While the Wii U’s 12-month headstart might not do much for the console in terms of raw power, it has unquestionably helped the platform get an early lead in terms of killer exclusives. PS4 and Xbox One are only really just starting to see the first real system sellers now, while Nintendo already has Mario Kart, 3D World, Pikmin 3 and a host of other must-play games.
And while it looked like Nintendo might be forced to go it alone and rely on the strength of its first-party releases (which will sound familiar to GameCube fans, we’re sure), its decision to fund development of Bayonetta 2 might just be the smartest business move the company has made in a good few years.
It’s not going to do Call Of Duty numbers, and nobody expects it to. But what Bayonetta 2 will do is remind the gaming world that there comes a time when, if you want to play the best games in their fields, you simply need to own every platform. For those that might not have much love for Nintendo’s dependable little portfolio of in-house classics, that time is now.
Platinum has barely altered the format of Bayonetta at all for this sequel, but to do so would have been lunacy – the original is up there with DMC3 in the hardcore action hierarchy, a nigh perfect skill-based game. It’s one of those rare few games where even though you can’t do anything nearly as ridiculous as what happens in the over-the-top cutscenes in regular gameplay, seemingly minor gameplay elements are able to make you feel like even more of a badass. Watching the witch trade blows with a Lumen Sage in an epic battle is cool, sure, but land a perfect multi-parry or flawless touch of death combo of your own and you’ll feel more empowered than pretty much any other game can make you feel.
As with its best in breed peers, Bayonetta 2 is a tool set – canned combos and flashy finishers exist, sure, but it’s what you manage to pull off to string them all into one glorious chain of punishment that really makes the combat sing. Whether it’s using Dodge Offset to land a powerful combo ender even after evading a blow mid-string or hot-swapping between weapons perfectly to maximise Wicked Weave blows to a boss, every single element of Bayonetta’s arsenal has the ability to make you feel like a pro when used properly.
Difficulty settings, on the other hand, have been changed up considerably. All the auto-combo nonsense of the original’s easier settings has been canned – there’s an analogue of sorts in the new touch control scheme but the game just feels more like it’s trying to train you up, so the same basic combos you might pick up while testing the water on 1st Climax difficulty will still work the same should you make your way up to Infinite Climax. The original let you mash your way through and still be rewarded whereas here, mashing will get you by but without any of the awesome flair that the old Automatic system added on your behalf.
Infinite Climax itself has been overhauled too, now allowing use of Witch Time but you’ll absolutely need it – enemies and especially bosses hit ludicrously hard, while levels are populated by waves of ultra-tough angels and demons, many of which you wouldn’t normally face until hours later in the game.
It always sounds so elitist to claim that a harder difficulty is the way a game is meant to be played but here, it’s absolutely the case. Infinite Climax is a gruelling dissertation where every facet of your knowledge of the game – both your abilities and those of your enemies – will be put to the test, and only the best will come out the other side. ‘For those who enjoy extremely thrilling battles’, reads the flavour text for this ultimate difficulty setting, and it couldn’t be more accurate.
QTEs are thankfully gone and while the button-mashing frenzy of Climax attacks still remains, you at least know these are coming having manually triggered them. It’s just another sign that Platinum wants to test player skill and creativity rather than simply reaction times – the large dodge window that triggers Witch Time is as gaping as ever, but there are accessories and alternate characters to address this should you want to push yourself even further. The former should be no surprise to fans of the original, where accessories offered game-changing new abilities. But the latter is a pleasant surprise, meaning slapping on a different costume is more than just a cosmetic change – some come with unique weapons and abilities, while others offer completely different ways to play.
Hell, you won’t even have access to Bayonetta’s entire arsenal without scouring every stage for gold LP pieces, and finding these curious instruments of death is only the first stage – you then have to learn how they work, and adapt your play style around them. Each is considerably different to the basic pistols move set, making experimentation key. A more thorough, fighting game-style training mode might have been nice to offset this, but it’s pretty clear that Platinum wants you to learn by doing. Let’s just say we wish you all the best in saving up enough Halos for Rodin’s most expensive treasures…
Yes, there’s some weak voice acting (Loki, we’re looking at you), some pretty straightforward level design and a few too many gratuitous pieces of camera work. But mechanically, Bayonetta 2 steps into the original’s heels and somehow looks even better in them. A near-perfect action game, then, and a irrefutable reason to own a Wii U.