Good Games You Think Are Bad 2: Bayonetta

Well, I guess the topic should be Good Games *I* Thought Were Bad.

Bayonetta is one of those "Stylish Action" games. Like Devil May Cry you have menacing, sometimes huge(in size and quantity) enemies and strings of combos to kill them with for the purpose of obtaining the highest point ranking available. You get different guns you can use, and different weapons along the way. You can even pick up enemy weapons and use them on others. But one thing that Bayonetta does have going for it are enemies that want to kill you very, VERY badly.

On normal difficulty, the game starts off pretty easy. "Witch Time" is a special ability that Bayonetta receives upon pulling off well-timed dodges. This puts the game into slow motion for a limited time, depending on your combo string. The better you do, the easier it is to kill enemies. Of course, as the game goes on, enemies become more and more dangerous, and in greater numbers. So no only do you have the little underling angels shooting ranged attacks at you, you have giant Tiger things constantly rushing at you. Not only does each hit you take lower your score, but it also decreases your magic gauge, which helps you in quickly dispatching foes. This means that the game does have a bit of a learning curve and skill requirement, more than most of the last (gen) stylish action games on normal difficulty. It is a blast though. Playing well is rewarded by finishing levels lol and makes you feel like some sort of amazing player.

I have to admit though, there was a reason why I was so late to playing this game. Action games like Bayonetta are known for being over-the-top. Bayonetta is no different in the action sequences but it has a girl protagonist, meaning over-the-top sexual themes! OH NO!

But there is hope! Bayonetta is surprisingly not 100% slutty jokes and bikini outfits. Bayonetta herself actually has some girly, pretty moments. Double jumps sprout butterfly wings from her back, flowers spring from nowhere, her shadow even has butterfly wings. It really isn't until she has to talk to someone that her sexuality is made apparent(sounds like anyone you know?). Otherwise, if someone who hates ridiculous fan-service (i.e. Giant sword wielding school girls, gun-licking, 13 year-olds that look like they have hormone injections every weekend) asked me if Bayonetta was right for them, I would still say yes. As long as you like action games, I think that the "M-rated" content is pretty well balanced out. Probably not enough for kids, but are stripper poses really that much worse than teenagers shouting obscenities over Black Ops Deathmatches?

In the end, I'm probably the LAST person on the internet to try out Bayonetta. Better late than never as I always say. The game has just enough difficulty to keep it from being casual. Your friends may have it and play it, but ask them if they've beaten it. What difficulties have they finished the game on? Any trophies? You may be surprised by their answer!