Review: Bayonetta 2 (Wii U, 2014)

I’m just going to get this out of the way right now: Bayonetta 2 is my Game of the Year for 2014. No other title in recent memory has captivated and entertained me as much as this one has, and that’s saying a lot since (a) I only started playing the Bayonetta series about a month ago, and (b) I usually don’t care for third-person brawlers like God of War and Ninja Gaiden.

Not only that, but I didn’t really love the first Bayonetta, either. Yes, I gave it a B+ in my review, and I enjoyed its style and deep combat system, but there were a number of things I didn’t like, including the lengthy on-rails shooter stages, boring mini-games, flat colors, and endlessly wordy cinematics. While some of those things have carried over to its sequel, they’ve been stripped down and polished to a brilliant shine, resulting in a game that delivers a perfectly paced experience from the heavens. Or hell, if you prefer.

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The fact that we even have Bayonetta 2 in our hands is a bit of a small miracle. With Sega not able to take care of publishing duties this time around, Nintendo was the only company willing to step in and take a chance on it. Announced as a Wii U exclusive back in September of 2012, it immediately angered Xbox and PlayStation supporters. I remember being floored by the announcement, at first confused by the Wii U being its one and only home, but then excited that Nintendo did something that surprised so many people. As a company known for publishing mostly their own E-rated games, having the sultry Bayonetta grace their new system definitely made a big impact. Most importantly, though, it gave the Wii U a serious action exclusive that can’t be played anywhere else.

Over two years have passed, and the wait was so worth it. From its opening moments, Bayonetta 2 exudes quality. The first thing that jumps out at you is the new, brightly vibrant color palette, replacing the dark, muted tones of the original. Everything pops and shines beautifully, with stylish cinematic sequences and an in-game framerate that does its best to maintain 60fps. It drops regularly due to the sheer amount of on-screen detail and chaos, but in my opinion, it’s not bad enough to be a detriment to gameplay.

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There is no screen tearing or v-sync issues to be found here, which was one of my biggest gripes with the first game’s graphical presentation, even with the superior Xbox 360 build. As a result, each frame of Bayonetta 2 is complete and an absolute treat for the eyes. The same qualities carry over to the free version of Bayonetta that comes packed in with its sequel.

Speaking of that pack-in, it’s not just a simple port, and includes extras like the Japanese language track, Nintendo-themed costumes, faster load times, easier difficulty settings, and better performance. By all accounts, it’s the definitive version of Bayonetta until a possible remaster is ever developed. The inclusion of the original game not only adds value, but is also helpful for Wii U owners who have never played the first one, giving them an opportunity to see how it all started, and provides a baseline on which to compare its sequel.

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And make no mistake, Bayonetta 2 is superior to its predecessor in every conceivable way.

Gameplay is sublime and feels even better than the first game. It’s the core of what the series is known for, and Platinum Games has taken what worked so well nearly five years ago, and has made it feel even more responsive, exciting, and fluid. New features such as the Umbran Climax, which takes Bayonetta’s attacks and powers them up like a string of fighting game super moves, gives encounters an even more impactful and visceral feel than before. They’re so crazy that they can sometimes obscure the action, so be careful: They can be a double-edged sword if you are playing to achieve perfect playthrough status.

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Controls are intuitive and responsive, with a heavy focus on dodging enemy strikes. Well-timed dodges will make the player enter what is known as Witch Time, which will slow down the action, temporarily make Bayonetta invincible, and allow her to build up her score and combos. The Dodge Offset technique also makes a return, which allows you to continue a combo string even after you dodge, as long as you’re holding down an attack button. Additional moves, weapons, items, costumes, and accessories can be purchased from your pal Rodin, found, or alchemized to further deepen your already robust arsenal.

The Angel Attack minigame has been completely removed, and the drawn-out driving and flying stages have been replaced by shorter, more focused sequences, one of which conceals Bayonetta 2‘s most famous Nintendo easter egg.

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Long-time fans of Platinum Games will be right at home with the scoring and ranking system here. Most of the game’s Chapters are broken down into multiple Verses, and each Verse is given a rank based on your combo, time, and damage results. Achieving a full combo, fast time, and zero damage in a Verse will result in a Pure Platinum ranking, the game’s highest award. For hardcore players, getting Pure Platinum across all of the game’s difficulties — including the highest Infinite Climax setting where Witch Time is disabled — will be the ultimate goal.

