: stylistic approaches to gameplay. It’s no secret then that the over the top approach found in these titles is once again in our consoles with Sega’s Bayonetta.The first thing you’ll definitely notice when playing this game is the sexy heroine you’re playing as. With her flowing hair and guns in her heels and hands and swords, Bayonetta can kick ass like the best of them. Enemies will come at you from every direction with a variety of firepower and she’ll throw them a giant kick from a leg made out of her hair from a portal. The game feels like your own personal play area due to the game’s really accurate and precise control mechanics. Taking from the Devil May Cry mold of frenetic fast placed game play, Bayonetta gives the player a ridiculous amount of power and numerous tactics to defeat your enemies. The combat is definitely the biggest highlight from this game.
Game play isn’t only where this game shines, as its no slouch in the graphical department. The character detail is immensely detailed and some of the environments are beautifully rendered. There were some areas that appeared boring to look at, but those are few and far between. The look of the game is showcased through Bayonetta’s sexuality as well, as she struts down the path when you make her walk forward to her seductive poses as you twirl and pivot while blasting enemies and slicing them up into the sky to then summon a guillotine out of nowhere. The action is broken up with some different sections that include a Space Harrier homage to riding on a missile fighting enemies to driving a motorcycle on a highway blasting away, and while they are fun and hilarious to witness, the sections can drag on for a bit to the point you’re wondering when you are going back to the frenetic game play you’re used to. The combat is done so well that when you come to these sections, you groan in disgust but continue to play because they’re done so amazingly well you can’t help but play through them.
The music is hit or miss with its overly fluffy pop soundtrack. There are some generic metal tracks that this kind of action game is known for but the rest of the soundtrack is forgetful if anything at best. The actual OST boasts 5 discs with over 200 plus songs and I only really enjoyed a rough handful of them. The various remixes of classic Sega game songs thrown in as Easter eggs were a nice surprise though.
If there is one area the game falls short in, is in its story. The plot is so nonsensical you often wonder why you’re playing. It involves a war between witches and angels and Bayonetta trying to find some little girl who may or may not be either her daughter or a past version of herself. There is also your rival witch who wants to stop you for whatever reason she has, and when you get to the games climax, you slap your forehead and laugh at the hilarity of it all as the game just ratchets up its way out there story and game play in one giant shot that has to be played through to be believed.
In comparing the two versions, the XBOX 360 comes out slightly on top with a crisper visual presentation, faster framerate and less load times. It boils down to your console of preference, but if you own both, I would recommend the 360 version over the PS3 one.
Overall:
