Another day, another Switch game finished. This time, it's the first Bayonetta on the Switch. Let's skip the pleasantries and get right to it.
BACKGROUND: I'd only heard of Bayonetta when it was announced the second game was a Wii U exclusive. Some time during 2016, I went and picked up Bayonetta 2 on a whim, still knowing next to nothing about the game. Long story short, I was hooked. I really enjoyed playing it, and had intentions to buy the Wii U port of the first game ever since. Unfortunately, I never got around to doing that. Fast forward to late last year, when I hear that both Bayonetta games are coming to the Switch. Now's my chance, I thought, so the moment I had enough funds (and memory on my console), I went and bought it. PLOT: You play as an Umbra Witch named Bayonetta, the sassiest, sexiest, and one of the most ridiculously over-the-top protagonists to ever exist. It is no hyperbole when I say she's one of my favorite video game characters. Everything from her accent, her penchant for being overtly flirty with enemies, and her... peculiar fighting style hooked me from day one. It's hard to really put into words why I enjoy her character unless I go and show you cutscenes for the game. Bayonetta's journey in the first game involves her uncovering the mysteries of her past. While the second game's story wasn't really dependent on events or exposition from the first, playing this filled a lot of gaps in for me in terms of the histories of a lot of characters. The story in a vacuum is really exposition-heavy and dragged down by lore, but the sheer absurdity of the events that unfold and Bayonetta's character more than make up for it. The hilarious gags, amazing supporting characters, and completely bonkers action constantly had me going "this game makes no fucking sense and I love it." It's a fun time, and that's all I can really ask for. PRESENTATION: While the art style isn't anything distinct, this game looks great. Combat is flashy, the locations (while not a lot in terms of variety) look interesting, and the violence is gory. Nothing special, but it gets the job done. Character designs are amazing, in case Bayonetta herself didn't give that away. The demons she summons look terrifying, but the angels (the enemies you fight throughout the game) look... well, let me put it like this: if angels were real and they looked like they do in this game, I'd rather go to hell. The soundtrack is killer and complements both the action and Bayonetta's character. You also get the occasional "this shit is holy" choir music that herald your angel adversaries and signal that shit is about to go down. GAMEPLAY: Bayonetta is a 3D hack-and-slash beat-'em-up in a similar vein to games like Devil May Cry, Dynasty Warriors, or earlier God of War games. Chain combos to beat the shit out of your enemies, don't get hit, press buttons for quick-time events... nothing too hard to comprehend. Do not be fooled, however; you can't get by just mindlessly mashing buttons. Some enemies (especially bosses) require a good amount of situational awareness to take down. At the start of the game, Bayonetta's main weapons are her guns. She wields two with her hands, and another pair – get this – is attached to her high heels. Because of this, you also have the option to shoot enemies as well as go toe-to-toe with them. Eventually, you'll have access to different weapons, allowing you to swap your loadouts for both your hands and feet, leading to all sorts of new combo chains. You can also pick up enemy weapons, but they have a durability and don't last very long In addition to her attacks, Bayonetta has access to Witch Time, which is executed when dodging an attack at the last possible moment. Triggering Witch Time slows down everything except Bayonetta, allowing you to get a couple extra hits in, or escape a precarious situation. She also has Torture Attacks, which, with a full magic meter, basically allow you to execute enemies in ridiculously gory ways. It's fucking horrifying if you think about it. In addition to these, Bayonetta has her Wicked Weaves. She uses her hair to summon demons and shit to cause massive damage. Her hair, by the way, is the source of her power, and it's also her clothes, so when she uses Wicked Weaves, she reveals a lot more skin. In fact, the "ultimate" version of this (which you use on bosses) is called a Climax attack. Yeah. It's... it's that kind of game. Each story chapter (of which there are 16, prologue and epilogue excluded) are separated into "verses". Each verse is basically a fight (or phases of a fight, in the case of bosses). Clearing each verse nets you a rating (pure platinum being the highest; stone being the lowest), and factors like taking damage, combo chains, and clear time affecting these ratings. If you want to complete this game, you need to get good. In between chapters, you can go spend halos (the game's currency) over at Gates of Hell. Here, you can buy new moves/techniques, consumable items, and accessories that give you buffs (and look nice). You'll be picking up tons of halos killing angels, so go spend them when you can. You can also craft some of the consumables, but I found that mechanic to be mostly useless and prefer buying the items from the shop instead. Levels are mostly linear, but there's plenty of nooks and crannies to find collectibles and useful items. While some collectibles are just for lore and not much else, others help you unlock new weapons to use. There's a good amount of hazards, simple puzzles, and platforming to spice things up, so it's not just a boring walk going from verse to verse. There are multiple difficulties, ranging to very easy to something called "infinite Climax". You have to unlock Hard mode and infinite Climax mode by beating Normal and Hard respectively, and yes, you have to get all the good ratings in every verse in every difficulty to 100% this shit. In the Wii U and Switch versions of this game, you have access to touch controls. I personally never tried them, but they seem easier, so hey, there's options. In addition to that, you also have access to exclusive Nintendo-themed outfits for Bayonetta (Peach, Daisy, Samus, and Link, to be specific). They're mostly cosmetic changes, but as a Metroid fan, it's like the best thing ever. VERDICT: Like I said before: this game is fucking ridiculous and I love it. Bayonetta's an amazing character, the combat is exciting, insane shit happens all the time... it's the perfect not-too-difficult, "fuck it, let's have a fun time" kind of game. Well worth picking up, and the same can be said for Bayonetta 2. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go wait for Bayonetta 3. This game is playable on previous gen consoles (PS3, the 360, Wii U) as well as the Switch. It's also on Steam, right over here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/460790/Bayonetta/ - end -
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June 2024
Derryck
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