Bayonetta Demo Impressions(360)
By Icemael 15 Comments
I've been excited for Bayonetta since the first time I saw it. The art style, the music, the insane over-the-top action... everything just clicked. It was love at first sight. However, there's this gnawing worry that's constantly been there, in the back of my head. What if the game wasn't as good as it looked? What if it was just all flash and no substance? What if the game was shite? Now, don't get me wrong. I never expected the game to be horrible -- after all, this is a Kamiya game we're talking about -- but still, what if it was?
Today, I downloaded the Japanese demo on my 360. The gnawing worry is now gone. In its place is more excitement, which is impressive, considering how excited I already was. That's right folks, the game's good. Damn good.
Try and imagine a game that takes the best aspects(and only the best aspects) from God of War and Devil May Cry, and seamlessly merges them into one experience. Now try and imagine that, except better, and with a whole slew of originality. That's Bayonetta.
So, what makes the game so good? For starters, it's beautiful. Like, really beautiful. The art design is as colorful as it is intricate, and the crisp graphics and the rock-solid framerate do it more than justice. Small details like Bayonetta's butterfly-shaped shadow and the lip-shaped lock-on reticule give the game tons of character, and spectacular special effects never cease to amaze. Simply put, Bayonetta is a visual feast. The music if good, too -- the R&B(I think -- I'm not exactly the most knowledgeable dude in the world when it comes to music) soundtrack sounds really nice, and aside from being a perfect fit for the feminine-yet-wild feel the game is going for, it's also a breath of fresh air after Devil May Cry's brain-dead butt-rock.
But if you've watched the trailers, you already know all that. What the trailers can't tell you, however, is what the game plays like. I'll tell you what the game plays like. It plays better than any action game on the market. It has the combos of Devil May Cry, except better. It has the freedom(in that you don't need to lock onto enemies) of God of War, except better. It's fast-paced, it's exhilarating, it's deep -- Christ, I'm telling you. So smooth. So polished. So much fun.
Forget about Devil May Cry, forget about God of War, and forget about those games with the boobs and the crazy ninja who dies all the time. Bayonetta's demo was more fun than all those games combined. I, for one, can't wait for January. Now if you excuse me, I'm gonna go replay the demo for the umpteenth time.
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