Bayonetta 2 Review
| System: Wii U |
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| Dev: Platinum Games |
| Pub: Nintendo |
| Release: October 24, 2014 |
| Players: 1-2 |
| Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p |
Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes |
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'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.
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By
Sean Engemann
Contributing Writer
Date: October 13, 2014
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RATING OUT OF 5
RATING DESCRIPTION
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.
Control
The touch screen controls are a bit too casual, but otherwise the game is flawlessly tight.
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.
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.
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.
