Bayonetta Review

**warrier22** · 02-16-2010, 11:10 AM

Well here i go again with the old reviews and this time i am reviewing a game that maybe is not mass market but does have a following since it was released last month. The game was released in janurary of this year and the developer is platinum games the same studio responsible for madworld as well as the upcoming vanquish. So on with the review:-

Story

The story follows the main character bayonetta attempting to remember her past as she is confronted by demons at every turn. The story plays out like most other games in this genre and whilst it is nothing special it does move the game along and it will keep you interested throughout.

Presentation

Well what can be said about the presentation that has not been said by other people, put simply its top notch. The standout has to be bayonetta herself as all the animations and transistions between the different animations are as smooth as can be. The envionments themselves also look great and are quite varied as well. The enemy design is also fantastic with some boses taking up the entire screen and i should add that when all this crazy business is happening on screen there is not one bit of slow down in the engine. There is the odd bit of screen tearing but hey thats no reason to jump on the whole these graphics suck because of that bandwagon like i see so many fanboys do. Also some of the cutscenes are static images presented on a film reel, i liked it myself but it may not be to everyones taste. From top to bottom the presentation is 1st class and a treat for the player.

Sound

Well the sound is also fantastic with a strange mix of music for several sections of the game its hard to describe it exactly its just very....awesome. The voice acting is good all round as well with once again bayonetta being the stand out performance. There is not a lot to say about the sound i mean it sets the tone and suits the different sections of the game throughout.

Controls

Well if you have played anything like devil may cry then the controls should be familiar to yourself. The original director of the first devil may cry is the mastermind behind this title and it shows in the controls. They are so tight and responsive and i really dont think i have experienced a game in this genre that even comes close to how the controls feel. All the combos are tied to the front face buttons on the 360 control pad with the RT being used to evade an encounter. Whist the controls are nothing special they are so tight and responsive that i cant help but praise them. When it comes down to it the main crowd for this game will have all ready played similar games in this genre and will pick up the controls in an instant. For newcomers the game is more aproachable then most other titles in the genre so why not give it a go you will be suprised by how easy it is to pick up.

Gameplay

Well the gameplay is basically you fight through 20 + chapters with each chapter being broken up with plenty of action. At set points through each level a barrier will appear and you will have to defeat a set number of enemies in order to proceed. There are some massive bosses that you fight to break the chapters up which are a mix of traditional combat and QTE's. Helping you in the gameplay is something called witch time which is when you dodge an enemy at the last moment and it will slow down time to give you an advantage. Also you can equip different weapons to your feet and each one has a unique set of moves that you can use in battle. Also there are these things called torture attacks which are essentially finishing moves and every enemy has their own torture attacks which are all fun to watch. Difficulty is one thing i should mention the game has 5 settings which are very easy, easy, normal, hard and witch (this setting can only be unlocked after beating the game on hard and it disables your witch time). On normal the game is not that bad at all and if you are really new to this style of game then easy will perform a lot of the combos for you. After having just beat the game on hard i can say that those looking for a challange will find it but is by no means on the scale of devil may cry 3 for being as cruel as it was. The gamplay is where this game shines and sets the bar high for any other game in this genres future.

Lasability

The game on my first playthrough on normal took me around 15 hours to beat but there is so much replay and 3 playthroughs later i have put in 37 hours. You can replay each chapter on any difficulty setting and within each chapter there are challange modes to find that are similar to the hidden rooms found in the devil may cry series. There is plenty of things to buy from the in game shop so you collectable types go nuts. If you are into this genre of game then you will find a wealth of content thats well worth your investment.

Final Thoughts

I am going to be honest i love this game and there is nothing else quite like it on the market today. The developers had a vision for a game and they have made the game they wanted to make. If you enjoy the genre then this is a must buy and even if your new to it give it a try you will be suprised.