The beginning of a new year always brings with it good things. For most people, it’s the chance to start fresh or maybe they claim they will lose weight or quit smoking. More importantly, it is the start of the big spring video game rush.
After the downpour of sequels we had last year, a lot of people were looking for something fresh and original. Look no further than Bayonetta. You want original, this is a game about a nine foot tall witch that summons demons with her hair (which also happen to be her clothes) and has guns attached to her feet. However, originality cannot carry a game by itself.
Luckily, this is not the case with Bayonetta. I will just come right out and say it, this game is a damn good time. If you have played any of the Devil May Cry series, you will be right at home (especially since this game is made by the guy who created DMC). The action is fast and surprisingly fluid, with probably the most responsive controls that I have seen in a while. Combos are surprisingly easy to pull off, but the most engaging thing about the combat is the Witch Time feature. Witch Time is pretty much just a fancy name for bullet time, but instead of just pushing a button to slow things down, you have to dodge an enemy’s attack the split second before it connects with you. This may not sound like a ground breaking feature, which it isn’t, but it goes a long way to breath new life into a tired game mechanic.
Visually, this game is stunning, on the Xbox 360 at least. Not that there is a huge graphical downgrade on the PS3, but the framerate suffers horribly in some of the more hectic moments, which this game is full of. Besides this little fumble, everything looks amazing. The environments for the most part are stunning, especially in the Heavenly levels. The overall character design is pretty original itself, especially in the enemies (who are Angels, but somehow manage to still come off monsterous).
Sadly, there are a couple of stumbles in the game. Most of the problem lies in the overall presentation. While there are a fair share of high quality ass kicking cutscenes, most of the story is presented in unanimated “Film Cells”. This comes off as feeling cheap and unfinished, Speaking of the story, this game probably has one of the most confusing storylines I have ever seen. I beat the game three times, and I still have no clue what is going on. For once, I can honestly tell you that you can completely skip over the story scenes and you will not be missing much. My last gripe with this game, and possibly the biggest, is the inclusion of some rather inane rail shooting segments. I can understand trying to break up the gameplay styles, but these sections are done so poorly I almost couldn’t make it past them.
Overall, Bayonetta is a great game with a few flaws. Once you look past the absurd concept and the overall Japanese feel to the game, there is a really deep and technical action game, not to mention one of the best games of the year so far.
Wait, those are guns on her feet?
Bayonetta (X-Box 360)
The beginning of a new year always brings with it good things. For most people, it’s the chance to start fresh or maybe they claim they will lose weight or quit smoking. More importantly, it is the start of the big spring video game rush.
After the downpour of sequels we had last year, a lot of people were looking for something fresh and original. Look no further than Bayonetta. You want original, this is a game about a nine foot tall witch that summons demons with her hair (which also happen to be her clothes) and has guns attached to her feet. However, originality cannot carry a game by itself.
Luckily, this is not the case with Bayonetta. I will just come right out and say it, this game is a damn good time. If you have played any of the Devil May Cry series, you will be right at home (especially since this game is made by the guy who created DMC). The action is fast and surprisingly fluid, with probably the most responsive controls that I have seen in a while. Combos are surprisingly easy to pull off, but the most engaging thing about the combat is the Witch Time feature. Witch Time is pretty much just a fancy name for bullet time, but instead of just pushing a button to slow things down, you have to dodge an enemy’s attack the split second before it connects with you. This may not sound like a ground breaking feature, which it isn’t, but it goes a long way to breath new life into a tired game mechanic.
Visually, this game is stunning, on the Xbox 360 at least. Not that there is a huge graphical downgrade on the PS3, but the framerate suffers horribly in some of the more hectic moments, which this game is full of. Besides this little fumble, everything looks amazing. The environments for the most part are stunning, especially in the Heavenly levels. The overall character design is pretty original itself, especially in the enemies (who are Angels, but somehow manage to still come off monsterous).
Sadly, there are a couple of stumbles in the game. Most of the problem lies in the overall presentation. While there are a fair share of high quality ass kicking cutscenes, most of the story is presented in unanimated “Film Cells”. This comes off as feeling cheap and unfinished, Speaking of the story, this game probably has one of the most confusing storylines I have ever seen. I beat the game three times, and I still have no clue what is going on. For once, I can honestly tell you that you can completely skip over the story scenes and you will not be missing much. My last gripe with this game, and possibly the biggest, is the inclusion of some rather inane rail shooting segments. I can understand trying to break up the gameplay styles, but these sections are done so poorly I almost couldn’t make it past them.
Overall, Bayonetta is a great game with a few flaws. Once you look past the absurd concept and the overall Japanese feel to the game, there is a really deep and technical action game, not to mention one of the best games of the year so far.