For many other players, experiencing the game’s story, characters, enemies, and environments will provide more than enough entertainment. While the story itself will give continuity error and plot hole seekers a lot to sink their teeth into, it does a decent job of building characters relationships and motive. Unfortunately, like Bayonetta 1, many of the cinematic cutscenes are still overly wordy, and more often than not, I found myself rolling my eyes at the awkward dialogue and unnecessary exposition, complete with forced cursing.

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On the flipside, the action cutscenes are stylishly executed and a lot of fun to watch. They are all done in-engine, with the more highly detailed models rendered in 30fps, and gameplay versions output in 60fps. Quick Time Events (QTEs) are still a part of these sections, but they have definitely been toned down from the first game, and feel less intrusive as a result.

As before, sound effects play a big part in Bayonetta 2‘s gameplay, and in conjunction with bright visual indicators, cue the player in on when an enemy attack is being delivered, prompting you to dodge. Some of these attacks are easy to avoid, while others require near-superhuman reaction times. Focusing on these is key to Pure Platinum rankings, and your survival in general. One of the most rewarding feelings in this game is focusing through all of the insanity around you, and in a zen-like way, successfully finishing a Verse perfectly.

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The music in Bayonetta 2 is as atmospheric and kinetic as the game itself, and like its predecessor, delivers a memorable selection of tunes that span a number of different styles. One of the highlights is a great upbeat version of “Moon River”, which is simply a perfect song selections for Bayonetta. Unlike “Fly Me To The Moon” from Bayonetta 1, “Moon River” is sparsely used, having a greater impact when you do hear it.

In closing, I had a blast with Bayonetta 2, and continue to do so, weeks after finishing it. There is just so much to do, find, collect, and conquer here, and it will keep action fans busy for a long, long time. It’s not only one of the best action games to be found on the Wii U, but is without a doubt one of the best action games ever made.

  • Graphics & Presentation: A-
    Vibrantly beautiful colors are a major improvement over the first game. Animation and special effects are big and impressive, including the new Umbran Climax and returning Climax finishers. No screen tearing, but performance overall is a bit worse than before. Story is OK, but like Bayonetta 1, it won’t be winning any writing awards.
  • Music & Sound Effects: A
    An excellent soundtrack brings the world of Bayonetta 2 to life, with lots of variety and different styles. Sound effects are helpful and impactful, and both English and Japanese voiceover tracks are included, even though the dialogue itself can be very long-winded.
  • Gameplay & Controls: A+
    Perfect, responsive, and refined controls make this one of the most exciting and intuitive games I’ve ever played. Lots of secrets, collectibles, post-game challenges, and online play will put the most experienced players to the test.
  • Value: A+
    The first game is included for free, and not only completing, but mastering all the game’s difficulty settings will take any player a very long time to achieve.

Overall: A+

 

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Backlog Blitz: The Games of October 2014

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Oh, the holiday season. It’s that time of year when companies do everything they can to get their big releases out in time for Black Friday. It’s also when outlets like Steam, Humble, GOG.com, and Bundle Stars bring out the big guns, unveiling deals that for even the most resistant of shoppers, make bulk purchases irresistible.

October turned out to be an OK month. I still slipped a little bit, but managed — just barely — to stay in positive territory. We’ll see if that holds in November, but the outlook is grim. Anyway, the format, as with previous updates, is Game Title (Platform, Purchase Price, Play Time).

Games purchased (-4, $78.25 spent):

