Graphics and Presentation

The character, Bayonetta, much like most aspects of the game, is extremely extravagant and literally dripping with sex appeal. Backgrounds and environments are modelled to a decent level of polish as are most characters seen throughout the story. At times the games colour looks a little drained and in comparison to some recently released games, can occasionally look rather dull. That said, the game is still full of neat touches that bring out the best in Bayonetta such as with every new character introduced, players will be treated to a book opening style sequence revealing the creatures name and affiliation. It is touches like these that add to the style of the game.  Bayonetta herself is definitely the star of this show with all her actions and animations remaining smooth & fluid.

The games story revolves around two ancient jewels, three parallel worlds and some sexy ass witching shenanigans. This is told via two methods and the madcap story ties this bountiful action fest together perfectly. The first method of story telling is by way of some very tasty looking cut-scenes. These cut-scenes are, more often than not, frantic action packed affairs seeing Bayonetta kick some angelic ass while also pulling off some very compromising positions. The other being some slightly less tasty semi animated storyboard sequences. Personally I would  much rather the games cut-scenes be maintain throughout, but the storyboard sequences get the job done.

Bayonetta is by know means short on action. Players will be placed in some craziest set pieces, from being chased through narrow town streets by lava, battling angelic beings on a structure plummeting through the air, to facing off against huge bosses as they literally shake the ground beneath your feet.
One thing I felt let this game down was the drawn out load times, even with the option to practice combos while the game loads still leaves the time gap very much noticeable. I would rather have a 10min install when booting up the game than having my experience fractured by frequent loading screens. Not game destroying but highly inconvenient.

Sound

Bayonetta moves slightly away from convention when it comes to audio. While most action based games go for head-banging metal, or symbol-crashing rock to accompany their action packed onslaught on gamers senses, Bayonetta sticks to a more jazzy optimistic approach, further adding to a package already overflowing with sex appeal and style. One memorable moment early in the game sees players kick some angel booty to a remixed version of Fly Me To The Moon.

Gameplay

The opening narrative is told while you and a mysterious other, kick some angel ass while plummeting through the sky onto the crumbling remains of some ravaged structure.  You sense then that you are about to experience a full on action fest and the ride of your life.

Bayonetta plays out like most action games and sees players move from stage to stage, kicking ass, solving puzzles and furthering the games narrative. The most important of these three elements by far is the ass kicking. In a similar vein to Devil May Cry 4, during combat players are confined to arena type areas in which battles take place, with exits being sealed by glyphs. Each area of combat is graded when complete, awarding either gold, silver or bronze medals. Also at the end of every chapter,  Deaths, Items Used, Medals Awarded and Combo Count, all come in to play when determining end of chapter scores and trophies. So the better the performance , the higher the ending grade.

The games combat system is easy to get to understand, initially players will be throwing punches, kicks & wielding four rose tinted pistols. As well as four pistols attached to her feet and hands Bayonetta can acquire additional weapons by collecting records dropped by felled enemies or spending collected Halo's (the games currency) at Rodin's bar the Gates of Hell. As well as other gun variations, players can wield a Katana, Claws and even a Snake-skinned whip. If you'd rather save your Halo's to spend on items and techniques, the option to pick up anything from Giant Axes to Trumpets dropped by defeated enemies is always there.

During combat, players also have the ability to dodge enemy attacks with a tap of R2 and preformed at just the right moment they'll enter a state called witch time which sees all enemies slow to a crawl, giving you plenty of time to unleash some death dealing and devastating combinations. To add insult to injury, if players build up enough magic power they'll be able to unleash some even more devastating and sometimes hilarious funny finishing moves. Although the game offers players a load of variations in offensive attacks, the game still offers a tough challenge. If players are not careful they'll be overwhelmed by the hordes of angelic beasts thrown  their way.

As players delve deeper into the games world they'll unlock moves such as the witch walk, which accompanied by a blue aura around your feet enables you to walk on walls, then there's the panther transformation, which increases speed, agility and manoeuvrability and can be preformed at any time. Having acquired these abilities, things really open up, giving the game a unique edge on the combat front and adding some rarely seen elements to the games combat mechanics.

To compliment the games frantic combat there is some light puzzle solving to contend with. This involves both slowing and rewinding time, breaking up the action perfectly. As well as exploration and puzzle solving, players will also, on occasion, be interacting with cut-scenes via QTE (Quick Time Event) Sequences, which look awesome and add a further frantic layer to the action.

