The original Bayonetta was a game I always wanted to play.
It looked fast, frenetic, and just had a crazy style to it that I had to see for myself.
But I never actually got the chance to do so for one reason or another.
So while this means that I don’t have the most in-depth knowledge of Bayonetta, I still
think I can confidently say that Bayonetta 2 is an utterly fantastic action game.
Perhaps even the peak of its genre.
It impressed me that much.
Bayonetta 2 picks up an indeterminate amount of time after the original with the titular
character doing some Christmas shopping.
This being Bayonetta, it isn’t long until she is attacked by angels.
However, during the fight, something goes wrong and her friend, Jeanne, is lost to the
depths of Inferno.
Feeling guilty over what happened, Bayonetta heads to Noatun, a town at the base of the
legendary mountain, Fimbulventr.
There she hopes to enter Inferno and save Jeanne.
Along the way, she meets a mysterious boy named Loki and as their paths cross, she becomes
embroiled in his struggles as well.
The story surprised me in how much I was able to get invested.
It’s completely ridiculous in many ways, but it has so much fun with itself that I
couldn’t help just going along for the ride.
While there are a few scant references to the original game, this is a story that’s
easy to jump into fresh.
Of course, for those curious about what happened before, Bayonetta is packaged with the sequel
or it can be downloaded off the eShop at a discounted price along with Bayonetta 2.
I don’t want to spoil much else beyond what I’ve already said since I found each twist
and turn enjoyably ludicrous.
After all, this is a woman who’s able to summon demons to attack her enemies through
her hair.
But while the story is entertaining, it’s the gameplay that is the true star here.
From the very beginning, you are placed in situations where you take on massive enemies
in as many different situations as possible.
One moment you’ll be riding atop a jet while angels attack from all sides and soon after
you’ll be flying around a skyscraper while fighting a dragon.
And that’s just the early chapters.
The setpieces caught me off guard more than a few times in just what was going on, both
in the background and what Bayonetta was doing herself.
The setpieces never overwhelm the game though.
It’s easy to think that Bayonetta 2 will take you from one crazy moment to the next
with no room to breathe.
But that’s not the case.
The basic gameplay has an extremely solid foundation that makes even the simplest battles
fun.
Unlike most other action games, Bayonetta can equip weapons to both her arms and legs.
One button is for arm attacks while another is for leg attacks.
Even with just her basic pistols equipped to her limbs there’s an impressive amount
of combos that open up to the player.
Add in all of the other weapons that you can find and it grows exponentially, especially
since you can mix and match until you find the exact style that you want.
Hell, just equipping a weapon to her legs rather than her arms can really change things.
Bayonetta is also able to take the weapons of fallen enemies and use them for her own
purposes.
While some are powerful, they were never really enough that I felt like I need to grab them
as soon as possible.
Mostly they’re just a way to vary the combat even more.
But she has plenty of other moves at her disposal.
She is able to dodge enemy attacks like any other action hero, except that when she does,
she enters a state called Witch Time where enemies slow to a crawl.
That’s your opportunity to do some major damage.
To add some skill to this idea, the later she dodges the incoming attack, the longer
Witch Time will last.
So players able to maximize this can make the fights that much easier.
Finally, there’s her magic meter.
As you fight enemies, it fills up and allows her to do one of two attacks.
Torture Attacks return from the first game and do a massive amount of damage to a single
enemy.
These moves are incredibly fun to watch and each enemy has a unique torture animation
just for them.
It’s extremely satisfying to use against an enemy that was giving you trouble before.
But the arguably more useful attack is the new Umbran Climax.
This greatly increases Bayonetta’s strength and can unleash some devastating moves against
a group of enemies.
It’s perfect for getting you out of tight spots, and I ended up using it way more than
the Torture Attacks.
But Bayonetta 2 isn’t solely focused on combat.
It actually rewards players that explore since there are several upgrades to find including
Witch Hearts, which increase health, Moon Pearls, which increase magic, new weapons
and even Crows that provide Miiverse stamps.
The Witch Hearts and Moon Pearls can be the trickiest to find as they sometimes require
you to fulfill tasks.
There are Umbran Resting Places that must be restored within a time limit in order to
unlock.
And then there are the special gates to Muspelheim.
There, the player is given a combat challenge they must fulfill to obtain a Witch Heart
or Moon Pearl.
It can range from defeating all enemies within a time limit to defeating enemies without
getting hit.
There’s a lot of variety to Muspelheim and failing doesn’t equal death meaning that
you can try as many times as needed.
Combining all these gameplay elements together creates a game that is simply a joy to play.
It’s very easy to pick up yet still complex enough that it never becomes dull.
And if you want a challenge, it’s more than ready to give you one.
It truly is a highmark of the genre.
Beyond just the story, there’s also an online mode known as Tag Climax.
Here players can work together playing through a series of six stages in order to fight enemies.
You can also bet halos, the Bayonetta currency, in order to get better rewards though this
greatly increases the difficulty.
And though you’re fighting together with the other player, you’re also competing
to see who can get a better score.
It’s an interesting mode though I was unable to try the online before review.
However, it is possible to play through this mode with a computer.
And you can even play with other characters such as Jeanne.
Tag Climax is a great way to quickly earn enough halos for the upgrades that can be
found in the shop including new moves, new weapons, and new costumes including some Nintendo
themed ones.
Best of all, anything bought in the shop applies to Bayonetta whether in story mode or Tag
Climax.
The presentation in Bayonetta 2 is simply top notch.
Its graphics are gorgeous with some incredibly inventive level design and enemies that are
detailed but quickly recognizable.
No matter what kind of craziness is going on on-screen, there was never a hint of slowdown.
Everything is smooth and responsive.
However, there are muddy textures here and there though they hardly detract from the
game.
The music is just as good with some themes that help pump up the action, or set a haunting
tone, or even just give a sense of playfulness.
Almost across the board, the voice acting is quite good, and they even get off some
great lines.
I felt that the only weak link was Loki’s voice actor who had some bits of dialog coming
across a bit flat.
But overall, Bayonetta 2 is a wonderful package.
The game is simply fun.
Yes, it plays up Bayonetta’s sexuality, but those moments are so over the top that
it’s hard to take them seriously.
She’s a great character in an excellent game.
And even though the main story may only be 10 hours long, it’s something I’ve found
myself coming back to over and over just to experiment with the gameplay.
If it isn’t obvious by now, I love it.
If you consider yourself a fan of the action genre, I highly recommend checking it out.
Thanks for watching and be sure to stay tuned to GameXplain for more on Bayonetta 2 and
other things gaming.