Filled with fun fights, epic boss battles, a quirky soundtrack, and stylish design...BAYONETTA is one of a kind.
October 27, 2012 This review contains minor *spoilers*
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INTRO BAYONETTA is one of the finest action games in the gaming industry, yet it's relatively unknown outside of its genre; it's always been a diamond in the rust beneath the countless Call of Duty clones, Halo games, and other big-hit titles. Along with Devil May Cry, BAYONETTA makes just enough tweaks to the genre to make it one of a kind. Filled with fun battles against heaven's angels, epic boss battles spanning over ocean and space, a quirky soundtrack, and unique visual design, this is one game you don't want to miss.
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STORY - 6/10
While BAYONETTA is filled to the brim with Hideki Kamiya's brilliant ideas, it just doesn't come together well enough to form a story even worth remembering. Mentions of ancient "Umbra Witches" battling equally archaic "Lumen Sages" for the "Eyes of the World" hint at a lot of potential for a unique story, but BAYONETTA just doesn't deliver. In fact, you'll probably get more out of the story by reading the Umbra Tears of Blood and Antonio's Notes, which are all texts about the world BAYONETTA takes place in, enemy descriptions, and of course the age-old conflict between the Lumen Sages and Umbra Witches. However, what BAYONETTA does differently than the archetypal "light vs darkness" theme is prove that although the Umbra Witches represent the darkness, it's not necessarily a bad thing, but more of a necessity to keep the world in balance. And that's where BAYONETTA's story branches off. You'll spend the game trying to figure out just what the heck the Eyes of the World are, who Father Balder is and why we should care about him, and why bosses pray to "Jubileus, the creator" after they kick the bucket. If BAYONETTA had delved more into Bayonetta and Jeanne's past and explained perhaps why there was such a high consequence for marrying someone from the opposite clan, or how Jeanne and Bayonetta knew each other as children, I might have been more generous with the score. That being said, endearing characters are enough to keep me coming back for more. Other interesting concepts are the mentions of Purgatorio, Paradiso, and Inferno...the world in between heaven and hell. They're mentioned only briefly by barman Rodin, but once again, if the devs had delved into the story more, I think it could have provided a more promising back story and history to all of the characters.
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CHARACTERS - 8/10
Naturally, the spotlight of BAYONETTA is of course, on Bayonetta herself, a stylish, powerful witch and born from both an Umbra Witch and a Lumen Sage. Bayonetta never ceases to impress with her over-the-top finishing moves, especially at the Climax of boss battles. Even in regular combat she's always dancing around her enemies, shooting, slicing, kicking, dodging, and taunting her way through her enemies...and she's doing it all for a thrill. Her playful personality is helped immensely by her superb voice actress, whom I praise for her excellent work in this case. Other minor characters, such as Luka (aka "Cheshire"), Cereza, and Jeanne have their ups and downs. Luka is a journalist whose father died while researching the past of the Umbra Witches and Lumen Sages. For almost the entire game, Luka follows Bayonetta around half the world in order to find the truth of what happened that day she awoke from her beauty sleep in a coffin in a lake 10 years before the events of the game. However, during that period of time, his whines about how Bayonetta killed his father are rather grating to the ears and after awhile, you wonder if you should reach in the screen, grab one of Bayonetta's guns and "bust a cap in yo' ass" to put yourself out of misery. Luckily, his frequent mishaps towards the end of the game somewhat make up for it. Cereza, while cute and adorable at first, can sometimes make you want to drop-kick her into Never Ever land and hope she stays there. The first time you meet her, it's evident she's the younger Bayonetta...a quick glance at her glasses, grey eyes, accent, and ability to see through Purgatorio shows you exactly what she is. She also yells "Mummy!" every five seconds, hence the gritted teeth. Jeanne herself is pretty disappointing in her lead as the contrast to Bayonetta. She's an Umbra Witch too, but not nearly as powerful. What aggravated me the most about her was her constant taunting to Bayonetta after an easily-won fight: "She's still not ready." Really? 'Cause I can beat you again if you still think I'm not "ready." Her voice acting is a little cheesy, but forgivable. And of course, the minor of the minor characters like Father Balder are forgettable, with no personality at all. Which is fine considering he's just a nuisance after Bayonetta fires a bullet in his brain.
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GRAPHICS - 9/10
Hideki Kamiya's impressive work in Devil May Cry was obviously an influence here, but BAYONETTA's visual style is absolutely stunning. Bayonetta herself is designed wonderfully, and each battle is like a choreographed dance customized just for the player to perform. Animations in battle look stunning, and two years later and I've never seen better animations. Battles are fun and flashy, while insane gravity puzzles are designed well enough to be believable. Monster designs are also notable, even if they are recycled with new skins every other so level. Weapon designs are also well done, especially her signature Scarborough Fair guns and the deadly Sharuba. You can tell a lot of effort was put into the design of BAYONETTA, and it shows. Even a glimpse through the World of Bayonetta shows artwork by the dozens for just Bayo's outfit. Cutscenes are also a treat to watch, and they're pretty well done, however Bayo's hair can sometimes phase through her body, but other than that, no complaints. Some areas like Route 666's highway and the intro to the Lustitia boss battle are a bit of a sore sight, but it's a small complaint. Cutscenes can sometimes play out in semi-frozen film clips where characters don't move their lips while the sound continues.
