E3 2014: Bayonetta 2 Preview

June 11, 2014

Coming off one of the best and most genre defining action games of last generation, Bayonetta 2 almost didn’t happen. Struggling to find a publisher, eventually Nintendo (of all companies) threw the fledgling franchise a lifeline, much to the ire of the internet. Available for hands-on at E3 2014, at the Nintendo Booth next to the likes of Captain Toadstool: Treasure Hunter and Yoshi’s Woolly World, there are no longer any fears of whether this will be a toned down experience – either through content or technical capability.

For what it’s worth, gaming’s most iconic librarian has had a haircut and a slight visual makeover, but that’s most of what we got from the story so far. You’ll get to continue the battle over ‘purgatorio’, meeting both new and familiar characters along the way, but that’s not really important. For these kind of games, we’re more interested in the action rather than the story. Incidentally, it wasn’t possible to see yet whether Bayonetta 2 would be littered with Nintendo reference as the original was with Sega references.

bayonetta 2

The most important aspect here is the combat, and for complete better it does not stray too far from the original. Inspired with the Devil May Cry style of no-blocking and timing of dodges, Bayonetta’s move set will be easy for experienced players to pick up. What Bayonetta has over Dante is an even more outlandish and over-the-top set of attacks, where her hair becomes a weapon – creating massive fists, feet and even mystical creatures.  Just watch some of the trailers if this doesn’t make sense.  The main addition to the combat is in the form of new weapons, where the only one on display was a bow-and-arrow combo – though this will form new combos on top of existing weapons.

The levels that were available on the show floor were pretty basic, mainly taking you from set piece to set piece fighting off hordes of enemies, sub-bosses and a boss at the end. The best part about this was that it reaffirmed just what was so enjoyable about the original – outlandish and fast-paced action. Encouragingly, it should be noted that the game technically ran without a hitch – not a single dip in the frame rate or ostensibly long load screen. Also, the content has not been toned down, as was still somewhat violent and did not shy away from profanities. Something that was worth noting though – the demo was pretty easy. Hopefully though, the final game will have enough difficulty levels to satisfy all level of players.

bayonetta 1

As a bonus, it will be released with the original Bayonetta on the disc, for the benefit of those who weren’t able to play the original. So effectively, you’re getting two games for the price of one.

In the end, Wii U owners have a pretty good deal out of Bayonetta 2. While we should all be just grateful that the game exists at all, there is the added bonus of getting the original packaged in – a game on its considered as one of the finest of the last generation.  When it ships in October 2014, there can be little doubt that the game will satisfy most expectations, so long as you aren’t expecting anything serious or extremely different from the first.