  1. The Humble Mobile Bundle 9 (Android, $3.25)
    Another month, another Humble bundle… or two. This one included the following titles: Bardbarian: Golden Axe Edition, Devil’s Attorney, First Strike, Leo’s Fortune, Mountain, Neuroshima Hex, Out There, So Long Oregon!, and Syberia. I had just purchased Leo’s Fortune the month prior, and now here it is included in this bundle. Oh well, that’s OK. It’s a wonderful, high-quality game, so I don’t mind double-dipping on it.
  2. Bayonetta 2 (Wii U, $60.00)
    One of the most highly anticipated games on the Wii U, it was exciting to finally see its release! From Platinum Games, who also did The Wonderful 101 on the same console, this game received some of the highest scores last month from gaming outlets, including a number of 10 out of 10s. I’m about a third-way through it, and it’s every bit as good as everyone says. It’s a stunning game that improves upon the original in every way except maybe its story.
  3. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (Xbox 360, $9.00)
    Another game from Platinum, I decided to pick this up on the cheap. I don’t think it sold all that well, being such a departure from the Metal Gear Solid series, but as an action game, it has received very good scores. After enjoying the first Bayonetta as much as I did, I went on a small shopping spree to pick up some of their other games like this one.
  4. The Humble Indie Bundle 13 (PC, $6.00)
    Any “Indie” titled bundle from Humble is usually a big deal, and this one was no exception. It included a number of very high-profile indie games including: Teleglitch: More Die Edition, Tower of Guns, Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, OlliOlli, Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs, Jazzpunk, Risk of Rain, The Novelist, Eldritch, and Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack.

Games finished (+3, $26.00 value):

  1. Don’t Move (Android, $1.00, 2 hrs.)
    Excerpt from my review: “Do you need a game to be fun to feel satisfied when you reach the end? Does a game need to be challenging in order for you to enjoy it? Is variation in gameplay and locations key to keeping you interested in a title? Don’t Move will make you ponder these questions and more, long after you reach its Game Over screen. For something to make me think about games like this is a sign of something worth looking at, no matter how painful the experience was to get there.” Overall: B
    REVIEW LINK
  2. Lego City Undercover (Wii U, $5.00,  45 hrs.)
    Excerpt from my review: “The world is a pure joy to explore, and the controls are solid. Some platforming and judging of distance is vague, but with unlimited lives and convenient retry features, it’s rarely an issue. Grand Theft Auto could learn a thing or two from this game’s flying controls, which are wonderful. Tons of gameplay variation and abilities will keep you going long after the credits roll.” Overall: A-
    REVIEW LINK
  3. Bayonetta (Xbox 360, $20.00, 15 hrs.)
    Excerpt from my review: “Bayonetta is one of the best pure action games I’ve played in a long time. Its combat system is highly satisfying and possesses splendid depth. Although there are frustrating aspects, including gimmicky minigames, instant-death quick time events, performance issues, and a glut of unnecessary cutscenes, the foundation is rock-solid, and is a game that action fans should not miss.” Overall: B+
    REVIEW LINK

As I hinted at above, November is looking ugly. With good deals and big releases like Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, it’s likely that November will be the first month that will see me falling into negative territory. Oh well, it’s worth it! See you next time and have a wonderful holiday season.

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Review: Bayonetta (Xbox 360, 2010)

I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit that I don’t have the strongest history with the works of Hideki Kamiya, the director and creator of Bayonetta. Whether it’s Devil May Cry, Viewtiful Joe, or Okami, these are all games that I have bought and played over the years, but oddly enough, I’ve never finished a single one of them.

That all changed recently when Bayonetta 2’s impending release on the Wii U inspired me to fire up the original on the Xbox 360. It’s a game that is adored by fans, and its sequel became one of the most talked about and controversial exclusives on Nintendo’s newest console. Bayonetta is often described as the perfect action game, so I had to see for myself what it was all about.

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Now that I’ve played through it, I understand why it has such passionate fans. I can also see why it not being on Sony and Microsoft consoles this time around has angered so many players.

At its core, Bayonetta is a case study in deep, accessible gameplay. It’s a game that can be enjoyed both by those who just want to experience its story and spectacle, but perhaps more importantly, by those who want to take the time and effort to master its intricate combat system.

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And what a combat system it is! Different combos can be performed effortlessly through a seemingly endless string of punch, kick, and firing combinations, and buttons can be long-pressed to maximize combo output. A feature called Witch Time can be activated while dodging enemy attacks at the last second to slow things down and give the player an opportunity to further build up their combos and score, and without taking any damage.

Combos can also be interrupted and continued through the game’s innovative Dodge Offset system, which can dramatically increase a player’s performance once its timing and use have been mastered. The game doesn’t do a good job explaining this, and while I’m not there yet in terms of fully grasping its depth, it’s one of the more addictive aspects of Bayonetta’s advanced gameplay techniques.

