Bayonetta Review

Bayonetta was one of those games that eluded me when it came out in 2009. From what I read at the time, the game was plagued with issues and frame rate drops on my console of choice (PS3), so I never worried too much about missing out. As the years have passed, I’ve come to seek out those games I missed during that era, as I genuinely feel it was one of the best eras in gaming history. I finally have my chance, as SEGA has brought this game, along with Vanquish, to the PS4 in 4K at 60 FPS on the PS4 and Xbox One X.

Presentation

Bayonetta looks pretty basic, but as you traverse to new areas, it brightens up slightly. The graphics aren’t going to blow you away or anything, but they look more than adequate for this era of gaming. The game is set in the fictional European city of Vigrid, where you search for a mystical item, as most games of this nature go.

Story

The plot in Bayonetta is pretty much an afterthought, given how crazy the actual premise of the game is. You’re a witch with dual pistols strapped to your stiletto heels who can take out archangels with her hair. This game has a rich backstory, with books and various items scattered throughout the environment that you can interact with. Bayonetta struggles with amnesia, which only allows her to see flashes of her life before she wakes at the bottom of a lake around 20 years before the game’s events. It’s one of those stories where you search for that mystical item as Bayonetta pieces her past together.

Gameplay

Combat

The fun part about Bayonetta is its fluid and easy-to-use combat system. I don’t generally play many games like this, but I could jump right in and feel like I was invincible after paying attention to the quick tutorial in the game’s prologue. There’s a basic punch-and-kick attack like any other game out there. You can also execute combos based on the weapon you have equipped. Some of these are even capped off with a finisher called Wicked Weave. This move summons a fist or boot from Bayonetta’s hair (which doubles as her clothes). Using this move allows you to create a devastating rhythm to every battle. You can even perform a Climax finisher, which transforms Bayonetta’s hair into a giant dog that eats up her foe; it’s quite the sight to see.

Combos

The combos are great and fun to pull off, but mastery comes with the dodge mechanic. Bayonetta will evade the attack if you press the dodge button before you are attacked. If you press the button at the last possible second before you’re attacked, you activate Witch Time. This freezes time for everyone else, allowing you to score valuable extra hits before time returns to normal. Getting your timing right to activate Witch Time is a fun challenge. You start to become more attentive to the audio and visual cues of the different types of enemies as they are about to attack.

Scoring

Each battle sequence is graded based on time, how much damage you take, and the quality of your combos. This is one thing I don’t usually enjoy about games. I feel it takes away from the accomplishment of beating a section of the game, but I didn’t feel that way in Bayonetta. While I think a grading system is unnecessary, I also found that it drove me to polish my combos and combat skills even more than I thought I needed to before. It’s a challenge, but not one that feels daunting and prevents me from enjoying the game if I only get a bronze medal.

Bayonetta

Bayonetta is a great character who is a joy to play with, thanks to her confidence and dominance in every battle. She’s just a fun character. This is never as apparent as it is in the action cutscenes. Bayonetta frequently breaks the fourth wall by posing and glancing at the camera, making you feel like she controls every situation. The camera captures her personality, and while it can be a bit over-sexualized at times, the game knows when to back off during tense moments. The best way to describe it is that the game doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Chapters

Most chapters are just different fights as you push your way through the level. Various short sequences break up the monotony, such as a motorcycle sequence, shooting down missiles, and other similar scenes. I got annoyed that cutscenes tend to transition right into a battle in which you can be hit right away, which takes away your chance of getting a Pure Platinum medal right off the bat. I enjoyed the fact that there was some nice enemy and boss variety, and it didn’t feel like I was going through the motions constantly.

Portals

Alfheim portals teleport you to an arena for a specific combat challenge. These portals lead to some brutal battles. These aren’t difficult, just based on the enemy, but more on how skilled in combat you have to be to complete the victory conditions. Don’t expect them all to be beatable the first time you try; some will require you to be stronger and have better weaponry available. Bayonetta is meant to be replayed; you can return to any chapter and try to farm for items or obtain a higher medal than you received the first time.

Final Thoughts

Bayonetta is a fun experience, and everyone should try it if you’re like me and have never played it. People who have played games like Devil May Cry will likely devour this one and may even find a new favorite in the genre. I feel like the game has aged very well and wouldn’t be out of place if it were released today. I think Bayonetta herself is a great character with plenty of room to grow in the future.