Bayonetta 2 Review: To Hell And Back Again

Developer: Platinum Games

Publisher: Nintendo

Platforms: Wii U

Release Date: October 24th (September 20th in Japan)

(The bulk of the gameplay of this Bayonetta 2 review was at 2nd Climax, with certain chapters on a repeat playthrough devoted to testing higher difficulty settings. Trust me; it’s appropriately punishing the harder it gets!)

With the sales of the original Bayonetta disappointing to the powers that be at Sega, all hopes for a sequel seemed lost. Thankfully, Nintendo stepped up to the plate two years ago in announcing a Wii U-exclusive direct sequel in Bayonetta 2. It not only brought life again to the character action series featuring everyone’s favorite Umbran Witch, but features a much-needed Mature-rated title to a Wii U platform, better known for its family-friendly Mario games. Does the combo-based fantasy action title live up to the five-year-long hype? If you’re a fan of Platinum Games, or just excellent games in general, then you’re in for a lollypop-like treat!

Bayonetta 2 is set shortly after the events of the original, opening up in a cutscene-driven prologue meant to show new players the basic combat mechanics. Angels attack a city’s parade in the middle of important shopping downtime, with Bayonetta and Jeanne having to ditch their Sunday best in order to fight off foes. It’s not merely a minor threat, however, as a fantastically huge creature tears up the skies. Bayonetta responds with a demon summon that goes terribly wrong, as Jeanne is caught in the crossfire and her soul is claimed into the depths of Inferno. Bayonetta has but 24 hours to literally go to hell and reclaim Jeanne’s soul before she passes on into that realm for eternity. She must do so by opening the gate hidden on the mighty Fimbulvinter mountain, host to a great deal of the game’s play.

Bayonetta is not alone, however, as her stereotypical friends in Rodin and Enzo help her along the way (one in wise-guy-isms and the other in neat weapons). Luka also likes to swing on by in moments of need, offering a quick quip in addition to following up on leads. Our heroine also runs into a magical “little one” who has some tricks up his sleeve, as he helps guide you along in the journey up the mountain. Finally, a pesky Lumen Sage follows your footsteps, intervening when convenient to their devices. It is in the interactions with friend and foe where we see the first cracklings of life, as each character oozes with charisma and individuality.

An ongoing theme with Bayonetta 2 is “intensity”, and the focus on establishing distinct personalities early on is key. There’s no second-guessing Bayonetta, whose wit and commentary are as sharp as the weapons she possesses. Her steely determination shows no patience with those who impede her, yet presents a softer, playful side when cheeky banter is required. With a strong focus on combat gameplay mechanics, setting the rapport with Bayonetta between familiar faces and newcomers shows you her strength within before even a single heel gun is drawn. She’s just as much a hero in her words as in her actions, and it is important to establish the beauty of the person inside when servicing the fans with lavish body poses.

As Bayonetta 2 progresses, you encounter angel and demon alike in sanctioned-off battle arenas. The bread and butter of what you’ll be doing in this game is orchestrating beautifully-executed combinations of moves using both Bayonetta’s arms and legs, with upgrades to equipment changing the way you fight. Customizability in equipment sets allows you to switch up your fighting style, as certain enemy movements require long range focus and others require a more hands-on approach. Said weapons can be acquired by finding LP’s throughout your adventures, and can be bought with the game’s currency: halos and demonic orbs.

It’s quite remarkable to see how the game’s music keeps up with the high-tempo action in a suitable way that doesn’t overshadow or underwhelm its respective moments.

The level design of Bayonetta 2 is crafted perfectly to ease the player into its difficult-but-rewarding play. While a player can try to just button-mash and item abuse their way through the game, you will get shut out of bigger rewards and eventually die if you don’t learn to efficiently dodge and use time-stopping Witch Time to build combo meter. Once each encounter is completed, a combat rating is given, ranging from Stone to Pure Platinum. In addition to powering up via item purchases and chest-provided health and magic upgrades, throughout the game’s levels are hidden portals to Muspelheim. Entering the portal leads to a combat challenge, set to test your might in exchange for great rewards. While Hideki Kamiya is but in a supervision role for this project, the game feels true to the spirit of his excellence. Game Director Yusuke Hashimoto does not disappoint.

What sets the combat of Bayonetta 2 apart from the imitators is the fluidity and preciseness of its combat artistry. Some of the game’s strongest combos result from pauses in play for brief moments, before continuing a string of inputs. Patience and timing are implemented without fault, especially with the newly-introduced Umbran Climax that rewards risky dodges with stronger, summon-based attacks. I found myself getting better as I went along, with a sudden “Eureka!” moment about halfway through the main story. Once that lightbulb goes off, a deep appreciation for the fighting mechanics sets in. Plus, the hidden command entries (including entering a dodge command in a cutscene only to begin a fight in Witch Time) continue to speak to the depth of detail poured into the gameplay. Repeat playthroughs are encouraged to get close to perfect as possible, and with a 10 hour campaign it’s not as daunting to jump back in again on a higher difficulty, either.

