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‘Bayonetta 2’ review: The new queen has arrived

Henry Lopez
Connector Contributor

It has been four years since the original cult classic character action game “Bayonetta” carved its way onto the PS3 and Xbox 360. Due to financial reasons it seemed that fans of the original game were not going to get a sequel. Thanks to Nintendo willing to publish the game as an exclusive for their Wii U console, Platinum Games could finally develop the sequel. Not only is “Bayonetta 2” one of the best games available for the Wii U, it also sets a new standard for the entire character action genre.

        Much like in the first game, in “Bayonetta 2” you play as Bayonetta, a witch who is tasked with fight angels and demons in order to rescue her friend Jeanne from Hell while trying to save the world. The plot is completely nonsensical and its only real purpose is to keep moving the player forward. While as of late it seems that more games are focusing on telling a cohesive and intelligent story, “Bayonetta 2” harkens back to a time were games were truly just about engaging gameplay and having fun; the story did not really matter.

        Gameplay mechanics-wise, not much has changed from the original. It helps that in terms of the combat the original was so ahead of all its contemporaries, like “Devil May Cry” and “God of War,” that they have yet to catch up to it. “Bayonetta 2” takes aspects that made the original great and cranks them up to 11. Everything from the new weapons, which include a jet powered war hammer, to the fluidity of the combat surpasses the original. The amount of detail put into the combat is borderline ridiculous. Every aspect of it feels meticulous and precise, every combo visually engaging, every move effective.

While it features one of the deepest combat systems ever featured in a game, it manages to be relatively welcoming to newcomers. The fan favorite game mechanic “Witch Time” returns and it is still one of the most satisfying mechanics in any game. “Witch Time” allows the player to slow time down after successfully dodging an enemy’s attack at the last minute. One of the new additions is the “Umbran Climax” which allows Bayonetta to unleash a succession of high-powered attacks while regenerating health.

Visually “Bayonetta 2” is one of the most original, creative and quite frankly insane games you will ever play. One moment in the game you are fighting a legion of angels atop a jet flying through New York and the next you are outrunning a tidal wave while transformed into a panther. The stage design is very impressive; even at their weakest points, the stages manage to surpass pretty much every other game in its genre. It does a tremendous job at keeping you busy throughout: whether it is with insane action set pieces or fighting hordes upon hordes of enemies, there is always something to do.

The character designs and models are like nothing you have ever seen before; there is not one enemy or character in the game that is visually forgettable. Everything is bound to leave a lasting impression on you. “Bayonetta 2” continues the series tradition of featuring memorable and absolutely crazy boss encounters. One of the standout boss fights has you fighting Bayonetta’s main rival, a Lumen Sage, in a city that is being destroyed while two giant monsters are fighting in the background.

The animations are some of the smoothest I have ever seen. Even when you are fighting a horde of enemies while summoning demonic forces to aide you, the game is constantly running as smooth as possible and you will very rarely notice any drops in frame rate. The soundtrack, though at times feels a little out of context, can be very memorable as well.

While “Bayonetta 2” is an incredibly impressive game, it still features some minor flaws. Some of the more over-the-top aspects and the very overt sexual innuendos might turn some people off from it. That being said, the game never gets offensive like some other games, such as the “Dead or Alive” series or “Lollipop Chainsaw.“ Another minor flaw in the game is that there is definitely a dip in quality in terms of voice acting. Bayonetta, Jeanne and the Lumen Sage all sound great, but some of the side characters are just plain horrible to listen to. Though “Bayonetta 2” definitely does not take itself seriously, which is a good thing, it still does not excuse some of the voice work.

Overall, “Bayonetta 2” is everything a character action game should strive to be. The gameplay is meticulously crafted and polished to absolute perfection. Visually, one will be very hard-pressed to find a game that is more engaging. Take every over-the-top action anime and put them together and you are still not close to how over-the-top it can get. Playing “Bayonetta 2” is like taking a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart and drinking an entire pot of coffee, and I would not have it any other way.

Final Grade: A-

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