Thank you, Google Image Search. Thank you so very much. So, seeing as Grits did a pretty solid job of reviewing Bayonetta, previously, I'm going to try to keep this as succinct as possible. On with THE BAD!Oh-so judgemental A lot of my good/bad from Bayonetta are going to be struggles. This would be the first. You see, Bayonetta is very similar to games like Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden, in that it judges your performance at the end of every chapter. I've come to learn that this is really just a way for the game to make you feel like shit, no matter how well you performed. Now, I do understand that games like this are structured to be "CHALLENGING", for people who aren't me. People who get obsessive about combos and blocking and such that I'll never be able to understand, let alone master. Probably not a bad for everyone, but I always end up hating it.
Camera! For a game that relies so heavily upon it's dodge mechanic, you'd think that the game would go to great lengths to make sure you're able to see where most attacks are coming from. Not entirely so with Bayonetta. I found that times when the screen got crowded with enemies, or more particularly, when you're fighting some of the game's larger enemies, it becomes very difficult to see what the enemies are doing. Which, leads you to getting mad-judged upon, and I think you know how I feel about that.
A Little Effort, Please? Make no mistake, I have absolutely no problem with the over-the-top nature of Bayonetta's story. I have to say, however, that toward the game I started to grow tired of Bayonetta's over-long cutscenes. This is another point where Bayonetta parallels the Devil May Cry series. It feels like throughout the game that pertinent details are purposefully left out, just to make it more confusing. It's been made clear that Sega sees Bayonetta as an exploitable franchise, which I like. I would, however, like to see the story tightened up going forward.
Yep, that's pretty much it. Now, watch as I bring it with THE GOOD
Sexy Fun Time If you were to pay attention to gaming press, in general, you'd be hearing all about how far back games like Bayonetta set us. Being someone who gave up on the concept of waiting on gaming's "CITIZEN KANE", a long time ago, I kind of like the game's playful tone. I will admit, sometimes it's a bit too juvenile for my tastes. By and large, though, I enjoy it. Not boner-enjoy it, mind you. I'm not salivating over this and hiding it from my wife. That's something different entirely. I think that the over-sexualized tone that Bayonetta presents is "fun", and that pretentious gaming enthusiasts should loosen up.
Dodge As I've referenced earlier, I have always struggled with games that encourage you to avoid being hit, rather than just fighting Fighting FIGHTING. Bayonetta does this, and I struggled, unsurprisingly. I will say say that Bayonetta's usage of Dodge, rather than many other game's usage of Block somehow works out better. I can't entirely explain it, but it just felt more comfortable. Also, well-timed blocks triggering a bullet-time mechanic was also pretty spiffy.
WHAT?! Whereas I would have liked the story in Bayonetta to make more sense, I did quite enjoy how weird it was all the time. Things like driving missiles, starting motorcycles with her middle finger, demon-summoning hair, and lipstick bullets are the kind of off-the-wall things I really like in games. Bayonetta pushes creativity in ways I feel like most games aren't comfortable with pushing, lest they alienate potential customers. I appreciate you for this, Bayonetta.
Characters I was surprised by how much I liked many of the characters in the game. I will admit, I wasn't supremely into all of them, and the EVIL side of the game really has no fleshed-out characters at all. The ones I did like, however, were really great. Besides Bayonetta herself, I'll really be looking forward to seeing the likes of Luka, Rodin, and my main man ENZO returning in the sequel.
Judging in Increments No, I do not like being judged on performance. What I do like about Bayonetta, though, is how it judges you on a battle-by-battle basis and gives you a composite score based upon that at the end of the chapter. It at least gives you an idea of where you need to improve, and also allows for exploration outside of said battles where other games do not.
New Game + There is a metric ton of upgrades in Bayonetta, which is awesome. So much, in fact, that you really can't get it all in one run. At least, I think so. Games nowadays should ALWAYS implement this feature.
All in all, more good than bad. I would recommend this game to just about anyone. Seeing as the game has easier settings, the only barrier to entry would be if you're the type of person who has a low tolerance for wacky, incomprehensible stories. What're you waiting for, then, Give it a go!
FINAL Final Judgement: Pretty damned good!
this is me being succinct
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