All of the Bayonetta reviews have drawn the comparison between Bayonetta and Devil May Cry. That’s largely because the lead designer is Hideki Kamiya, the same man behind Resident Evil 2, Devil May Cry and Viewtiful Joe amongst others. There are obvious similarities and even references to his earlier work but make no mistake Bayonetta is a completely different game.
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The mechanics are incredibly fluid and the complex combat system, which allows for chains of combos and all sorts of special moves, is actually easy to get to grips with although it does take some time to fully master. The key aspect to the combat is learning to dodge which you can do with R2. If you time your dodge to be as late as possible you’ll trigger Witch Time which is effectively a slow motion opportunity to get medieval on your enemies.
The basic combat against various types of winged angels is a lot of fun and you’ll leap around at terrific speeds pulling off some glorious finishing moves. The idea of unleashing old tortures that witches were made to endure on angels is a nice one and slapping one of them into an iron maiden or a guillotine as a finishing move is enormously satisfying.
Boss fights are unfortunately also a big part of Bayonetta and you won’t go far in the game without encountering a three stage boss fight which necessitates working out the correct strategy before you get pulverised. There are also a few puzzles and challenges which offer new twists of gameplay for short sections. The overall effect is a varied game which never slows down but it is also very difficult in places and prone to causing mind bending frustration. Check out our Bayonetta Guide for some tips.
