| Platform | OVERALL |
|---|---|
| Wii U | 9.20 |
| Overall | 9.20 |
|
Every once and a while a quality game that sells poorly actually gets a sequel and it feels like a gift from the game gods. Nintendo, for reasons still unknown, decided to fund a sequel to one of the best action games ever made, Bayonetta, and all action game fans rejoiced for good reason. The sequel does not push any new boundaries, it basically plays it as safe as possible while refining the excellent combat system to near perfection. Those familiar with the first game will be right at home as the controls are nearly identical, the combat system is the same and the structure of the game is unchanged. Every new addition serves to enhance the lightning fast combat system and remove all the frustrating elements from the previous game. Like the first game, attacks are split between arms and legs with basic combos coming from alternating the two. Depending on what weapons you use on each limbs you can have a variety of attack types from slower close distance attacks to fast long distance ones. Certain combo chains end with a wicked weave attack which is basically a large attack that can stun or launch an enemy. Tying the combat system together is the dodge button which is your only defense; players can continue a combo chain if they hold down the buttons rather than tapping them quickly while dodging in a move called dodge offset. Dodging at the last moment before being attacked activates witch time, a sort of matrix like bullet time slow down that allows the player a small window to do damage. This balance between offense and defense is the core of the Bayonetta combat mechanics and they have never felt better than they do now. Bayonetta 2 feels faster than its predecessor, attacks chain together more smoothly than ever before. Dodging feels more responsive and perhaps the witch time activation window has been increased slightly allowing for more leeway. There are better visual and audio cues for both enemy attacks and Bayonetta's attacks for telling the player the timing of when to input an attack that is after a slight pause. The enhanced smoothness is most noticeable during the games many boss battles against normal human sized enemies that are as fast as Bayonetta. These battles become an insane ballet of quick attacks and dodges moving at speeds that will test your gaming reflexes to the max. The key to the entire combat system is how every single animation can be canceled; every attack, every jump, every action has a way to cancel out. This means the player is never at the mercy of the game's animation, it is as 1:1 as action games get, every single action is yours alone. There are a few additions to the combat the biggest one being the Umbran Climax attack which occurs when you fill a bar of your magic meter. Instead of only having torture attacks, which were only useful against common enemies, the climax move turns every single attack into a giant screen sweeping power attack for a short period of time. This move can turn the tide of any battle and allows you to attack bosses in ways you couldn't before, for instance giant bosses being susceptible to being thrown around like a rag doll. There is a slew of new weapon types, each having their own advanced uses, finding the right match is part of the fun. The first Bayonetta had many elements outside the combat which depending on who you ask enhanced or hurt the quality of the game. Chief among complaints were the many instant death QTE which occurred seemingly at random and if you did not react fast enough a death occurs effecting your combat score. Bayonetta 2 has removed all death QTEs, the only ones that remain are those for bonuses at the end of a battle. There were more non combat related gameplay situations in the first game, for instance platforming was many times incorporated into the level design. The first game had moments where environmental hazards were just as important to get through as enemies, personally a love a game that mixes adventure elements into action games so this was never a negative for me. But I must admit replaying certain sections in the first game were a drag, especially when going for a great rank only to have your run ruined by a non combat related section. Bayonetta 2 basically removes all non combat related gameplay sections, save for a few mini game like moments. This makes Bayonetta 2 far more replayable and it is solely commited to the combat but at the same time made it feel less of a full action adventure title. Continuing with the trend of eliminating any elements outside the core combat, boss battles got an overhaul. In the first game most of the large boss battles were multistaged battles which various phases involving platforming, they almost played out like a Zelda boss battle minus the items. In Bayonetta 2 they are nothing like that, all the giant screen filling boss' simply attack in ways that allows Bayonetta to attack a limb or two the same way she would any other enemy. During most of these battles Bayonetta gains the ability to fly around, which is just a cosmetic change as the controls remain identical allowing all giant boss battles to be won through the use of the combat system alone. To many this is a large positive, personally I am a fan of variety in my boss battles, I found some of Bayonetta 2’s battles to get repetitive, though absolutely visually stunning. The structures of the levels remain the same with combat split between verses that occur in certain areas. Hidden verses return, these are portals that take you to a battle arena that has a certain condition that must be met, for instance having no witch time, or beating all enemies with one combo. Players don’t need to look any further than these secret missions to see the difference between the original games focus on delivering content outside the combat. The first games missions were far tougher and required great changes in strategy to complete. In contrast the sequels missions are mostly basic,easily completable with minimal effort. Not a big deal as this accounts for a small part of the game but it further shows the emphasis to get away from any difficult elements not related to the core combat system. At the end of each mission players are scored on time, combo and damage; as always going for the highest ranks is where most of the fun comes from. Bayonetta 2’s campaign includes many moments where epic is too small a word to use to describe the action you witness moment to moment. There are more enemy types, more boss battles, more weapons, more unlockables and as I mentioned before it all plays better than the first. There is an additional two player mode called Tag Climax which should become a standard for all action games going forward. This mode allows two players to play together online (or you can partner with the CPU as you wait for a request) in a mode with missions involving EVERY SINGLE enemy, even all boss battles and new side characters that are unlockable. All missions have various difficulty levels of which you can gamble your coins for larger rewards. This mode is an absolute blast and plays incredibly well. This is a game where you need lightning fast reflexes and somehow I have never felt a second of lag when playing with others, the play remains as smooth as it does in the campaign mode (this is the Wii U, how does this game run smoother than most PS4 games?!). It is incredible that the combat system works just as well with two people playing as it does with one. Much is said about the look and style of Bayonetta, some people are refuse to play the game based on this alone which is ridiculous to me but to each his own. Yes it is a silly Japanese action game that does not take itself seriously and neither should you. The funny thing is that even though Bayonetta is filled with sexual innuendo she never really acts on it and is actually a very strong, independent female character; something games need more of. The story is mostly forgettable but has a few emotional moments where Bayonetta allows a peek through her rough exterior to show someone who really cares for those she loves. The art style is far more vibrant in this game, colors pop off the screen and all visuals got a huge face lift. There are some stunning backgrounds, some really cool enemy designs and even some great alternate costumes, mainly those involving Nintendo characters which include nintendo sound effects. The soundtrack is massive with a whole host of great tunes that match the situation perfectly. Bayonetta’s signature musical stylings remain with some old love song standards being mixed to a fighting beat, also the new theme song will get stuck in your head quickly. It can be said that Platinum Games played it safe with Bayonetta 2 as this game was not helmed by Kamiya. It does not include any real overhaul to the combat system the way all Devil May Cry games have changed the combat system for better or worse. The removal of most of the extra elements outside the combat may be seen as a positive or negative depending on what you look for in a game like this. The one thing that cannot be argued is that Bayonetta never played as well as this, every improvement went into making the best aspect of the series better, the combat. |
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Posted by Dvader Sun, 09 Nov 2014 22:59:47
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travo (7m)
I typically prefer the third sequel to be the start of a new twist (in the case where the first game was spot on).