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SOUNDTRACK - 9/10 BAYONETTA's soundtrack is a mix of angelic choruses, epic boss battles music with insane piano, fun and flirty battle themes, and the occasional surreal level theme. Some of my favorites were "Battle for the Umbra Throne," "Climatic Battle," "Mysterious Destiny," "Vigrid - Town Areas," and of course..."Fly Me to the Moon," the remix of Brenda Lee's song from the 50s. It all comes together to form a stylish soundtrack that's always a welcome on the battlefield. It's also a rather humorous contrast to the spray of guts and gore as Bayonetta slices through angels while still pirouetting around the battlefield on ice skates. It may not be for everyone, but it does have something guaranteed for everyone.
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GAMEPLAY - 9/10
The highlight of BAYONETTA doesn't lie so much in the design, soundtrack, or story of the game, but in the action-oriented gameplay. Acting off of the success of Devil May Cry's epic gameplay, BAYONETTA builds on and innovates the action genre entirely. Combos are varied depending on which weapon you use, and different weapons can be used interchangeably to have even crazier combos and finishing moves. Weapons like the Scarborough Fair are for fast hits, while the deadly Sharuba katana slices up enemies like salami. However, the core of BAYONETTA's gameplay is not so much fighting, but your ability to dodge in the nick of time. Dodging at the perfect time to avoid getting hit requires fast reflexes to trigger "Witch Time," a short period of time where everything slows around Bayonetta until she moves at the speed of light. The more combos, the longer Witch Time is engaged before the timer is out. It's a feature that makes battles still fast-paced and fun, but also allows you to catch your breath for a few seconds before jumping back in the heat of the battle.
During battle, Bayonetta can call on her powers as an Umbra Witch called Wicked Weaves, which are the finishing moves of a regular combo. Pulling them off is a pure delight; it doesn't get much better than watching a gnarly witch's hand made out of hair Falcon Punch an angel in the face.
Of course, BAYONETTA wouldn't be the sister of Devil May Cry without the insane, over-the-top finishing moves called "Torture Attacks," and even crazier "Infernal Demons." Bayonetta's magic gauge fills up over the course of battle by performing tricky combos and taunting enemies and when it's completely filled, you can press a button prompt to unleash brutal Torture Attacks on angels. What makes it even more sweet is that they are all torture devices once used on the Umbra Witches themselves. Being bad never felt so good... Infernal Demons are also a rewarding button-smash fest usually taking place at the end of a boss battle to finish them off. I suppose I should say that her Infernal Demons, monstrous demons from hell, take shape from her HAIR. Of course, BAYONETTA is rated M for a reason and some skin shows, but it's all part of the fun. Of course, Infernal Demons are summoned in classic Kamiya fashion, but the most you have to do is press a certain button to get as many combo points as you can. Beware of sore fingers after playing this game!
It may seem that BAYONETTA is all flash and no substance at first, but a quick glance in the weapons/items menu shows a lot of depth and complexity to customizing your attacks and items. Your healing and boosts in battles come in the form of lollipops. Green Herb lollipops heal Bayonetta in her greatest time of need while things like the Bloody Rose and Yellow Moon lollipop give her strength boosts and brief immunity to attacks. Besides buying this items at Rodin's Gates of Hell, Bayonetta can accumulate enough points from battles to concoct lollipops via the select menu. So, you always have a few extra options to heal yourself if you're ever in a bind. As far as weapon customization goes, every weapon can be matched with another to create a lot of options to slay enemies. Using Odette, for example, Bayonetta can skate rings around her enemies, while heavy-hitters like the twin Durga claws provide the most damage. Another cool feature to BAYONETTA is her ability to Witch Walk, or walk on the sides of buildings and ceilings when the full moon is out. It creates a lot of opportunities for epic battles and neat puzzles and thankfully, delivers. BAYONETTA doesn't have a lot in the way of puzzles, but hidden treasures and secret arenas called "Alfheim Portals" make up for it. You'll spend a few hours trying to find all of the black birds containing Umbran Tears of Blood, final Witch's Resting places, and Alfheim portals long after the closing credits. For those looking for a challenge, BAYONETTA also features several gameplay modes to either tone down or crank up the difficulty of the game. The way it works is rather confusing. You start the game at Normal mode, but in reality, Kamiya explained, Normal mode would be considered Hard mode in most action games. But that's just how difficult BAYONETTA can get. Hardcore gamers looking for a crazy challenge can attempt the Infinity Climax Mode, which disengages Witch Time, prompting players to be pros at using the dodge button. After 80 hours, I was about ready to die because of the insane difficulty, but it was worth it. Mini-games are a headache rather than fun, minus one exception. The most forgettable mini-games are Missile Operation and the motorcycle drive through Route 666. Maybe they'd be more fun if they didn't last ten minutes each, after which I became positively bored. Luckily, the mini-game that takes place after each chapter is fun enough to give you something to look forward to after a hard-fought boss battle or an opportunity to snag some special items. Despite this, BAYONETTA's gameplay is innovating, fun, challenging, and presented well. If you're a hardcore gamer looking for a challenge, this is the game for you.
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VERDICT - 9.5/10
BAYONETTA is filled with moments of charm between characters, a great soundtrack, epic boss battles spanning the heavens, ocean, and space, and fun battles. Unfortunately, it falls short of being perfect because of tedious mini-games, forgettable story, and some poor script-writing for minor characters. That being said I recommend this game heartily to anyone looking for a challenge to test their gaming skills...and who knows? You might just warm up to Bayonetta on the way, too.
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-Bayonetta013