Bayonetta Post-Review

Bosses are incredible throughout, echoing the design of Neon Genesis Evangelion rip-off RahXephon. EVA gets its fair share of referencing too with endless use of Fly Me to the Moon.

The overindulgence seen in the story and art direction is reflected perfectly in the gameplay, with wonderfully inventive battle environments that see you doing anything from battling angels while plummeting 100 mph on the remains of a falling clock tower or watching in awe as bosses change the very shape of the architecture by ripping bridges clean from their foundations while you’re fighting on them or even fighting angels atop a missile heading for space with a god as its payload – Bayonetta shows no consideration for conventions such as common sense, cause and effect or even gravity in its unending pursuit of pleasure. In fact it has more in common with Super Mario Galaxy than God of War et al. when it comes to working within a framework but exploiting ideas to their fullest potential.

A full moon allows Bayonetta to walk up walls and ceilings, giving you more than enough space to maneuver during certain boss fights.

The one aspect that the game takes gravely seriously however is the combat – Put simply this is the most involving, demanding, complex fighting system ever seen in the genre. The scope for creativity is staggering with upwards of ten weapons, of which hand and feet variations can be simultaneously equipped and switched between in real time, each with unique moves; the devastating wicked weave hair attacks; the comedic punish attacks; the brutal torture attacks; the angel weapon pick-ups; the plentiful accessories that bend the games rules– there are hundreds of combinations available to learn and explore. While the normal difficulty level can be cleared with relatively basic tactics, Hard and Non-Stop Infinite Climax modes demand incredible dexterity, timing and observation skills and are intensely difficult but fair thanks to the audio and visual cues that telegraph enemy attacks.

Bosses are so huge you can go all Shadow of the Colossus on them and run around to focus on different body parts.

One unexpected joy of Bayonetta comes from the close relationship Platinum Games enjoy with their publisher. Modern Sega don’t seem happy to let a day go by without defiling the genius of their past works, but thankfully Platinum Games have intervened and shown them how it’s done. Given full access to the vaults of Sega history, the AM2 cupboard has been comprehensively raided with Hang-On and Space Harrier/After Burner levels thrown in to break up the fighting action, along with a handful of OutRun references. If anything it’s a revelation simply to remember what it’s like to be collecting rings in a Sega game and not want to punch your own face in. Kamiya has been vocal about Sega failing to utilise their healthy back catalogue and with his insistence on name checking Climax at every given opportunity, I would be surprised if he wasn’t angling on getting involved with some classic Sega revivals himself.

Pitching you as the dark protagonist fighting Angelic foes leads to enemy designs that are just both majestic and deadly.

In an age of endless bald space marines, colour pallets that know nothing beyond brown and grey, and gritty urban sandboxes, Bayonetta is a breath of fresh air. It is audaciously self-aware and happy to poke fun at itself and the rest of the games industry. In many ways, Bayonetta is a bawdy, puerile, otaku-appeasing work of gluttony but this isn’t an attempt to elevate the art form – it’s an attempt to create the ultimate 3D action game, and one that is wholly successful, leaving all competition in its wake.

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