Bayonetta (PS3/X360) Review

Platinum Games are certainly the best action game developers today. They certainly know how to make high-quality games that are fun, replayable, and stylish. Even some of their weakest titles are satisfying to play through.

Among the designers include Hideki Kamiya, who has directed a lot of critically-acclaimed titles including Resident Evil 2, Devil May Cry, Viewtiful Joe, and Okami, so he's got quite a resume. Today, I'm going to be reviewing one his greatest achievements, Bayonetta, in honor of the sequel that recently came out.

Story and Characters

You play as the title character (voiced by Helena Taylor), an Umbra Witch who awakens from a deep sleep with no memories of her past. The only key to helping her out is this small red gem she carries around which is said to be an artifact called the "Left Eye" of the Eyes of the World. She goes to look for the Right Eye, while also receiving small flashbacks of her past that caused her deep sleep.

Among the cast of characters include Enzo (voiced by Allan Groves), a Joe Pesci look- and sound-alike who informs her that the artifact is located in Vigrid; Luka (voiced by Yuri Lowenthal), a reporter seeking out to expose Bayonetta's identity; Rodin (voiced by Dave Fennoy), the owner of a bar called The Gates of Hell who provides weapons and items for her; and Cereza (voiced by Stephanie Sheh), a little girl who claims Bayonetta to be her mother. There is also another Umbra Witch named Jeanne (voiced by Grey DeLisle), whom Bayonetta often encounters, probably knowing more about her.

I found the story very hard to follow, with so much cryptic stuff and not so well-made exposition that made me not care about it. I'm probably exaggerating here, but not even the Metal Gear franchise was this convoluted. However, I did find the cast of characters memorable, and it also left me in stitches with several of Bayonetta's cheesy, but hilarious one-liners ("Don't f*ck with a witch!"). Oh, yeah, I should also mention that it has a sort of camp atmosphere, and it doesn't take itself too seriously, which I find pretty welcoming.

Gameplay

Bayonetta is a third-person, beat 'em up game reminiscent of Devil May Cry, in which the title character can pull off combos, while also having an arsenal of melee weapons and firearms to fight off angelic foes. What sets it apart from Devil May Cry, however, is the ability to slow down time called "Witch Time." This is done by pressing the evade button after an enemy attempts to strike you. From there on, you only have a few seconds to quickly take them down before the game goes back to normal speed. She also has the ability to transform into animals, including a panther that leaves a trail of flowers while continuously running (sound familiar?).

Below the health bar is a Magic meter and you can fill it all the way for Bayonetta to perform Torture Attacks, in which she summons various devices such as iron maidens, chainsaws, and guillotines. It's violent, yet amusing to watch. When it comes to boss fights, she can perform a finisher called a Climax Attack, in which her outfit (made out of her hair) separates from her to transform into an Infernal Demon and we get to witness some ridiculous and over-the-top, yet awesome ways to finish them off.

When fighting foes, defeating them will make them drop halos, which serve as the in-game currency used for buying items and powerups in the Gates of Hell. You also earn bonus halos during those button-mashing moments when you use Torture Attacks or Climaxes. In addition, you can collect pieces of LP albums which will earn you new weapons like katanas, whips, and various firearms. You can also upgrade Bayonetta's health and magic by collecting Witch Hearts and Moon Pearls, respectively.

Also like Devil May Cry, as well as Viewtiful Joe, there is a rating system in each chapter that grades your performance from Stone, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Pure Platinum. Getting these ratings depends on how much time you spent in that chapter, how many combos you pulled off, lack of deaths, and how many items you used. Don't feel discouraged if you often get Stone Medals; with a bit of practice, you'll work your way up.

The game certainly has nice pacing. One moment, your blood is pumping while fighting enemies, and other times you're just walking around enjoying the scenery, solving minor puzzles and doing a bit of platforming here and there.

Graphics and Design

There are some technical differences between the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game, in which the latter version suffers from some frame rate problems, grainier textures, slowdowns, and loading times. These problems, however, were fixed with a patch and, while it's still not perfect, it runs fine, so if anyone has a PS3, there is no need to hesitate about buying it.

The game looks beautiful overall, bringing in a variety of locations that have a sort European vibe. The cutscenes are also well-animated, and at times, like Viewtiful Joe, it switches to a single frame of film, though unlike the game I mentioned, the characters' bodies or mouths do not move during that switch, which kind of makes the transition a little bit awkward.

The characters are also well-designed, each of them looking distinct and being able to tell them apart, even in silhouette. The enemies are also well-designed, especially some of the bosses you face which are huge but also look kind of weird, like this two-headed dragon with an upside-down face as a torso.

I guess this must be good time to bring up Bayonetta's design, which has kind of brought some controversy due to her blatant sexual appeal. She has a slender body, and well-rounded behind, which the camera and even the game covers like to focus on. Not to mention, her animations are seductive, especially when she does the sexy walk in which she wiggles her hips while walking. This is also followed by her skin-tight outfit made out of her hair, which separates from her to turn into an Infernal Demon, leaving her naked, but certain parts of her body are censored.

I can see why some people can be turned off by this, and I don't blame them, but that's part of what makes her unique, and the whole hair thing adds to that, which makes it ridiculously awesome.

Music and Sound

The music is one of the highlights of this game. At times, it can sound epic with the help of choirs and an orchestra; other times, it can be really upbeat and over the top, with great percussion, and pianos being a recurring musical instrument. The composers really went all out with the soundtrack and I commend them for it.

The voice acting is one of my favorite aspects, even if I'm not familiar with most of the cast members. Helena Taylor is great as Bayonetta. She manages to bring a lot of energy and charm to the character that it's hard not to enjoy her performance. Grey DeLisle is excellent as Jeanne, that at times, I barely recognize her voice. The rest of the cast is spot on, especially the guy who voices Enzo; he does an amazing Joe Pesci impression, that at first I thought it actually WAS Joe Pesci voicing him.

Conclusion

There is a lot to like about Bayonetta, starting with the title character. She is a fun anti-hero with such hilarious one-liners that would give Dante from Devil May Cry a run for his money. She is also incredibly sexy. If I ever redo my Top 10 Hottest Video Game Women, I would place her pretty high up.

As well as that, the game features a memorable cast of characters, fast-paced and exciting combat, great scenery, fantastic voice acting complete with good lip-synching, upbeat music, and great replay value.

It's not perfect, due to its convoluted story, the in-game camera being a pain during combat, unexpected quick-time events that lead to instant deaths, and the last few levels being infuriating, even on Normal mode. One chapter even contained a boss rush, where you have to fight previous bosses again, a trope that I am not really fond of. But other than those, I say the game is totally...

WORTH CHECKING OUT

For those who missed out on this game, it is being remastered on the Wii U and will be bundled with Bayonetta 2, giving new players the opportunity to experience this game before playing the sequel. It's too bad I won't be playing the latter since I do not own a Wii U. Anyways, have fun with Bayonetta 2; at least I have The Legend of Korra game ---

Oh, monkey feathers!

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