Bayonetta (360/PS3)

[goh]

Re: Bayonetta (360/PS3)

Sega is giving out 360 demo codes if you sign up at their site.

http://kotaku.com/5399436/sega-givin...netta-360-demo

Only 40,000 might all be gone already but you can try.

Or ya know,just make a Japanese account.

[Flawless]

Re: Bayonetta (360/PS3)

Eurogamer Import Review - 9

Rather than attempting to merely recreate Devil May Cry's successes in Bayonetta, Kamiya's bravely stripped away all of the dead weight from his initial template, ruthlessly streamlining the form and function to deliver something at once fresh and familiar. It's also, unquestionably, the greatest game yet to spill from this niche.

Developer Platinum Games' influence is clear from the off. Bayonetta discards the dark and dry anime tone of Kamiya's earlier work for something more tongue-in-cheek and irreverent. The story is delivered in bite-size, snappy cut-scenes, with slightly ropey albeit effective cutaway stylisation and camp voice-acting that soon wins you over. The approach suits the game style well, allowing for humorous quips and wry visual gags to be interspersed with the action, revelling in the silliness of its scenario in a way Devil May Cry never quite dared.

While the presentation teeters on the edge of objectification, with long, lingering shots of anatomically perplexing females, the characterisation does much to counterbalance the sexist overtones, and Bayonetta emerges as one of the strongest Japanese leads in recent memory. Discarding a grand gothic soundtrack, the game instead settles upon an incongruous but irresistible mix of J-pop and jazz. The thrill of batting away celestial bodies to a poorly enunciated lounge version of "Fly Me To the Moon" is unforgettable.

However, it's in combat that Bayonetta's splendour is fully revealed. The emphasis is on stringing together attacks, both ranged and melee, into giant, unbroken chains. Strip away the fury and spectacle and it works a little like Batman: Arkham Asylum's combo system, in that it's entirely possible for a skilled player to clear an area of opponents without taking damage or dropping the combo. Where the two games diverge is in Bayonetta's gigantic library of potential moves, the majority of which are unlocked to you right from the off. With four slots for weaponry (a piece in each hand and one tied to each foot), and separate move-lists for each type, the scope for unique play styles is dizzying.

To help you find your way through the labyrinthine move lists, Platinum delivers one of the smartest loading screens yet. While the next level's assets are loading in, you take control of the bespectacled witch in an abstract training space, free to pull off any move in her unlocked repertoire. On the right side of the screen a shopping list of Bayonetta's moves is displayed, each with a number next to it indicating how many times you have executed that move.

This plays on our natural inclination to catch 'em all, turning the very act of practicing into a mini-game. Moreover, as you string together different balletic moves, you absorb new techniques and approaches into your style. The next level automatically begins when loaded in, but by pressing the 'back' button you can choose to delay progression and simply play around in this space for a while. It's ingenious.

Bullets are the glue that links together your melee combos, every close encounter with an angel or seraphim strung together by a hail of pistol fire to keep the numbers rising. Dodge an enemy attack at the last moment and the game will temporarily slip into Witch Time, the screen doused in purple and all enemies reduced to extreme slow motion. Chain enough enemies together during the course of a battle and you earn magic points that can be used to summon forth torture equipment, such as giant chainsaws and opaque guillotines, devices that can be inserted into combos for additional points and exhibition. As fodder for YouTube showboating, few games rival Bayonetta.

The result is a game that exemplifies so much of what commentators claim has died in the Japanese game industry. A blast of creative brilliance, both technically accomplished, strategically deep and infused with rare imagination, Bayonetta represents the pinnacle of its chosen niche.

[Flawless]

Re: Bayonetta (360/PS3)

EDGE Review - 10

Bayonetta's received a stunning ten out of ten verdict in the latest issue of Edge Magazine. We can't say we were expecting that.

The gushing review calls the Platinum Games brawler "flawless" and "the kind of game you dream of playing". Don't hold back, Edge boys...

"From start to finish its intricate and intuitive fighting system is a masterclass, and it even finds time to reclaim vehicle levels. This is about as good as it gets," the magazine says.

"A thirdperson action game from the same school as Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden, Bayonetta has just memorised the best bits and burned down the building, its combination of seamless animation, sensory cues and riotous imagination setting a new standard."

Edge says the combat system "breaks new ground" and the story is "funny", but also finds time to be tender in places.

"It's a beautiful and graceful fighting game that lets imagination loose, and winks before slapping Dante, Kratos and every other hero back to the drawing board."

Gamersyde Review

Despite some weaker parts and a technical side not always at the top, Bayonetta easily becomes the new reigning king of the modern Beat'Em All genre. With a gameplay as deep as it is easy to understand, an incredibly varied arsenal and numerous enemies and bosses, Platinum released here nothing less than THE new reference. A game that no player that considers himself a gamer should miss.

