Bayonetta is that girl you’d be skeptical to take home to meet your parents. On one hand, she is confident and true to who she is, and you love her. On the other hand, you know that your parents might not approve of a woman who is so “rhapsodic” about herself.
That pretty much sums up the entire Bayonetta video game experience. Bayonetta 2 is a guilty pleasure game that knows that it is ridiculous, sexy and you won’t necessarily go showing it off to your mother.
True to the original game, Bayonetta 2 is one of the smoothest action games on the planet. It doesn’t take long to grasp the control scheme of the game, even if you are new to the Wii U’s gamepad. There is an option to use touch controls, but they aren’t as accurate as a regular press of a button.
This game is all about precision, you have to be paying close attention to the action at all times and be ready to dodge an enemy attack. That’s sadly sometimes impossible to do, since there is always so much on the screen. Attacks come from all directions, and when you manage to dodge them at the perfect time, the pay-off is superb and satisfying. However, getting hit from something you couldn’t possible see is an annoyance, since your score is effected by the amount of hits you take.
Having 5+ enemies around you is relatively normal
Every battle ends with a score report and based on how quickly you took out enemies, the variation in your combos and how many hits you took, you’ll get rewarded with a medal and currency to buy new items. Getting a perfect score is pretty damn difficult in the final few chapters since you have to dispatch enemies with high health in a short amount of time, so expect some low results now and then.
You’ll always have access to new and wondrous combos and weapons to toy around with, so maxing out that combo bonus shouldn’t be a problem. Experimentation is rewarded, and while you could spam with one weapon, the game lessens the profit. This is how Bayonetta 2 shines. No matter how many different enemies they can throw at you, you can always decimate them with your overpowered mix of unique weapons, bombastic powers and grandiose style.
If you can get through Bayonetta 2 without saying “What the hell is going on?” then congratulations, you might have the mental capacity of a Demi-God.
Bayonetta 2’s story is similar to the original in relation of the story it tries to tell. The plot is very Japanese, and that isn’t necessarily bad, but if you are familiar with the tropes of Japanese video games and anime, you’ll find this tale very formulaic and standard. If you aren’t familiar with the common themes, enjoy a story about a character with amnesia, a character who wants to become God, a perverted character and a twist that comes six hours into the eight to ten-hour game.
It isn’t a bad plot-line exactly, it has just been done before and the way it is executed in this game is not out of the ordinary. The dialog for the one-trick characters isn’t riveting either. Yes, they are extravagant, but aside from a few comical lines, they don’t offer much depth.
The standout character is of course, Bayonetta herself. Bayonetta is gorgeous, and she knows it. The game never gets to the point of offensive behavior, but the main character definitely flaunts her… stuff. Everything from her abrasive personality to her hair is tantalizing.
Not only is the character nice to look at, the graphics are pretty as well. Some textures look a bit dated at times, but for the most part the game oozes style from every enemy, location and weapon.
The sound design is also on par too, and the main theme is in the realm of catchy songs that can get stuck in your head for days.
Bayonetta 2 doesn’t have a major flaw in its system. If you are a fan of action games, this is 100% for you. However, the game certainly doesn’t appeal to all because of the pacing of the story or its characters. If you can look past its over-exaggerated characters and story, you’ll still have one amazing action game.
Platinum games has once again created an action game that is uniquely outlandish, brutal and magnificent.
Quick Recap:
+ Stylish in every way
+Great main character
+Combat is fluid and rewarding
+Sound and visual direction
-The screen can get jumbled with nonsense
-The dialog also gets a bit too silly
-The story has its flaws and can get confusing at times
Overall. 8.5 out of 10
Classic But New 
If you played the first one…..make sure something else is between you and the sequel, you’ll feel some powerful deja vu otherwise.
Yeah it was amazing of them to include both games in one package, but playing them back-to-back isn’t the best choice. Luckily, I played the original a few years ago so that wasn’t the case for me. Thanks for reading!
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