Quarter Circle Forward Review: Bayonetta

Toast here with your Quarter Circle Forward review for the week of January 10, 2010. I reviewed Bayonetta, a stylish action game for the Xbox 360. You can read the full review below, and if you have any comments about the game, I ask that you leave them here or on our forums. Enjoy!

Platinum Games may be a fairly new developer, however their legacy and pedigree of games is very well known. This team is comprised of men and women responsible for such games as Devil May Cry, Viewtiful Joe and Okami. The company's latest release is Bayonetta, a sexy and stylized shoot 'em up that may be one of the best games to be released in this current generation of gaming.

The story of Bayonetta can be very convoluted and sometimes hard to follow, with its tale of witches and sages that harness the power of the moon and sun. Bayonetta is a Umbra witch who has been made an outcast by her own clan, losing her memory in the process.  Twenty years afterwards,  our heroine is trying to piece together her past while battling an angelic horde of heavenly warriors. Bayonetta lays waste to her haloed enemies with some of the best combat ever featured in a video game.

 

   

This game features a combat system reminiscent of games such as Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden, only it is improved and more accessible. My personal experience with this genre has never been this enjoyable strictly because of the combat. One move that makes fighting as the long haired bullet witch fun and enjoyable is the dodge. Dodging an enemy attack at the last moment will begin Witch Time, which will allow Bayonetta to dish out large and punishing combos.   

Bayonetta's arsenal includes her trusty handguns, as well as guns attached to her high heels. She can also upgrade to other weapons like a katana and gauntlets. Perhaps the most impressive weapon the underworlds hired assassin possesses is her hair. You read that correctly, she can actually use her hair to summon demonic monsters that can destroy everything in her path. Thank you Platinum Games, for designing something this insane!

In conclusion, Bayonetta is the perfect mix of style and substance. The story and characters are completely over the top and the developer is well aware of this fact. The games script even pokes fun at itself numerous times throughout the twelve plus hours the game will take to complete. If you own an Xbox 360, you owe it to yourself to play this game. Its the best action game to be released in years.