God of War? Don't think so. Ninja Gaiden? Don't make me laugh. Devil May Cry? Sorry, there's a new big dog in town. Bayonetta outclasses them all in nearly every catagory. Today i will attempt to explain why.
I am an action game fanatic. From fighting games to action adventure to basic beatdown games and so on, i am obsessed with the genre. Picking them apart and judging them far more than any genre (except RPG, but thats another story.) has led me to some interesting thoughts when it comes to that style of game.
The genre is absolutely loaded with excellent games. Such as the three games mentioned already plus innumerable others, the genre is stocked to the brim with easy to hop into action games that range from the basic, fun style of gameplay that anyone can hop into (God of War) to the severely complex that only the most die hard of fans will ever truly master (Devil May Cry).
Bayonetta has done many things that alot of the genre has tried to do, but significantly better and in a complete package.
1. Serious game, but doesnt take itself seriously.
Don't let the ads fool you, Bayonetta is not just about fan-service with a busty heroine shaking her ass at every opportunity. It is a legit game with a real story and characters with their own goals and pasts associated with them. But the key thing to note here is despite the story and plot elements, the game never gets too serious or tries too hard. The characters have great personalities with plenty of quirks and humor to keep the game from getting stale like many action games who throw in a useless plot just to have one. Bayonetta is witty, charming, and has a great flair that makes you smile as she tongue lashes those who get in her path.
2. Absurd world scale
This isnt unique to just Bayonetta, but Bayonetta definately does it the best. The plot involves fighting titanic angels and gods and massive tanks and such. But forget gimmicks or other cliche ways to interact, it puts you right in the thick of it. Running along their arms and legs is commonplace as you attempt to fell the behemoths in any method you possibly can. Massive towers seemingly miles tall, time and gravity control add in unique twists and plot fun that most games just dont explore, or dont incorporate quite like this game does.
3. Every weapon and item is useful.
My absolute biggest complaint about action games is there is almost always a go-to item or weapon that simply outclasses the others and the thought of using the other items simply isnt pleasing. For example, in God of War the blades of chaos are basically universally used in the series. you get plenty of other options but none are on the same level as the blades. I understand theres plot involved in the weapon, but it begs the question why give other options at all if they dont match up. In Bayonetta you have the interesting addition of having weapons on your feet as well as your hands, which creates interesting combinations and lets you play her how you want. The best part? Every weapon is good, useful, and is never obsolete. The starting pistols are absolutely useful the entire game. All the trinkets and random items you get are good, everything works and is fun to use.
4. Total Character Control
Bayonetta is one of the most well animated easiest to play action games ive ever seen. The animations are fluid, the controls are tight, and you never feel like you have to work to get her to do what you want. If you get hit, its your fault. If your combo whiffs, its your fault. Each weapon is powerful, responsive, and easy to use. However don't let this fool you, the game is incredibly complex and you can do some truly amazing things with the options given to you. Even better, the game punishes button spamming by assigning transformation toggles to pressing the same button twice rapidly, which will immediately interrupt your combo or foil any plans of doing well in a fight. Precision is rewarded and encouraged by giving you a "bullet time" effect for a couple seconds every time you perfectly dodge an attack. But spam the dodge button and you turn into a panther, making you sure to be hit. Its set up perfectly and feels "right".
5. Perfect Difficulty
My absolute biggest gripe with action games and indeed games of all types is the rather absurd level of difficulty they are throwing at us these days. I constantly hear myself using the term "Nintendo Hard" which basically means theres way too much trial and error and very little actual strategy or challenge involved. This applies to nearly every game on the market, especially in this genre. Ninja Gaiden and Demon's Souls really break this one wide open and utilize Nintendo hard to the fullest. Some people love Nintendo hard, others like myself utterly despise it. I much prefer a game that makes it challenging. not too difficult, not too easy. You might die a couple times, it might take you a few attempts to figure out what to do, but its never unfair and you never feel like you cant win. Bayonetta follows that mentality to a T. The solution might not always be obvious, but it never feels like the game wants you to lose.
6. Just Plain Fun
The thing Bayonetta does best, is it is simply fun. Playing it is perpetually fun and the action and story is continuously varied and fresh. You never backtrack through the same levels (artificial lengthening is very common in the action genre) the combat is always fun and never repetitive, the enemies continue to be different all the way through the game, and theres enough tricks with time and gravity to make the game just flat out enjoyable. The game is never frustrating, never dull, and continues to be enjoyable through to the very end.
Bayonetta thankfully got the recognition it deserves and had numerous game of the year nominations on all the gaming fronts and it was critically and financially acclaimed. I truly hope other developers use it as an example for future games. It is fun, charming, and is thoroughly polished and well made. It is the best action game ever made.
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