A cool little feature added to proceedings is, after every chapter players can take part in an arcade style mini game called Bullet Arcade, in which they'll have to shoot angels to score points and at the end of every round either spend them on items or exchange them for halo's.

Another neat feature is that players are free to try out any techniques in a practice arena before they part with there hard earned Halos, so if you're after a sweet move to finish your favourite or most used combo you'll be able to literally try before you buy.

Closing Comments

When I first started up Bayonetta my thoughts were that it was ok, looks pretty enough, although old school Devil May Cry / Ninja Gaiden-esqe  type combat mechanics. A few hours later  those thoughts  were replaced by feelings of admiration for this game. I've been hooked ever since. Bayonetta is awesome and a game all action fans must experience, housing some of the most swift and fluid combat experienced. It comprises a huge pick and mix of many game ideas from its genre, with some cool and crazy ones of its own. I would recommend every gamer to go out and buy this awesome action game, Bayonetta now.

4.5 / 5

Simon Currie - Reviews at GAMES Basement

There's something inherently unique, crazy and over-the-top about Japanese games in general - whether it's the extraordinary worlds of Final Fantasy XIII or the insane action of the Devil May Cry series. But Bayonetta takes all the insanity from director Hideki Kamiya's previous works, strips out the dark and dry storyline and pushes the visual spectacle to the maximum for full effect.

The result is an experience unlike any other you're likely to have for years to come. It's similar in many ways to God of War III on PlayStation 3 as you attack and dispatch enemies by using a variety of weapons. But whereas God of War took its storytelling a little too seriously, Bayonetta gleefully fills the bite-sized cut scenes with campy humour and several winks to the camera as it goes about portraying a character and a world that stretches the imagination to breaking point.

The main character, Bayonetta, is as sexy as she is capable. She can deliver devastating combat combo's and the game plays up her ninja Barbie physique and secretarial look at every opportunity. It never feels exploitative though, as Bayonetta is an incredibly tough and uncompromising anti-heroine even in the midst of all the silliness that's on offer. In the end the titular star comes out as one of the most impressive Japanese characters in recent years and the objectification of her looks is kept within the keeping of the game's setting.

Everything, even down to the presentation of basic combat, is put on show as intensely as possible. With twin pistols attached to her stiletto's and a variety of over-sized weapons at her disposal, the simple business of dispatching common enemies turns into a carnival of colour, gore and spectacle. Yet Bayonetta still retains a balletic quality even in the most intense combat situations and it's hard not to be bowled over by how smooth and effective the fighting system is, even when overwhelmed by a multitude of enemies.

And this is all before we get to the boss fights which contain some truly impressive moments and give the visual look of the game an epic and towering feel. These larger encounters don't just look tall and dwarf the other content on the screen; they also interact with the environment in some shiver-inducing way. Being chased by an enemy that rips up the bridge you're running over and then holds it aloft as you're trying to defeat him doesn't fail to put you through the wringer. It's not that these enemies are just visually impressive - they also have a presence that makes you feel in peril, but also eager to open Bayonetta's whoop-ass list of impressive combo moves to take them down.

This amount of depth is highlighted in a clever twist on the loading screen for each level. Instead of having to blankly stare at progress bar I could take control of Bayonetta in a training space, free to pull off or experiment with the full range of combos listed on the right side. This turned what often feels like a chore into an addictive mini-game that had me memorising my favourites moves and spending much more time training than I would usually consider. It's a move that shows this game has been lavished with attention, from the smooth combat to the basic user interface that enabled me to get so much out of this game.

Hiding behind this explosive display of spectacle, humour and irreverence lay a truly creative blast of excellence. To see the game from beginning to end is a real War and Peace achievement - and the final boss is possibly one of the most impressive I've seen in any game. Bayonetta for the PS3 and Xbox 360 is the nadir of the action brawling genre and shows such an impressive display of imagination that it is a must buy with the highest recommendation. It may not have the soul of Heavenly Sword or the gratuitous majesty of God of War, but Bayonetta exceeds all its forbears with an extraordinary showing of pure, unadulterated fun.

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If you liked Bayonetta for PS3, you should buy...
Easier: Kung-fu Panda and The Destiny of Zorro
Similar: The Force Unleashed and God of War I and II
Harder: Heavenly Sword and Muramasa: The Demon Blade