GAMING

Bayonetta 2

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Platinum Games

Platform: Wii U

(Retail copies of Bayonetta 2 come with the original Bayonetta packed in).

Bayonetta 2 is one of those games that just shouldn’t exist. In an industry obsessed with getting sales in the millions and not taking any risks, a game like the original Bayonetta, which was a moderate success, was seen as an abject failure. For there to be a sequel to such a game required some seriously special circumstances, and that’s exactly what made Bayonetta 2 possible. After rejection from the publisher of the original title, SEGA, Platinum Games shopped the sequel around to no avail. As the story goes, help came from an unlikely source; Nintendo. The Mario and Pokemon publisher is not a complete stranger to mature rated titles, especially if they don’t fit the generic military shooter mold, but it’s still a rare treat. In fact, Bayonetta 2 would be a rare treat on any platform it’s on. As soon as you start playing you realize how ridiculous and special the world of Bayonetta is.

You’ll play as the titular character who is a witch that looks like a cross between Sarah Palin, Catwoman and someone with giantism. Your companions include a fat Italian that looks and talks like a sleazy porn director, a super buff demonic proprietor that enjoys dressing as Santa Claus and a kid with cornrows who has amnesia and is heavily implied to have some type of divine nature. In other words, it’s the punchline to a joke about Sarah Palin, the Devil and Jesus walking into a bar. The characters aren’t the only thing about Bayonetta that’s gloriously ridiculous. Whereas most games start off slow and amp it up to “eleven” by the end, Bayonetta 2 starts at eleven and doesn’t ever look back. The first level has you fighting hordes of angels on top of a fighter jet soaring above a sprawling metropolis. The first boss is a demon dragon from hell the size of a skyscraper, something usually reserved for the final form of the final boss in most games. The level of excess and hyper stimulation is both a strength and a weakness. It makes the game easy to get into and exciting to engage in but it also means it’s got pacing issues. The whole game feels like a climax, a 6 to 8 hour orgasm with no build up or pay off at the end. That said, this isn’t really a game that should be written off due to bad story pacing. What makes Bayonetta 2 special is its frantic and relatively complex combat system. Pulling off combos is easy and building up to the an “umbran climax” super mode is satisfying, as is dispatching enemies with creative finishers. As the game goes on, players can upgrade Bayonetta, decking her out with better weapons and teaching her new combat moves. Surprising for a Platinum Games developed title, Bayonetta is both deep and easy to understand. The later could not be said for most of the studio’s previous games, especially its previous Nintendo published Wii U exclusive, The Wonderful 101.          

In terms of presentation, Bayonetta 2 is pleasant to both watch and listen to, with some caveats. While environments look stunning and most important character models look great, human NPC look terrible in cut scenes, especially when next to the likes of Bayonetta or the supporting cast. Thankfully scenes with such NPCs are extremely rare. While on the subject of cut scenes, much of the story telling is done through still screen shots instead of animated scenes which was disappointing. Art design in Bayonetta 2 does a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to how pretty the game looks. Every inch of space from impressive mountains to Gothic inspired cathedrals are lovingly rendered with style and other worldly flair. Character design from Bayonetta to the enemies she mows through are given the same attention to detail. Some of the angels and demons need to be seen to be believed. Accompanying the visual feast is some great music. From upbeat modern takes on “Moon River” to the empowering punk rock of the main theme, “Tomorrow is Mine,” there’s a level of unapologetic in-your-face glitz and extravagance that goes perfectly with everything else about the game. The English voice acting can be stiff but it actually ends up giving the game an added level campy charm 

One of the things people have had ongoing discussions about is the depiction of Bayonetta herself. The criticism is that Bayonetta is over-sexualized or objectified. It’s certainly true that Bayonetta is a sexual character, but whether one takes offence is honestly going to vary. Rarely, if ever, was Bayonetta’s sexuality passive and while she’s certainly “sexualized” I can’t say she was ever objectified. Sexually suggestive moments are as ridiculous as any other part of the game and are honestly hard to take seriously, it seems to be played more for laughs rather than titillation. Of course, whether or not one finds the violence or sexuality of Bayonettta 2 objectionable depends on the individual person. Thankfully, a demo is available on the eShop for those on the fence. 

Bayonetta 2 is many things, it’s glamorous, artful, well polished and fine tuned as well as the best action title of the current generation. Nintendo did itself and us a huge favour when they chose to support Platinum Games’ vision for a Bayonetta sequel. It’s a quality title that holds a privileged position in an already stellar Wii U first-party lineup.   

About author

Video game reviewer at Live in Limbo. Paul studied politics and governance at Ryerson University, worked on Olivia Chow's Toronto mayoral campaign and continues to be part of the city's political scene. A total geek polymath, Paul is a well versed in the world of video games, comic books and collectable toys. If you care about those things too, follow him on Twitter @LordYukYuk or Instagram @YPSahbaz.