We’re finally in the midst of the holiday video game boom and while there are many intriguing games coming out within the next few busy months, none of them drag my undivided attention away from Bayonetta. To be honest, January is going to be a very important month for video games, with Darksiders (another hack ‘n slash like game by Vigil Games) coming out the same day as Bayonetta, it’s going to be a good month for the old school gamer. If you’ve ever played a Devil May Cry title for either the PS2 or the latest Devil May Cry 4, for the Xbox 360 or PS3, then you’re in familiar territory. While the philosophy is essentially the same, Bayonetta is much more.
While the Devil May Cry series was always released by Capcom, Sega is publishing the game. It’s not that important though, what is important is the fact that the key players are involved and the results are fascinating. Creator of the previous Devil May Cry series Hideki Kamiya and Platinum Games have truly made something remarkable here with Bayonetta. I had a chance to play the Japanese demo and I will say that the game is fantastic in every regard. It’s the type of game that old school gamers have dreamed of. It has beautiful, but violent gameplay and stunning visuals that truly push the 360 and the clarity of my HD projector. More importantly though, the game oozes with a gorgeous art style that is similar to old European and archaic architecture. The game is certainly a sight to behold.
There’s something about a game like this that gets me all giddy and warm feeling inside, it’s the kid in me I swear. I can’t say that I’m in love with the story or characters so much. The star of the show is a voluptuous woman who’s named after the game itself. She’s fulid, flowing and able to pull off a boggling number of moves and techniques. The game feels like Devil May Cry on speed and the amount of combos through magic and attacks feel tight and amazingly responsive. The demo was a joy to play and the exclusive 360 clock tower level is an insane trip through beautifully cut sequences and action. On top of having an extra level, the 360 version is the one to play as the PS3 version has reportedly been labeled as the lesser version having slowdown issues and lesser clarity in color and sharpness.
Overall, Bayonetta is most likely going to be not recognized so well when it’s initially released, but seemingly more with time. The game is already out in Japan and has received a perfect score in the latest issue of Japanese popular gaming magazine Famitsu, which is somewhat of a rarity. For myself, this is one of those games that makes me regain all my faith in the creativity and possibilities of an action video game. If it gets a nice push when it is released it could do well. With the game recently price dropping five dollars from it’s original price of $60, and it’s January 5th release date, it’s time to get warm and cozy with Bayonetta this winter.
-Eric Egavian
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