The Japanese have a unique way of doing their video games – it’s not about how the characters look or anything, but whenever you pick up a game coming from one of their companies and move around a little, you can instantly recognize a certain feeling associated with the style of gameplay. Bayonetta is no exception to this – even by just looking at the general art style, you’ll quickly see the familiar charm games like Devil May Cry bear.

Gameplay

The comparison to that title isn’t a coincidence, either – both games come from the same developer and designer, and thus it’s likely that you’ll find some similarities in how they play. The storyline in Bayonetta is completely unique and stands on its own ground though, making the game a fresh new experience even for those of you who follow the Japanese video game scene like a religion. Your character is a witch that the game was named after, Bayonetta – a charming girl with unique abilities that allow her to dispatch of multiple enemies in a few quick moves.

As in Devil May Cry, the primary aspect in Bayonetta is the combat – you can fight your enemies in a huge variety of ways and styles, with a flexible combo system used to award you for the more impressive-looking hits, as well as a very diverse range of enemies (and weapons to use on them). A very clever addition to the game that we enjoyed was the loading screen – every other game out there features something static, or at the best case, an animation, while you’re waiting for it to load. Bayonetta, on the other hand, has a mini-tutorial mode that teaches you some of the game’s more advanced tactics – making us wonder why this hasn’t been done before.

Graphics and System Requirements

A solid load of animations lies behind the combat system, as the characters look very fluid and smooth in their movements. The main character has obviously been given the main focus by the animators, as she can execute all of her moves in a dramatic and very captivating fashion, especially when you get to performing some of the higher-level combos.

The environments vary enough to keep your attention every time you move on to a new level, and the enemies are also designed with care and detail. Some very small glitches occasionally show up with their animations, but they’re never too serious to ruin the overall mood and impression. Make sure you always look around you as much as you can, and try to take in the environment – you’ll really enjoy the style of everything if you’re of the more artistic type.

Other

For those of you looking for some competition, there’s an online leaderboard feature, which will compare your scores to those of other players, letting you see just how good you are compared to all the other players out there. It’s been developed especially well, and is a perfect addition to the game.

Conclusion

Bayonetta is filled with intense action and dramatic scenes – so much that you’ll find it difficult to stop playing it once you’ve started it up for yet another run. Give it a try, you’ll see what we’re talking about.