{"id":75348,"date":"2023-10-18T14:27:30","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T19:27:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=75348"},"modified":"2023-10-18T14:27:32","modified_gmt":"2023-10-18T19:27:32","slug":"bayonetta-over-the-top-stylish-and-a-total-blast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=75348","title":{"rendered":"Bayonetta: Over the top, stylish and a total blast"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By NICK McCOY<\/strong>
Tiger Media Network<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Formed in October of 2007, Platinum Games has quickly become one of the most well-known and well-regarded Japanese video game companies. Founded by famous Capcom employees Hideki Kamiya, Shinji Mikami and Atsubi Inaba, their catalog of games consists largely of over-the-top, fast-paced action games which are all ridiculous in the best possible way. These include the likes of the gory, black and white Wii title \u201cMadWorld,\u201d the fast-paced third-person shooter \u201cVanquish,\u201d and hack and slash Metal Gear spinoff \u201cMetal Gear Rising: Revengeance,\u201d and easily their most well-known, \u201cBayonetta\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Described as having a core theme of \u201csexiness,\u201d among other things, \u201cBayonetta\u201d took the world by storm when it was released. With its over-the-top, stylish hack-and-slash gameplay, absolutely ridiculous plot, jazz soundtrack and its iconic heroine, \u201cBayonetta\u201d quickly became a staple of the hack-and-slash genre. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cBayonetta\u201d was developed by Japanese studio Platinum Games, and published by Sega. The game was directed by video game veteran Hideki Kamiya, who had previously worked with Capcom on the critically acclaimed \u201cDevil May Cry\u201d series. Kamiya wanted to create a sense of \u201csexiness\u201d and have fashionable characters, as well as make Bayonetta stand out amongst other female video game characters.\u00a0
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\u201cBayonetta\u201d is the very definition of ridiculous in the best way possible. It, and its flashy lead character, provide some of the craziest moments a game has to offer, completely with an unabashedly feminine and racy presentation. Its art style and direction combined with its jazz-inspired soundtrack also make it one of the most fun and awe-inspiring games of the past generation. Topping it all off with some of the most polished, fun, and satisfying combat you\u2019ve ever seen in a hack-and-slash title, and \u201cBayonetta\u201d hits the mark for one of my new favorite games.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Release:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • Released for Xbox 360 and PS3 in October 2009 for Japan, and January 2010 for America and Europe. <\/li>
  • Developed by Platinum Games and Sega. <\/li>
  • Directed by Hideki Kamiya, who previously worked on Capcom\u2019s \u201cDevil May Cry\u201d series. <\/li>
  • Mari Shimazaki worked as the lead artist, and drew the design for Bayonetta herself<\/li>
  • Followed by \u201cBayonetta 2\u201d and \u201cBayonetta 3\u201d, both exclusive on Nintendo consoles. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cBayonetta\u201d is primarily in the fictional European city of Vigrid, while also incorporating the realms of Paradiso (Heaven) Purgatorio (Purgatory), and Inferno (Hell, where Bayonetta derives her powers). The game follows the titular Bayonetta, a powerful witch who possesses magical and shapeshifting abilities, as well as various firearms and other weaponry. One of the last remaining members of a coven known as the Umbra witches, Bayonetta has woken up from a 500-year slumber with no memory of her past. Her quest for her lost memories sees her fighting the forces of Paradiso as well as fellow Umbra witch Jeanne. Her journey sees her discovering the fate of the Umbra Witches and their counterparts, the Lumen Sages, and the truth about two mysterious artifacts called the Eyes of the World. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I\u2019m going to be brutally honest here: \u201cBayonetta\u201d\u2019s story is a confusing, incoherent mess. I genuinely had no idea what was happening half the time I was playing this game. It\u2019s told through both full-motion cutscenes and film-reel-like slideshows, but even then, it\u2019s so convoluted I have a hard time keeping up. That\u2019s not to say it isn\u2019t entertaining; There were great moments scattered throughout the story, with some great humor and characters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    These characters include the likes of the aforementioned Jeanne, whose sass and charm put her up there with Bayonetta. Others include Rodin, a demon who runs the Gates of Hell bar and provides Bayonetta with various weapons; Luka, a bumbling journalist who constantly pursues Bayonetta in search of answers; Cereza, a little girl who bears a striking resemblance to Bayonetta; And finally Enzo, an unlucky, danger-prone informant who very heavily resembles Joe Pesci. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Although Kamiya was responsible for the creation of Bayonetta, her final design was drawn by artist Mari Shimazaki. Said design came a year after several other designs, although her original design is what they settled on. Bayonetta\u2019s body type, Beehive hairstyle, and black clothes and hair came from Shimazaki, while her four guns and especially her glasses were specific requests from Kamiya.\u00a0
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    Easily the most stand-out character, however, is Bayonetta herself. Created by Hideki Kamiya and designed by artist Mari Shimazaki, Bayonetta is, in my honest opinion, one of the best and most iconic female protagonists in recent memory. She\u2019s flashy, sassy, full of attitude and power, and most clearly, completely embraces her femininity. In today\u2019s world, more and more game devs seem unwilling or afraid to create a traditionally feminine or attractive character due to some weird notion that it makes them weaker. Because of this, a character like Bayonetta who is unafraid of showing off is so refreshing.