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Bayonetta 2 Review for Wii U

Bayonetta 2 Review for Wii U

Get Ready to Climax

The return of the Umbra Witch Bayonetta has been met with elation, but also skepticism due to her exclusivity to the Wii U console. Judging from the mature subject matter of the original title, many critics feel Bayonetta 2 has no place on a Nintendo platform. However, if you can bury the false notion that Nintendo consoles are merely for children, you’ll find that Bayonetta 2 nails many qualities that Nintendo takes pride in–a memorable story and characters, flawless controls, and a game that is just plain fun to play.

You can also leave behind any thoughts that Bayonetta 2 has been watered down to family friendly standards. Enemies are dispatched in a brutal fashion, the language is coarse, and Bayonetta herself is even more confident in her combat prowess and comfortable in her sexuality than before. This is definitely not a game to play around onlooking toddlers or an insecure wife for you married men out there. Thankfully the off-TV mode allows you to play the game in discreet comfort on the Wii U’s GamePad. The insanity of animations makes keeping track of everything on the smaller screen difficult, and is not recommended should you be chasing a high score, but it is still a respectable alternative to indulge in this guilty pleasure.

Despite the subject matter, the content never feels raunchy or overly explicit, but rather clearly designed to present a spectacle of dramatic flairs. Though she exudes confidence, Bayonetta displays a warmth and caring for her friends both new and old, providing a narrative that keeps building towards an epic climax.

Speaking of climaxes, this is how the game’s difficulty levels are distinguished. At 1st Climax (Easy), button mashing is enough to breeze through the eight to ten hour story without fearing death. The challenge level drastically increases at 2nd Climax, 3rd Climax, and (once unlocked) Infinite Climax, demanding a skilled hand with the dodge button and plethora of attack combinations to nab the coveted Pure Platinum award at the end of each level. And believe me, the replay value is alluring enough that you’ll want to revisit past boards. There are collectibles to find, handicapped challenges to partake in, and the simple drive to improve your score. The game’s currency of gold rings, called Halos, can be spent at the Gates of Hell club to purchase new weapons, attacks, consumables, and costumes, some inspired by various Nintendo franchises.

Bayonetta 2 Screenshot

The visuals, though a far sight better looking than the PS3 and Xbox 360 predecessor, are inferior when placed against offerings from the other current generation consoles. The environments lack any fine details, which are easily noticeable when travelling between each Verse (a wave of enemies). Once in combat though, it’s hard not to be taken by the amazing animations and original and complex designs of the angels and demons. Every one of Bayonetta’s attacks are as big as her personality and infused with her infernal powers, making each strike a crushing blow that reverberates both on the screen and through the speakers. The imposing enemies are nothing to scoff at either. Each new enemy is heralded onto the scene with a flourish and scribed into a bestiary for future lore perusing. Sporting unique physical characteristics, attack patterns, and defenses, no two enemies feel the same. The lower tier fodder appear more frequently, but always in different quantities and make-up, displacing any fears of redundancy.

Bayonetta 2 Screenshot

Dancing your way through battles with dozens of attack combinations using an assortment of interchangeable weapons showcases Bayonetta’s prowess at eviscerating angels and demons alike. Building your magic gauge opens windows to unleash Torture Attacks–brutal inflictions such as an infernal treadmill feeding into spinning spikes, or Bayonetta’s demoness Madama Butterfly grasping the enemy and slamming it around like a ragdoll. The coveted Witch Time makes a return, briefly slowing down the action after a well timed dodge to get in some extra strikes. The new Umbran Climax significantly increases her damage output when activated, and unleashes greater fury from her summoned “pets”. Every move is executed flawlessly with the game’s extremely tight controls, with the ability to interrupt any move with the indispensible dodge at a moment’s notice of an incoming strike. Whether you utilize the entire playbook of combinations, or stick to a few failsafe options, you’ll never tire of using them throughout the entirety of the game.

Outside of the single-player Story mode, Bayonetta 2 delivers a quick and satisfying multiplayer experience called Tag Climax. As you complete Verses in the campaign, they become unlocked for multiplayer. You then challenge a series of six choices alongside an online partner, choosing how many halos to bet each round to increase the reward and difficulty. It’s a cooperative match to defeat the enemies, but you’re still working to build better a score than your opponent to win the round and grant you the luxury to choose the next Verse to tackle. Overall, it’s fast-paced, exciting, and offers plenty of Halos as a reward.

Bayonetta 2 Screenshot

Bayonetta 2 ‘s music score is an oddly fluid blend of Japanese inspired pop and classical orchestrations. The many boss battles are where the music is highlighted the most, changing tone as the intensity builds. And it goes without question that the larger than life attacks from Bayonetta and her foes are matched equally with stunning sound effects. As for the voice work, though each character takes on a fairly stereotyped personality, it is delivered with gusto from the stellar cast of voice actors.

Despite the looming question about how well Bayonetta 2 will fare on the Nintendo Wii U, there is one thing for certain–if you’re a fan of the series and own the console, you’re in for a wild ride that will keep you stimulated for plenty of hours. It’s absolutely a pure Bayonetta game, it’s an absolute blast to play, and it absolutely belongs on Nintendo’s growing roster of excellently crafted games for the Wii U.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.2 Graphics
If you can rush through some of the sterile environments, you’ll find the combat is just brimming with fantastic monster design, and a horde of animations without a trace of framerate issues. 4.8 Control
The touch screen controls are a bit too casual, but otherwise the game is flawlessly tight. 4.7 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
It may seem like an odd mix of classical and modern pop, but the tracks are well put together, and the voice acting is top notch, with sound effects that will blow your ears off. 4.7 Play Value
The action drags a little bit in between Verses, but otherwise it’s an endless supply of combat goodness with a gripping and touching story, and plenty of reasons to replay past stages. 4.6 Overall Rating – Must Buy
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 – 1.9 = Avoid 2.5 – 2.9 = Average 3.5 – 3.9 = Good 4.5 – 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 – 2.4 = Poor 3.0 – 3.4 = Fair 4.0 – 4.4 = Great 5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

  • Initiate the new Umbran Climax technique to temporarily summon demons and boost Bayonetta’s attack range whenever you fill her magic gauge.
  • Fight with new over-the-top weapons that open new possibilities to the way you battle, including the Kafka, a bow that shoots poisonous arrows; the Rakshasa, a pair of beautiful katana blades; and a giant rifle-inspired scythe known as the Chernobog.
  • Team up with a friend in Tag Climax, a two-player online co-op mode.
  • In online quick matches, you can wager halos, the in-game currency that you earn by defeating enemies. You receive a large sum back if you can prove you’re a better fighter than your partner. Halos can then be traded in a story mode shop to unlock new techniques, buy accessories and pick up alternate weapon variations.
  • Every chapter ends with a medal ranking: Stone, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum or Pure Platinum. The more skilled you are, the higher your ranking.
  • This game is approachable for players of all levels, with settings of three difficulty levels. Through Touch Play, you can play with the GamePad’s stylus and touch screen, regardless of which difficulty you choose.

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