Review: Bayonetta (PS3)
Bayonetta comes from the creator of Devil May Cry and Viewtiful Joe, or for most players the source of much pain. These are excellent games in their own right but rely upon their difficulty and ability to challenge. This release is no different and is the game that Bullet Witch could have been with more skill. You take the role of Bayonetta, a witch woken from her 500-year slumber with a sizeable chunk of her memory missing and plenty of questions that need answered. The tale is one of good versus evil and this ongoing struggle forms the quest you are about to embark on.
A single player game, the emphasis is on combat and a myriad of combination moves that Bayonetta can call upon. She has a huge list and the ability to carry weapons and change between two sets with great ease. She can also enter Witch Time to provide a significant advantage and then there are the glorious over the top moves known as Torture combos. Seeing the combat unfold with great speed is impressive. Bayonetta moves fluidly and can also jump great heights or transform into a panther for pure speed. The setting, architecture and overall style is reminiscent of Devil May Cry, but the dexterous nature of Bayonetta brings back memories of Capcom’s excellent 2003 Gamecube title P.N.03, which comes as no surprise as Shinji Mikami has been involved with Platinum Games.
This conversion has been derided by many for some technical issues, which are noticeable in places but generally when the game is up and running Bayonetta looks tremendous. In fact it’s one of the most visually striking titles we’ve experienced on the system with the emphasis on detail and huge arenas for combat. The issue does remain that the PS3 version is inferior in certain aspects, the first being loading times. Gamestyle was surprised that there was no available option to install the game on the hard drive, as this is pretty common nowadays for the console, so in many respects it’s an admirable technical feat as to what is showing on screen, streaming from the disk. SEGA has suggested a patch will address this, as without the use of the hard drive the loading times in Bayonetta are significant.
We’ve all endured loading screens these intermissions pop-up for every selection; whether it’s going into the shop to purchase supplies or even restarting from the nearest checkpoint; you can expect a longer than usual waiting period. The team has sought to diminish its impact by allowing you to see and practice all of Bayonetta’s combos as the loading takes place. It’s a positive move and quite often we discovered a new move that we integrated into the game when it loaded however for many players the loading is just too much. Perhaps there is an element of Xbox 360 jealousy here, but other issues include the refresh issue, variable frame-rate and some visual defects during cut scenes that appear at the top of the screen. Generally Bayonetta is a technical marvel, outclassing Sony’s own Heavenly Sword with a swift kick to the gonads; it’s just some of the gloss has been lost during the port process.
Ignoring the port complaints we do have some minor criticisms of our own. The jumping sections can be frustrating due to the in-game camera, especially if you are trying to open all the Witch treasure chests. On occasion we had to fight the camera to snare the view required or even just to survey the horizon as we wished. For instance the major jumping arena towards the end, we actually gave up trying to cross to a remote platform because of the camera. There is no option to change the controls and this is an oversight as Bayonetta relies more on the circle and triangle buttons for its combinations, whereas Western gamers are more used to the square and cross buttons.
Given the heritage of the development studio it’s no surprise that Bayonetta is an extreme challenge. Normal is the highest difficulty setting and we managed this reasonably well before dropping down to Easy for a boss encounter. A more insane difficulty setting is available once you’ve cleared the game, but even on Normal some encounters do require a decent skill set from the player. A moot point perhaps but our opinion is that the gap between Easy and Normal is too much, especially if you are dropping down, it feels too straightforward and then there’s a Very Easy mode for those in dire need of help. Arguably Easy should be just that, but we’d expect a little more challenge when there is an even easier option available. Luckily the game remembers what chapters you have completed previously and on what setting, so you can pursue those tougher trophies another day.
It’s a credit to the game’s design that you never feel cheated by what’s being thrown constantly at you. We may moan about the repetitive use of bosses who will initially arrive as a sole obstacle before appearing as a duo further in on a consistent basis, or the fact that most have the same weakness. Yet it is when Bayonetta goes way over the top and throws a massive boss that you cannot help but smile at the imagination and utter ruthlessness; especially the final battle, which goes down in history as the most epic encounter we’ve had to tackle.
Ultimately despite of the unduly harsh criticism that surrounds this version, there is no denying the quality of Bayonetta even when the storyline becomes a little too spun out for our taste. This is a release that will entertain and challenge way beyond 2010.
Rating: 8 / 10
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