xARTURIAx’s Video Game Reviews
-Bayonetta–
By: Sara Pease
Picture this: Sarah Palin, scandalous clothing, and guns…lots and lots of guns. Having difficulties? Well then, just pick up a copy of Bayonetta and experience the weirdness described above. Ah, but Bayonetta is much more than late politicians running around with weapons…in fact…the game is nothing like that at all! 
First released on October 29th , 2009 in Japan, Bayonetta first hit the scene with hundreds of crazy advertisements displayed around the country. Highly anticipated? I think so…and for a good reason. Publisher Sega (in cooperation with Nex Entertainment, PS3) and director Hideki Kamiya struck action-game-gold with this title…ok, maybe just silver, but the point is it was, and still is, a popular game. Bayonetta takes aspects from previous games (Devil May Cry…also directed by Kamiya…and God of War) and incorporates its own twisted storyline and characters. With a ridiculous amount of combos and super fast paced game play, Bayonetta has been revered as one of the best action games of 2010.
Graphics: 10/10
One of the first games I owned for the PS3, Bayonetta first reeled me in thanks to this category. The graphics are spectacular! Even during the fast paced boss battles I still understand all that is going on. Details are what really make this game shine. Every once in a while I’d find myself just admiring the look and feel of the fictional European city I was shooting things in. The design of these levels was great, and definitely pure eye candy. Even the characters themselves looked beautiful. No matter what you were making Bayonetta do, whether it be a crazy break dance moves or hooker boot PAWNCHs, the graphic system never seems to disappoint. The cut scenes are even more spectacular, as they should be. Even the interactive cut scenes are just too awesome. In fact, the cut scenes are a bit too distracting…too many times have I missed my queue to dodge the killer wall flying toward me… Just like the main characters the enemies themselves are also very detailed and shiny!
Game Play: 9/10
Although the graphics are very clear cut and detailed, I still found the at some points during game play it was very hard to see what was going on around me. This is most likely due to the fast paced game play, but it still hinders the player…especially when Bayonetta gets hit. Other then that issue, the game play is great fun! This game offers up so many damn 
combos I have no idea which ones to execute where…and I totally don’t care! The game is way too much fun to care. Not only do these combos look awesome, they’re firkin’ awesome to execute! ALL of these combos are also very easy to do. Players have the option to change difficulty settings so that many combos can be completed with just a single button (similar to Devil May Cry). Game play is smooth, which I really didn’t expect from a game that allowed you to “control time”. Everything falls exactly into place, which makes this game a lot of fun. Unfortunately, Bayonetta does present itself with some difficult challenges throughout the game, but it wouldn’t be a challenge if it was easy…would it? The game play can be summed up as God of War on estrogen!
Plotline: 6/10
Yeah, it’s true; Bayonetta has a pretty disappointing plot behind all that badass game play. The story is good, and has some hilarious scenes, but I really don’t know why what is happening is actually happening. The story line is just not that good, which is really sad. I was expecting something better from Kamiya…I mean, the Devil May Cry series is so nicely done…but not Bayonetta. The main plot may not have been the greatest as a whole, but there were definitely some good aspects about it. Incorporating the fictional European setting so that it worked with the overall plot was very nicely done. After a while into the game a few things that once confused me became a lot clearer as well. I finally understand WHY Bayonetta is fighting angels and who these random characters are. The story, if not taken too seriously, is not at all a bore. Learning things about these characters, especially Bayonetta, is entertaining…characters are introduced in an awesomely hilarious way!
Character Base/Design: 8/10
Like stated before, the plot introduces the characters well…which is good, because the characters
all have unique personalities that NEED to be introduced, especially Bayonetta. Bayonetta makes this game. She is sarcastic, scandalous, and all together mysterious. The other main characters introduced are not that important, which is saddening. They all have their rolls, but they are all rather cliché. There is the old friend-turned enemy, the possible lover, and the small random child?! Anyway…the design of each character is spectacular. They are each very unique, which makes the game that much more enjoyable. (Bayonetta looks too much like Sarah Palin…which isn’t a bad thing, just weird. I don’t know, I may be the only one who thinks this…but seriously…Sarah Palin with guns on her shoes…hmmm…it’s even cooler when you picture her punishing the divine!)
Music: 9/10
Nine composers contributed to the amazing Bayonetta soundtrack. I adore the upbeat rhythms this game provides…especially the main theme. Listen to it. You’ll most likely feel it adds to the game more than it should…just as I do.
Overall: 8.5/10
Bayonetta’s crazy amount of fun to execute combos and super quick game play definitely make this game a MUST play for any fan of Japanese action games. Not only is the game fun, but also provides a lot of challenging aspects that make you feel like a God after you’ve beaten them. If you play games solely for the storylines, don’t waste your money on this one, but seriously, $30-$40 isn’t a lot to drop on this masterpiece. See, and you thought the idea of Sarah Palin with guns strapped to her feet was a bad idea ;D.
