E3 Impressions - Bayonetta
By Jamie Love - June 10th, 2009
Time spent with Bayonetta leads to more of a seduction rather than an impression. She called to me like a Siren at E3, causing me to crash into the Sega booth several times throughout the week. This isn’t the first time you’ve heard me praise the title, and it certainly won’t be the last. But let me offer you an anecdote taken directly from the show floor.
I enjoy watching other people play videogames at events like E3 nearly as much as playing them myself. It’s challenging to really feel a personal connection to the games on display with all the commotion surrounding every available screen as well. As I was watching a group of steady customers take turns at Bayonetta, I inadvertently eavesdropped on a conversation occurring behind me. Two people were obviously impressed by the game, and I turned around as they started discussing the more technical aspects on display to find that one was from Infinity Ward and the other was from Sony Santa Monica. Surely I thought that had to be noteworthy.
Bayonetta is technically impressive, without a doubt. There’s a profound sense of freedom to her movement, largely disregarding the laws of physics as she runs up walls and her limbs bend in every direction to engage enemies in a bullet dance that leaves Gungrave in the past. She treads as lightly on those heels as I’d imagined. Torture kills are a welcomed treat as well – who doesn’t enjoy squashing an enemy between walls of spikes? But the game is about movement first and foremost – or at least that’s my two cents.
Bayonetta is also a difficult game to explain – as are all of Platinum Games’ creations it seems. A Sega representative focused on the more physical elements, such as how Bayonetta’s hair takes on a life of its own – insert nod to The Bride with White Hair here. But what I treasure about Platinum Games is that they never have made a game that’s easy to explain – counting their previous identity as well. Since risks and finances don’t get on well at parties, the potential results and consumer reaction are nerve racking. If I feel invested already, it’s because this one flight of fancy and ambition simply has to succeed against the repetitive sludge that’s easier to explain on the back of a box, and subsequently crowned the safer horse to bet on.
Platinum Games is a studio bent on pushing what is possible within the medium, not just through gameplay, but at all times also focusing on content. So when I proclaim Bayonetta the game to watch this year, it’s because I expect her to swagger in on those witchy hips and stun gamers with an attitude and spirit that disregards fears or limitations and takes chances few other developers do. I expect a game that is refreshingly unapologetic, tasked with battling the monotony of safe bets and scaled down aspirations.
The fact that the title is being published by a company that symbolized these ideals for so many years is an added treat.
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It’s a complete going on the same road again!!!
fail!!!
Claudio fails at English.
I was kind of wondering how this would turn out. At this point there are SO MANY options for this type of game… but God of War, Ninja Gaiden, DMC4, X-Blades, god knows what else.
But what I’ve been reading and seeing of this looks promising now. It seems like a lot of those games finally brought to the next level (which God of War 3 will probably stomp all over, but that’s another story lol). The boss fights look awesome.
Bayonetta certainly looks like a crazier version of a Devil May Cry title, and this alone is what interests me in the game. As there are only so many types of games, each title within a specific genre needs to do something unique to carve a little niche for itself, and I’m looking forward to spending some time with Bayonetta to see what kind of carving it does.
In the meantime there are certainly a lot of action-packed brawl-heavy games to sink my teeth into, some for a second helping.
@Tony
Please don’t throw X-Blades into the same category as games like Bayonetta. I had to play that piece of garbage to completion for a review and it was probably the worst gaming experience of my entire life. Not even close to games like God of War, Ninja Gaiden, or DMC4.
On a related note, did anyone see the Co-Op E3 special where they simply dismissed Bayonetta as being exactly like DMC instead of giving any insight for people who haven’t played it. I normally love that show, but thought that was kinda’ lame of ‘em.