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The game takes place over the course of 18 Chapters, including the Prologue and Epilogue. Each one is broken down into a group of Verses; some Chapters only have a few Verses, while others can have many. Not all of them are along the critical path, however, and the player must explore each Chapter to find them. It took me approximately 15 hours to complete, and I missed a lot of those Verses.

Much time will be spent in the game’s numerous cutscenes, which are long-winded and could have greatly benefited from a more aggressive story editor. Speaking of Bayonetta’s story, I found most of it to be nonsensical, but I suppose it did a serviceable job of giving the cast motives to keep moving forward.

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The characters themselves are excellent, however, possessing strong personalities and energetic voice work. The only character I did not care for was the Chapter 16 boss, who simply will not shut up. For those who have played Bayonetta 2, they actually poke fun at this in the game’s opening Chapter. I guess even Platinum thought they went overboard!

Visually, Bayonetta looks good, with a game engine that does its best to run at 60 frames-per-second. It slows down quite a bit throughout, but not enough to be a detriment to gameplay. Cutscenes run at half the framerate — possibly for cinematic purposes — but it can be distracting seeing the performance change so frequently. Don’t ignore those cutscenes, though. You have to stay on your toes, since quick time events often occur during what are otherwise non-interactive cinematics.

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The game also exhibits an excessive amount of screen tearing, which is an unfortunate blow to its visual presentation. It should be noted that this does not occur in the 2014 Wii U port of Bayonetta.

Animation is superb, however, and although some of the character models show their age, they convey realistic emotion through their facial expressions, movement, and dialogue. Bayonetta herself is fluidly animated, with beautiful and sexy attacks that flow together seamlessly. Her hair-based Wicked Weaves and Climax finishers are particularly noteworthy, as they are huge, screen-filling creations that bring to mind the memorable Summons from the Final Fantasy series.

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The color palette of the game tends to be dark, with lots of grays, browns, reds, and greens. It suits the story and mood of the game, but I thought they were much more drab than they needed to be. Environments exhibit a good variety throughout — with some truly memorable ones — although you will find yourself running down boring, barren hallways more often than you’d like, as well as solving rudimentary, slow, and sometimes vague puzzles. These all feel like holdovers from the PlayStation 2 era, and can slow the game down to a crawl.

On the audio side, Bayonetta is an absolute stunner. The soundtrack is an energetic mixture of vocal pop, smooth jazz, and grandiose choral and classical arrangements. They give the game its texture and atmosphere, are all of extremely high quality, and elevate the game’s action to the next level.

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Not only that, but with Platinum’s partnership with Sega — and Kamiya’s love of old Sega games — Bayonetta is graced with arranged music from classic games such as Space Harrier, After Burner, and Out Run.

Sound effects are not only well done, but are essential to performing well in combat. Enemies have subtle visual and audio cues that will telegraph an incoming attack. With so much action and chaos going on around you, sometimes you will have to let your ears do the seeing for you.

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Minigames and platforming are also a part of Bayonetta’s gameplay, but they can slow the game down, be completely frustrating, or are so long as to overstay their welcome. It’s unfortunate that Platinum drew the driving/flying stages out the way they did. These would have been better served as a medley of the different game styles combined into a single chapter. As it is, they end up feeling out of place due to their vastly different gameplay, and overindulgent due to their excessive length. Platforming is often vague, with Bayonetta falling to her injury or death frequently. Thankfully, it doesn’t occur too many times throughout.

Boss encounters, on the other hand, are intimidating and exciting. Most of them have an intuitive feel that makes fighting them very fun and satisfying. Couple this with Bayonetta’s finishing moves and these become some of the game’s most enjoyably visceral sequences.

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In terms of replay value, Bayonetta brings it. Not only are there a wealth of items and secret battles to buy and discover, but there are also challenging hidden stages that will test your skills and mastery of the game’s techniques.

Its ranking system will also have perfectionists coming back over and over again to attain all of the game’s Pure Platinum awards, which essentially requires the player to get through each Chapter with a high combo score, low time, and zero damage. Not an easy feat, and definitely not for the faint of heart at the game’s highest difficulty of Non-Stop Infinite Climax, where Witch Time is disabled and enemies are stronger. Accessories can help out tremendously, but button mashers will not get far beyond Normal mode. Bayonetta requires dedication, concentration, and mastery to extract everything that it has to offer.

