As an avid fan of Hideki Kamiya’s previous work with the Devil May Cry series (I beat every single DMC game on their hardest difficulty setting), I was eagerly looking forward to get my hands on Bayonetta 2, even though I still haven’t played the original game. Now, with the game hitting the Wii U in next week, Nintendo has released a downloadable demo for Platinum Games’ upcoming Hack and Slash title via the eShop to give players an early look at the crazy action the game will offer. Take note that my thoughts in this preview are only based around the small portion I had the chance to play in this demo and do not fully illustrate the final product.
The demo doesn’t waste any time getting into the thumb-crushing action. Nearly seconds after a brief tutorial explaining the basic control scheme of the game, you are put into a fight on a jet aircraft with countless angelic monsters attacking you. Yes, as ridiculous as it sounds, the fight takes place on a jet. But this is exactly the kind of over-the-top action you would expect out of a Platinum Games title. Unfortunately, the first thing I noticed wasn’t the crazy setting of this demo, it was how unimpressive it is visually. Running at 720p with a 60 frames per second targeted frame rate, Bayonetta 2’s graphics look exactly the same as an Xbox 360 game, which is highly disappointing considering the fact that the Wii U is supposed to be a more powerful system than the Microsoft counterpart. However, this was all quickly forgotten because of the intense button-mashing gameplay that is the front and center of any Hack and Slash experience, and especially in Bayonetta 2.
Chaining crazy combos has never been this satisfying
The basic controls in Bayonetta 2 are very simple; you chain combos with the X and A buttons to kick and punch foes out of your way or hold them to shoot Bayonetta’s guns, but it is more than just a simple button-masher. Just like any Kamiya game, the combat mainly revolves around chaining crazy button combinations, but evading is also a huge part of it. These kinds of games can be excessively challenging and, if you simply cannot time your evades precisely, which in this case is done with the ZR button, you’ll have a hard time surviving in the world of Bayonetta. If you successfully evade just before you the enemy hits you, you’ll be rewarded with Witch Time, which slows down enemies and allows you to deal massive damage to them in return. Additionally, I noticed that the game has a multitude of Quick Time Events triggers, whether they are scripted button-mashing sequences, enemy punishments, or Torture Attacks that summon guillotines and saw blades that instantly kill enemies. It is something that sounds great on paper, but could get annoying very easily in the long run. Also, just like Devil May Cry, you have this meter that can be filled up to use the Umbran Climax that gives you an extra damage boost, which is the same thing as Devil Trigger in DMC.
Combat-wise and control-wise, Bayonetta 2 is exactly the same as any other game in the genre, but it maintains the tightness and sheer fun of those types of games, which is greatly appreciated for a fan like myself. I cannot stress enough how tight and responsive the combat is in this game. Every input is sharp, impressive and fast, creating deadly combos and crazy button-mashing fun. Bayonetta 2 is a delight for your thumbs.
Despite being a little underwhelming on the visual side, Bayonetta 2’s action runs smoothly without any technical hiccup whatsoever. Over the course of this 15-20 minute demo, which is constant combat, you’ll fight multiple monsters on the jet and then switch over to a monorail to fight a gigantic dragon-looking boss, but, most importantly, you’ll get to enjoy some of the most outrageously over-the-top cutscenes I have ever seen in a video game. These cutscenes, which look significantly better than the actual game because they are pre-rendered, display ridiculous action that makes absolutely no sense. Quite frankly, despite the cheesy voice acting and insane destruction happening during those cinematics, I enjoyed them quite a lot as they made me laugh hysterically because I simply could not believe what was happening on-screen. It has that Platinum Games signature craziness, and it does not hurt the experience one bit in my opinion. I cannot wait to see what other ridiculous moments are waiting to be encountered in the full game.
Torture Attacks are deadly and gruesome
The final portion of the demo is yet another boss battle, but, this time, it takes place in the air. That’s right, after Jeanne’s soul is dragged by an evil force, which is probably the story’s main plot point, Bayonetta summons wings from her back and flies off into the sky to defeat the evil monster, which was the hardest portion of the demo as it was the closest I came to being defeated. After this fight, the demo concludes with another short cutscene that set ups the next moments of Bayonetta 2’s story. That being said, I did notice that this demo section takes place during the game’s Prologue, but it all felt out of context because I was instantly dropped into the action. Could there be another Prologue before the Prologue? Only the full game will answer these story-related questions.
Furthermore, you are graded after each portion of the level with Medals, depending on your overall performance in the section. Just like Devil May Cry again, this includes your Combo Points, collected Halos, which are the game’s currency, Damage Points and Continues to give you an overall rating. This is usually where players will spend most of their time by trying to perfect every single level, and it seems to be quite a task in Bayonetta 2.
What just happened?!
One quick thing that is worth mentioning is that Bayonetta 2 can also be played entirely with touch controls on the Wii U GamePad. It is very simplistic to use as movement is done by dragging Bayonetta on the screen, combat by tapping the enemies, and dodging by swiping the screen to the left or right. However, I honestly don’t see the purpose in using this control scheme other than to have an easier time defeating the enemies. It removes the entire core of the game, which is rapidly chaining button presses, and, after five minutes of constantly tapping the screen and chaining automatic combos with the Umbra Witch, I got bored of it and decided to switch back to the traditional button controls.
Obviously, this demo was just a small chunk of the action we are going to get when Bayonetta 2 officially releases on October 24. Nevertheless, Platinum Games’ title seems to be one of the most ridiculous games the Wii U is ever going to have with its wacky writing, over-the-top action scenarios and ridiculously addictive combat. If you plan on buying the game and have a Wii U, you should definitely try out this free demo that can be downloaded on the eShop. Look out for our Bayonetta 2 review, right here on Gamer Headlines, following the game’s North American release.
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