Games in the “Stylish-Action” genre usually have some big shoes to fill thanks to its innovator, Capcom’s “Devil May Cry.” SEGA Games’ “Bayonetta,” however, fills those shoes and then some. In “Bayonetta,” you take control of the title witch who slices, dices and even shoots her way through angelic monsters in an over-the-top fashion. The game has a very cinematic atmosphere, relaying cut scenes in film reels, ridiculous action, comedy gags and surreal moments, all brought together by a colorful cast of characters.
Bayonetta’s story isn’t exactly awe-inspiring, but it does lay down the backbone as to why she’s causing so much mayhem. There were two groups back in ancient days that lived in unity: one group controlled the light and another controlled the darkness. After a falling out, the two sides went to war. Fast-forward to today and Bayonetta is one of the last of her kind. Besides that somewhat dark (no pun intended) story, the game provides a lot of comedy and references from other games, from “Sonic the Hedgehog” all the way to Resident Evil 4 in regards to quotes, jokes and in-game elements. However, that’s not where the game’s main charm comes in. The game plays very similar to the others in its genre. The creators, however, really play to the fact that she’s a woman. A noticeable example of this is with her “Wicked Weave” attacks in which she strips down her outfit (which is a part of her hair) and uses it to obliterate some of the higher profile enemies. It’s these moments where you either go “Wait, what?” or just sit there feeling uneasy. The game’s difficulty jumps around pretty reasonably during levels, in comparison to some games where there’s some easy moments and then some controller-chucking moments within five minutes of each other. Normal difficulty is a breeze if you’re somewhat experienced with action games. However, there are going to be some boss fights that require some patience and lots of skill and reflex. Easy and very easy modes provide the full story without all of the huffing and puffing that the normal mode provides. Noticeably, the easy modes allow for you to perform Bayonetta’s flashy combos using only a single button. The game has a comfort zone for everyone, from gamers with tons of experience all the way to people who barely play video games.
Not everything is happy blood and guts for SEGA’s new creation, though. Sometimes, the camera can be your biggest enemy, causing you to lose track of your character and waltz into an unholy beatdown. This can be really irritating when you face a boss or when you’re racing against the clock in a level. Also, you’ll notice a lot more loading times and slowdowns during gameplay on the PS3 as opposed to the X-Box 360 version.
Overall, “Bayonetta” provides countless hours of over-the-top mayhem that will keep you on the edge of your seat. If you’re a fan of the stylish action genre and can tolerate the obscene levels of blood, guts, gore and sex, then it’s worth diving in to for the long haul.