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Game Boy
Review: Bayonetta
By Colin Day
When I told my friends that I was playing a unique, sexually charged, beat-em-up style Japanese action game, they were a bit worried about what they were about to see. After the first five confusing minutes of complete unrealistic chaos, both my onlookers and I were equally stunned by the discreet complexity of what we were getting into.
"Bayonetta," the culmination of approximately three years of work, was first released in October 2009 to Japanese audiences and came out in the States on Jan. 5. The game tells a sci-fi story of witches and angels, hovering around the story of the mysterious Bayonetta, who is trying to figure out her own past while trying to save the world from destruction.
As the game begins, you are immediately thrown into action, jamming buttons to build combos, just trying to evade, shoot and maim what turns out to be a bunch of angels. You see, Bayonetta has made a pact with the devil, and not fighting angels when they approach will result in her being sent back to Hell. Let me explain.
After waking up from a 500-year nap, Bayonetta has no recollection of what or who she once was, and for the past 20 years she has been enlisting the help of the burly Rodin and the loudmouthed Enzo to help her figure things out. Using her incredibly limber body she shoots, kicks and whips her hair into demonic figures to defeat everyone and everything.
While the game unfolds, gamers soon realize that this might be the most Japanese-looking game released in America since MGS4. From the pop music playing "Fly me to the moon" while I shoot an angel in the face with my boot gun (yes, boot gun) or pulling off a special move when all my clothes fly off, the game has a unique angle on the action genre, and just because it is a girl leading the charge does not mean director Hideki Kamiya is shying away from giving his leading lady some overly exaggerated ... er, features.
Everything about Bayonetta screams sexuality - from her high-heeled boots and leather garments to the lollipops she so delicately eats, the titular character demands your attention and does not have a problem proving she has the wits to back up her provocative poses. Even the set up of the game is sexualized, as the most difficult mode is called "Non-stop climax." Oh yeah, and she looks like Sarah Palin before she started pumping out little Republicans.
I played the Xbox 360 version of the game on my HDTV, and while it might not be as impressive as an "Assassin's Creed 2" or "Uncharted 2," the frame rate rarely slipped and kept the game smooth, regardless of how many guys filled up my screen. The camera can be tricky, as special torture moves might compromise your position when things get tough. Also, be ready for some downtime - this game has cut scenes galore.
Originally Published: February 3, 2010