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The term \u201cshow off\u201d is quite key as some of the angles and shots the game presents are a bit too ridiculous even for me. Also, the fact her clothing is actually her hair, and she summons powerful attacks using said hair\u2026I\u2019m sure you can imagine. Still, Bayonetta is a lot more than just her looks as her provocativeness is just one aspect of her character. She has some genuine moments of compassion, anger, and just acting completely unphased in the face of ridiculous odds. She is a phenomenal character and one who shouldn\u2019t be dismissed just because of how she looks and acts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cBayonetta\u201d\u2019s gameplay is, quite simply, one of the best the action and hack-and-slash genres have to offer. The sheer amount of combos and techniques the player has at their disposal seems overwhelming. Kamiya took a similar approach to \u201cBayonetta\u201d as he did with \u201cDevil May Cry\u201d, as the game features a style system, which ranks the player on their performances during battles. While DMC uses a live letter grading system, which actively grades players\u2019 performance, \u201cBayonetta\u201d grades players through different arenas (known as verses) with different trophies, which all tallies up for a final reward at the end of each level: a stone award being the lowest rank, and the platinum reward being the highest. During each level, players collect Halos, which serves as the game\u2019s currency. They can use Halos to buy various equipment from Rodin, such as new weapons, health items and new techniques. In each level, there are also secret \u201cAlfheim\u201d stages, which act as optional challenges that grant different bonuses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The main features of the game\u2019s combat are: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    • Witch Time<\/strong>: Activated by dodging right before an enemy attack. This slows down time while Bayonetta moves at normal speed, allowing for greater combo damage<\/li>
    • Wicked Weave<\/strong>s: Bayonetta summons a massive demon limb, dealing massive damage and hitting multiple enemies. Comes out at the end of most combos. <\/li>
    • Torture Attacks<\/strong>: When Bayonetta\u2019s magic gauge is full, she can unleash a devasting attack on a singular enemy, which involves a particular torture or execution device, from iron maidens to guillotines. Players are prompted to repeatedly press a single button, with more damage and points being dealt depending on how fast the button was pressed.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      While \u201cBayonetta\u201d is still a pretty challenging game, it is much more forgiving with its rating system and combos than \u201cDevil May Cry.\u201d While the latter would actively punish you for repeating the same combos by lowering their grade, \u201cBayonetta\u201d actively encourages repeat button presses, which will often result in either a rapid, high-damaging combo or a Wicked Weave attack. No matter what, much like DMC, the combat here feels so satisfying to pull off, and combined with the various weapons and guns the player has at their disposal, \u201cBayonetta\u201d is a masterpiece in the hack and slash genre. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      A hack and slash game, \u201cBayonetta,\u201d requires players to defeat enemies using different combinations of kicks, punches, and guns, with numerous weapons being available to use. Two of the most iconic aspects of the gameplay is Witch Time, which slows down time after a perfect dodge, and powerful attacks known as Wicked Weaves, which see Bayonetta utilize her hair to summon a giant limb to dispatch foes.\u00a0
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      The game\u2019s soundtrack is another iconic aspect of \u201cBayonetta\u201d and its identity. Given its heavily stylized presentation, the smooth and fast-paced jazz-inspired soundtrack, combined with more angelic and orchestral tracks, fits absolutely perfectly. Tracks like \u201cRides of the Light,\u201d \u201cThe Gates of Hell,\u201d and Bayonetta\u2019s main theme \u201cMysterious Destiny\u201d (among others) are impossible not to love. One stand-out aspect of the soundtrack is the inclusion of two distinct versions of the song \u201cFly Me to the Moon,\u201d sung by Brenda Lee and Helena Noguerra. Brenda Lee\u2019s slower original version plays during crucial moments in the story, and during the end credits. Norguerra\u2019s version, known as the \u201cClimax Mix\u201d is much more energetic and fast-paced, and plays during battles in each level. The soundtrack is simply perfect for this game, and an integral part of what makes \u201cBayonetta,\u201d well, \u201cBayonetta.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Other highlights:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      • Diverse and really interesting enemy designs<\/li>
      • Brilliant level design <\/li>
      • Plenty of replay value <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        Criticisms<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        • A cumbersome camera<\/li>
        • Hit or miss platforming<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          I really can\u2019t sing \u201cBayonetta\u201d\u2019s praises enough. Even with its confusing story and the nitpicks I just mentioned, the polished combat, amazing presentation and soundtrack, and Bayonetta herself outweigh any of the small issues I may have. Kamiya and Platinum Games truly made something special with this game, and just in terms of its unapologetically feminine and provocative aesthetic, few games can match \u201cBayonetta.\u201d For anyone who is a fan of the hack-and-slash genre, \u201cBayonetta\u201d is an absolute must-play.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          By NICK McCOYTiger Media Network Formed in October of 2007, Platinum Games has quickly become one of the most well-known and well-regarded Japanese video game… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":142,"featured_media":75349,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[56,55,10490],"tags":[15409,14765,442,15260,1729],"class_list":["post-75348","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-entertainment","category-opinion","category-video-games","tag-bayonetta","tag-nick-mccoy","tag-reviews-2","tag-video-game-reviews","tag-video-games"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Bayonetta-Feature-ILmage.png?fit=512%2C288","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75348","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=75348"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75348\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":75356,"href":"http:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75348\/revisions\/75356"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/75349"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=75348"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=75348"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=75348"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}