[WrinkledBeastBeater]

Re: Bayonetta (360/PS3)

bayonetta sounds more like a movie than a game. dont think im gonna get this one.

[ExtremeGamer]

I have the 360 demo, it's awesome! Non-stop action, great graphics and fun, but I mostly had no clue what I was doing. LOL. It went from not on my radar to instant purchase. Felt a lot like God of War to me.

[Flawless]

Re: Bayonetta (360/PS3)

Another review:

OXM - 9

+ Outrageous mix of violence, sexuality, and humor.
+ Beautiful and flexible core combat; fantastic boss battles.
- Upgrades too expensive; some fussy combo timing.

Other notes:

• There are a couple of stages that pay homage to some classic Sega games. Hang-On, Afterburner II and Space Harrier.
  
• It can take a fair amount of practice to nail the advanced combos, but even the simplest moves are delightfully theatrical.

[Flawless]

Re: Bayonetta (360/PS3)

IGN Review - 9.5

Although Bayonetta has more than a few similarities to Devil May Cry, I wholeheartedly believe that this game is a must-play. Buyers beware, however: the 360 version is vastly superior to the PS3 version on a technical level, so PS3 owners fortunate enough to own a 360 should absolutely avoid the PS3 copy. For more info on the discrepancy between the versions, feel free to read my full review of the disappointing PS3 port.

Overall, Bayonetta is gorgeous, stylish, entertaining and deliciously unique. To say that it is my favorite action game yet is an understatement. Kamiya and his team at Platinum Games deserve a round of applause (and perhaps a few platonic hugs) for their incredible work on this project. Bayonetta will remind you how cool videogames can be.

IGN UK Review - 9.6

Bayonetta flies so astonishingly close to perfection. While in essence it’s cast from the same mould as Devil May Cry and the games that followed in its wake, Platinum Games have flourished that template with an imagination that’s impossible not to be charmed by, with Bayonetta’s first five hours enthralling and its latter seven absolutely mesmeric. Indeed, such is the mastery on display here that it’s not Devil May Cry, Ninja Gaiden or God of War that’s the best point of reference but Super Mario Galaxy, and not just because of that game’s shared taste for turning the world on its head – no other title has astounded us with such a steady stream of escalating wonders. Bayonetta, consider us bewitched.

1UP Review - A

So sure, if you look hard enough you can pick at occasional cobwebs from the Devil May Cry school of design, but really, this is as good as action games get. It controls like a dream, is extremely well balanced (not terribly difficult on Normal and incredibly challenging on Hard), has tons of variety, features great retro game references, contains tons of unlockables and challenges to keep you busy after you finish the story, and when it comes down to it, is the best game Sega has published in years.

PS3 vs. 360
After extensive time with PS3 and 360 copies of Bayonetta, I decided to score the 360 version higher than the PS3 game due to crisper visuals, a smoother framerate, and shorter loading times. Content-wise, the two are essentially the same.

Gamesradar Review - 10

It’s an almost flawless exhibition of gaming greatness, which can effortlessly make even the most ham-fisted of gamers feel like they’ve got elite skills. Bayonetta is already an early contender for GOTY for 2010.

[LionsFanNJ]

Re: Bayonetta (360/PS3)

Sad really, once i heard of the horrible port job thats going to be done to the PS3 version this completely dropped off my radar. I liked what i saw too.

[BKAraujo]

Re: Bayonetta (360/PS3)

This far into the life-cycles of these consoles completely unacceptable for 1 of them to be far inferior.

[Flawless]

Re: Bayonetta (360/PS3)

You guys may want to check out the demo. You may still enjoy it, and the technical issues may seem small to you or you may not even notice them, especially if you haven't played the 360 demo. People in Japan and those that have imported it still love it on PS3. I personally noticed a night and day difference in how much smoother the 360 demo was, and a game with such a complex/deep combat system with a lot moves that are predicated on timing, a constant fluctuating framerate isn't a good thing in my book.

[Jistic]

Re: Bayonetta (360/PS3)

This game is really blowing up. Might have to check out the demo.

[Admiral50]

Re: Bayonetta (360/PS3)

So judging by the pretty bad PS3 review on IGN it didn't get fixed for the worldwide release.

I was all ready to buy it this week but that review is pretty alarming.

I hate slowdown and loading but having both in the same game ruins it for me, I don't think I can buy a game with those two bad points. Which sucks.

[LingeringRegime]

Re: Bayonetta (360/PS3)

Inexcusable at this time in this generation of consoles that a port would be this bad.

Made the mistake of buying Borderlands for the PS3, so I won't be repeating it by buying Bayonetta.

Enjoy it 360 owners.

[Admiral50]

Re: Bayonetta (360/PS3)

What was wrong with PS3 Borderlands?

[DickDalewood]

Re: Bayonetta (360/PS3)

^ Nothing at all from the hours I logged with it.