Gaming

This post is going to be quite long. If reading scares you, you can leave now.

Something that’s a little strange to me is the lack of Christmas-adjacent games. We get Christmas songs and movies all the time, but there are only a handful of games with that kind of theming. And even though it’s still November, and calling Bayonetta 2 a Christmas game is a lot like calling Die Hard a Christmas movie, I’ve been wanting to pull out this game, since I usually play through it at least once around this time of year.

I have a really soft spot for the Bayonetta games. I have a lot of issues with 3, but Bayo 1 and 2 comfortably sit amongst my favorite action games. However, I definitely consider Bayonetta 2 to be the strongest in the series for a whole bunch of reasons, which I hope to outline here.

Bayonetta 1 was already an incredibly strong game, but one that sort of lost itself a bit. The best I can say about Bayonetta 1 compared to the rest of the games is that it’s the most flamboyant. It is the boldest with the least regard for genre in terms of what kind of game it wants to be at the moment. 80% of the time, Bayonetta is a character action game with a ranking system, similar to Devil May Cry, but this also comes with adventure game elements, an arcade shooter at the end of every level, and an infamously bad motorcycle stage. While I appreciate the original Bayonetta’s wackiness and bold direction, the unevenness of these elements make me wish for a more straightforward adventure. Bayonetta 2 is that adventure. It is a bit more traditional, but pulling in the reigns a bit means it can shine at what Bayonetta does best.

Combat in this game is a ton of fun. The gimmick of holding each button in a string to deal more damage while being able to continue said string out of a dodge is fantastic. I understand that people who really love building combos have a better time with Bayo 1, but for me personally, I’ve always liked how different of a flavor Bayo 2’s combat is compared to other action games like DMC. The game’s main gimmick, witch time, gives you a brief moment where enemies slow down when performing a dodge at the last moment. The window in Bayo 2 to do that damage is smaller than in Bayo 1, but I kinda like it that way. The window is big enough to still do some solid damage, but brief enough that the game remains consistently volatile. Especially considering the game ranks you best if you don’t take any damage, each battle becomes a dance where you’re weaving in and out of enemy attacks with a simple control method of one punch and one kick button meaning you can always intuit basically what Bayonetta’s attacks will do without memorizing the dozen or so strings every weapon set has.

This is a smaller note, but to me, Bayo 2’s enemies definitely telegraph their attacks far better than in the first game. Even returning enemies from that game seem to have more readable attacks which is great when so much emphasis on the game is dodging and avoiding damage.

I think it’s also worth mentioning that despite the weapon variety in this game, I usually stick to the default Love is Blue or the unlockable Scarborough Fair from Bayo 1, as they’re the only weapons with the extended inputs mechanic. I can’t say much on the other weapons.

One mechanic Bayo 2 adds from Bayo 1 that I’m a little mixed on is Umbran Climax. Bayonetta has a magic meter and when one full bar of magic is full, you can enhance all of your attacks into Wicked Weaves, usually reserved for end-of-string finisher moves. It’s incredibly powerful and fun to pull out, but devalues the Torture Attacks, which are what Bayo 1 used the magic bar for and are still here in Bayo 2. Considering Bayo 2 already has accessories that alter gameplay, I really wish there was an accessory that maybe gave some extra benefit to torture attacks in exchange for removing Umbran Climax from your moveset. There IS an accessory that makes torture attacks give more halos (the game’s currency for moves and items), but while it helps, I don’t think it fully addresses my issue. I don’t hate Umbran Climax, but I do wish it were more optional (or at least remove the button prompt for it every time it’s available to use). It’s still a fun mechanic.

On another gameplay note, I enjoy how these levels feel more open ended and secrets are a bit easier to find than in Bayo 1. I feel more encouraged to comb through levels for items or optional challenges and fights.

Bayonetta 2’s presentation is also stellar. Despite being stuck on the WiiU and Switch, the game looks fantastic both in bombastic set pieces as well as just running around the city. The environments here are stellar and I personally love the blue color motif this game has. The game also runs at a solid 60fps on Switch. This game also has an incredible soundtrack, at least in the battle themes. Most of the cutscene and exploration music is pretty disposable, but the battle themes are full of life and energy. It’s a glittery, jazzy sound you don’t normally get out of these kinds of games. I’m really into it.

I really like the story of Bayonetta 2. Written by the same lead writer of DMC3 and 5, it’s a silly story that makes room for time travel shenanigans, ridiculous set pieces, and a surprising amount of heart. Bayonetta games aren’t known for their story, but we’ve got a pretty solid one here.

I do have a few criticisms of Bayonetta 2. First off, the gimmick stages aren’t entirely gone. There’s a sequence where you ride on a demon horse which kinda sucks and a shoot-em-up segment before the final boss that’s okay, but way too long. They’re nowhere near as prevalent as the first or third game, but they are there and I personally would prefer more of the core combat. There’s also a few sequences of story where Bayonetta is forced to walk slowly as a conversation happens. These are unskippable and the fact there’s only like 3 at the start of the game before they stop entirely makes them truly bizarre.

I love Bayonetta 2. While DMC5 is still my favorite character action game, Bayonetta 2 lies at a close second and easily sits amongst my favorite games of all time. I love the first Bayonetta game too, but Bayonetta 2 feels like the best parts of that first game, but throws away the parts that didn’t fit quite as well. It’s a game I cherish and will continue to play through countless times.