To complement the high-paced action is an equally-exciteable soundtrack. The musical offerings of Bayonetta 2 are superbly chosen to reflect the mood, with regular battles often going to the J-Pop well and boss battles ramping up with orchestral scoring. They set the tone as equally as the visual settings, which speaks a great deal of respect to the composition team led by Masami Ueda. With an OST over 5 discs and a whopping 183 different tracks, Bayonetta 2 definitely steps it up when it comes to the tonal thematics. It’s quite remarkable to see how the game’s music keeps up with the high-tempo action in a suitable way that doesn’t overshadow or underwhelm its respective moment. I could play the new Moon River mix for days, whereas Bayonetta’s “Fly Me To The Moon” didn’t seem to fit as well.

When it comes to the Wii U’s GamePad, I’m actually quite fine with the touch-based controls. They are a bit finicky at first, and definitely rely on mashing taps more than a button-input system would. However, I would argue that it’s the perfect way to get anyone into character action titles just as excellent as Bayonetta 2. Quick-dodges, aerial combos, QTE’s all work using the stylus, and offer an easy way to get newcomers into the hardcore sensibilities that this game provides without having to worry about them learning combinations or what buttons do which moves.

Let’s shift away from the near-flawless combat of Bayonetta 2 and get to some of the minimal contentions I had. Don’t worry, there are very few minor inconveniences that have to be pointed out. For example, while the game does sport 60 frames per second play outside of cutscenes (take notes, developers!), it does come with some hiccups. These are particularly noticeable with huge explosions that feature many monster models on screen, as frame drops may occur on occasion. Said drops don’t ever feel like they cheat you out of combat efficiency, however, meaning they are aesthetically annoying more than functionally irritating.

The locations and settings of Bayonetta 2 reflect a fully-realized fantastical world. The colorization of each fantastical realm, including Paradiso and Inferno, are presented in such an illuminating way that drive home a sense of wonder. However, opening up the game in a city setting does not do the graphics job wonders. Department stores, office buildings and toy boxes are presented in such a low polygonal count to the point where you pause to wonder what graphically separates Bayonetta 2 from an Xbox 360/PS3 game. Thankfully, these graphical letdowns are minimal, albeit unfortunately setting an early example. Images such as the picture above are more typical to your gameplay experience.

Bayonetta 2 offers a great deal more of added versatility and replayability with the Tag Climax online system. By betting halos, you and an online player (or CPU, if you prefer) face a set of creatures or bosses based on verse cards received during your story adventures. While it is a co-op experience, you and your partner are trying to outperform each other and earn more halos per encounter to earn a win. There are six Verse matches per Tag Climax, so it’s best to come prepared with your favored weapons and costumes. It’s a great way to learn new moves and techniques from other players, in addition to the expanded pure combat action offered in a new unique way.

It is in this mode where costumes come into play. Nintendo jumped at the chance to boost their fanservice output (more than Bayonetta’s sexually-inclined combat stances even provided) by offering players to dress up our protagonist in a multitude of Nintendo-inspired outfits. Link, Princess Peach, Samus and Fox all get their fair share of love, each with their own special attack unique to their costume. There’s even more offerings in store for those that progress far enough along in the game (those that I won’t dare spoil here). It’s a great way to nod affectionately towards those that saved the Bayonetta 2 project, and a method that I’m buying into. So what if it’s a cheap way to make the fans smile? The smile is here, nonetheless!

Bayonetta 2 is what character action games should strive to be.

In Bayonetta 2 we see a fearless, impeccable hero persona in our protagonist crack ever so slightly. It is in the tenderness of caring for another that brings depth beyond that of a stand-in Mary Sue, one that throws Bayonetta headfirst into the treacherous Hell to save her friend. As much as she is an Umbran Witch, the heart of humanity still burns strong, giving her drive when the threat of all life extinguished is in front of her. I loved the story of Bayonetta 2 for its focus on passion, and the profundity of its backstory is unrivaled. Collecting forgotten memories fills players into the backstory with great detail, while the cutscenes paint the picture. The plot may be confusing at first, but if you pay attention you can continue to follow the string of events fine enough.

Finally, I feel like I should end things by discussing Bayonetta’s sexuality. Oddly enough, I found it to be an intriguing juxtaposition when compared to just how purely cunning and witty Bayonetta is as a person. To me, I saw the close-up shots, accentuated posture and skin-tight costumes as entries into interesting dialogues about cultural differences. Sexuality in Japanese media is much more apparent an open than here stateside, and when you consider the blood and guts poured into Bayonetta 2’s fight sequences I saw my prioritization of design “morality” questioned. Bayonetta takes on the world in order to save her friend; her attractiveness is bolstered by who she is as an individual, in conjunction with her attractive figure.

(A more comprehensive piece on this matter is available here.)

Bayonetta 2 Review: To Hell And Back Again

By Daniel George | Oct 13, 2014

Verdict