Gamersmint Review: Bayonetta
In a game so heavily focused on offence, I was surprised to find the most profound and distinguishing mechanic of the gameplay being related to defense. If you manage to dodge an incoming attack at the last possible moment, the game will slow down into what it calls ‘Witch Time’ (did I mention the Matrix before?) and allows the player to unleash a barrage of combos on the unsuspecting enemies. While button mashing may work on the easiest difficulties, Witch Time is a crutch that you will have to learn to lean on, if you want to survive the relentless foes from heaven. Which brings us to the enemies…
One of the things that you will instantaneously notice as you play the game is the astounding enemy variety. Every 30 minutes or so, you will encounter a new enemy, keeping the combat fresh. And let’s not even go into the colossal bosses. Every boss is basically a complete level in itself, resulting in an epic fight with an assured glamorous finish. Learning attack patterns quickly and mastering the dodge to trigger Witch Time is the mantra here. Get caught in an angelic combo and you could soon be at the ‘Game Over’ screen. Difficulty is something that may worry or frustrate new comers to this kind of genre. Select the Normal difficulty only and ONLY if you have played games like Devil may Cry and Ninja Gaiden.
Another interesting aspect of the combat is the usage of button mashing moves like the ones in God Hand (remember the Mach 3 kicks or Hand of God? Oh…you would have if you had PLAYED THE GAME!?!). Fill your magic bar by disposing of enemies and you will be rewarded with a sequence where Bayonetta summons a gruesome torture device to ensnare the angels. These attacks are massively effective and can take down enemies in one shot.
Apart from the combat, there are light platforming elements which more or less resort to pressing the jump button at the right time or finding your way towards the next combat area. Quick Time Events rarely rear their ugly head to disrupt the flow of gameplay. The abrupt appearance of a button prompt can be easily missed for a cheap death. A couple of levels also have Bayonetta riding a bike and a missile. While it feels like fun for the first few minutes, the sheer length of these sequences becomes slightly problematic.
Very rarely does a game come along which stresses excessively on its combat alone. Bayonetta is a true gem in the sense that it deserves AAA status, even though its story and voice-acting are suspect. There have been many discussions on the actual quality of this game. Is this game better than God of War? Hell no! Is this game better than Devil May Cry? Maybe. Is the combat of Bayonetta better than God of War, Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden…Definitely, Absolutely YES!
Next Page – How does the witches look and sound?
