Bayonetta
Bayonetta is an action game for the PlayStation3 game console of which its demo was announced on 31 August 2009. It was directed by Okami and Hideki Kamiya, the creator of the Devil May Cry series, and was developed by Platinum Games in collaboration with Sega who is also the publisher of the title. The game is expected to be released in Japan on October 29, 2009, in North America in January 2010, and in the first quarter of 2010 to Europe under the Action genre and bears an ESRB rating of M for mature. It is set in a fictional city in Europe and centers on the title character Bayonetta who can wield four handguns as well as perform other magical attacks to defeat her enemies. There will be multiple difficulty settings to suit player’s skills, with the easier settings containing a game mode playable with only one button. Critics have commented on the pre-release versions of the game that it has easily learned game moves, fast pace, boss battles and “Witch Mode” slowdown mechanic. Unfortunately, they regret that there are inconsistent frame rates and other technical issues as well as its use of camera angles. In terms of gameplay, many have noted that Bayonetta’s combat resembles that of Kamiya’s Devil May Cry which involves both melee and long ranged attacks. The game also encourages players to be creative in exploring ways to dispatch enemies through the use of complex combo strings and multiple weapons.
Review
The game is expected to be a fast-paced action affair that seems to value style as much as skill as it is developed by the same team from Devil May Cry fame, Hideki Kamiya. In the game, players play Bayonetta the which of sorts who attacks enemies with guns as well as a multitude of kicks and melee attacks, all of which bear a few similarities to the gameplay of Devil May Cry, especially in terms of the ability to hover in the air while firing guns and to rank up some kind of combo rating system that fluctuates based on the type of attacks dealt out. There are arenas in which combats take place, of which have connecting sections in which Bayonetta can smash bits of the environment to collect ring power ups. Not only that, the game also features some queer enemy designs and plenty of gore effects. Similar to Devil May Cry, Bayonetta also features several large boss encounters, all of which increase in difficulty as players progress through the game. The first boss is said to be easily defeatable by a mere string of combos and dodging once in a while, whereas the second boss is confronted while Bayonetta is crossing a bridge, actually tearing the structure from its supports and swinging it around in the air, after which the boss tosses the bridge segment across the level once enough damage is dealt with, and then promptly reemerging through the bottom of a stone staircase. A timed button press that triggers a flashy fatality scene will have Bayonetta summon in a dragon-like hair creature that bloodily chomps the boss apart. In terms of graphics and character costumes, Bayonetta’s clothing seems to be made out of her hair, which causes her to shift into various stages of undress as she fights, making for some interesting finishers. Not only that, Bayonetta would also at times, cap off a combo string with a gigantic magical attack that consisted of various limbs crashing through dimensional portals and smashing the oppositions. On positive feedback received from first time players is that the gameplay is easy to figure out, including its combo system, character movement and the way the magic works.
“Bayonetta is looking extremely promising at this early stage, and we’re keen to get some hands-on time with it to see how closely it matches the frenetic style of the DMC games. Bayonetta will be released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2009.” (GameSpot, 2009)