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In closing, Bayonetta is one of the best pure action games I’ve played in a long time. Its combat system is highly satisfying and possesses splendid depth. Although there are frustrating aspects, including gimmicky minigames, instant-death quick time events, performance issues, and a glut of unnecessary cutscenes, the foundation is rock-solid, and is a game that action fans should not miss.

  • Graphics & Presentation: B
    Nice animation, effects, and mostly 60fps action. Performance often takes a hit, and screen tearing is prevalent. Worlds are constructed well, but colors are dark and bland. Cutscenes can be painfully long, but some of them are exhilarating and extremely stylish.
  • Music & Sound Effects: A+
    One of the best action game soundtracks I’ve ever heard. A wonderful mix of vocal pop, jazz, and classical, you’ll be singing “Fly Me To The Moon” long after you finish the game. Great sound effects that actually matter during gameplay.
  • Gameplay & Controls: B+
    A combat system that puts most to shame; it’s fast, fluid, deep, and intuitive. Upgrades, new moves, techniques, and accessories add to the game’s wonderful variety and complexity. Significant filler muddles Bayonetta‘s focus, though, with the non-fighting levels, shooting galleries, puzzles, and half-baked platforming.
  • Value: A
    Pure Platinum chasers will have their hands full for weeks, if not months, with a system that rewards perseverance and dedication. Lots of hidden items, battles, and challenges to discover will keep completionists coming back for more.

Overall: B+

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Unboxing Bayonetta 2 (Wii U, 2014)

As someone who was never that into third-person action games, Platinum Games’ Bayonetta flew right past me, as did the studio’s other games such as MadWorld, Vanquish, and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. However, it only took a few minutes with Bayonetta 2‘s demo on the Wii U to make me realize what a big mistake I had made.

I’ve played it several times since its release, slowly improving upon my previous runs. In that sense, it feels like a true arcade experience, similar to how I felt with Volgarr the Viking, one of the best games I’ve played all year.

Upon playing Bayonetta 2‘s demo, I immediately preordered it on Amazon. Since I had just finished LEGO City Undercover, I decided to fire up my Xbox 360 copy of the first Bayonetta. I haven’t finished it yet — and finishing it once is really only scratching the game’s surface — but you can check out my highlights and hear what I have to say about the game so far on YouTube HERE.

Bayonetta 2 arrived late this past Friday, and even with the first game unfinished, I couldn’t help myself; I just had to tear into my copy!

Below is a series of photos showing what’s included. Nothing earth-shattering, but I do hope you enjoy them.

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Full shot of the front cover. Standard Wii U blue box. Bayonetta 1 is included on its own separate disc.

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Another shot of the front cover, with a more detailed look at the logo and artwork.

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Additional detail of first Bayonetta logo. I like that it’s relatively small and up in the corner instead of being plastered somewhere else over the main artwork.

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Full shot of the back cover. Hard to tell what’s going on in any of the tiny screenshots, but it does show some of the alternate outfits now available in the Wii U version of the first Bayonetta, including Samus (Metroid), Peach (Super Mario Bros.), and Link (The Legend of Zelda)

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Close-up detail of the back cover’s screenshots. For some reason, Bayonetta’s pose on the left looks a little strange to me.

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Sega and Platinum Games logos, as well as supported controllers: Wii Classic Controller Pro, Wii U Pro Controller, and Wii U GamePad. I will be using the Wii U Pro Controller.

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Game case spine and thumbnail, which is from the same piece of art from the back cover.

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Inside of case, a black & white safety/e-manual pamphlet and game discs. Those come in their own separate trays, which is always nice. Case itself is a standard eco type, which I know saves on plastic, but they just feel super-flimsy. No actual game manual of any kind, which isn’t surprising, but is still disappointing.

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Bayonetta 1 game disc. Artwork is from the back cover of the 360 version. Screening is nice and of high quality.

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Bayonetta 2 game disc. Artwork is from the front cover, and looks great.

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Club Nintendo information and registration code are now printed on the back of the game case insert, which makes getting to it a little more difficult. Nearly impossible to miss, though, due to the eco case cutouts.

Be on the lookout for my Bayonetta review and Bayonetta 2 playthrough on YouTube soon. Have a great week!

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