Bayonetta 2

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Bayonetta 2
"I've got a fever and my only cure is more dead angels!" — Bayonetta
Protagonist(s): Bayonetta Genre(s): Action-adventure Hack-and-slash Platform(s): Wii U Nintendo Switch Release Date: Wii U: JP: September 20, 2014 NA/EU: October 24, 2014 AU: October 25, 2014 Nintendo Switch: WW: February 16, 2018 JP: February 17, 2018 Developer(s): PlatinumGames Publisher(s): Nintendo Country: Japan Series: Bayonetta Predecessor: Bayonetta Successor: Bayonetta 3

Bayonetta 2 is an action-adventure/hack-and-slash video game developed by PlatinumGames and published by Nintendo. It is a sequel to Bayonetta and is the second installment in the Bayonetta series. The game was released exclusively for the Wii U, unlike its predecessor, which was a cross-platform release. In February 2018, the game was released for the Nintendo Switch bundled with the predecessor as a free download code.

A sequel, Bayonetta 3, was announced in December 2017, and was released on October 28, 2022, after five years in development hell.

Plot

Bayonetta is shopping with Enzo when angels attack the city. Teaming up with his fellow witch and friend Jeanne, he's about to win until a demon summon goes awry. Jeanne saves Bayonetta from the summoning attack, but the attack causes Inferno to claim her soul. Bayonetta destroys the invocation and decides to save Jeanne. At the same time, a masked Lumen Sage is brought to the present by a mysterious figure, known as the Prophet, who promises him a chance for revenge.

Why It's Time to Dance Again

1. The gameplay is fast-paced and fun and contains tons of action along with a deep and excellent combat system, just like the previous game, and it is still satisfying when you finish off enemies with torture devices or an Infernal Demon.
2. The controls are tight, fluid, and responsive, just like the first game.
3. This game has some major improvements over its predecessor, such as the QTEs being much easier to get through.
4. The graphics are very beautiful and gorgeous, especially by 2014 standards, and are also a step up from the last game. For example, when Angel enemies emerge (especially in the cinematics), a sunny light comes out and makes it look visually appealing, with a nice color scheme to boot!
5. The Nintendo Switch version is considered the best version since it makes many improvements to the original:
   • The graphics look better, without any degradation or blur. There are even cleaner textures, more refined character models, and overall, they feel like a high-end animated movie at 1080p.
   • The optimization is also excellent; not only does this port run at 60FPS, but it is also stable and solid.
6. This game adds some new features, like Amiibo support (to unlock new costumes for Bayonetta and Jeanne) and the Infernal Climax feature, which lets Bayonetta summon Infernal Demons at the end of her combos.
7. The soundtrack is just as memorable as the first game's and keeps you pumped up for more action.
8. The difficulty in Bayonetta 2 is far more balanced then in the previous game, especially during boss fights.
9. Like the Wii U version of Tekken Tag Tournament 2, there are Nintendo-themed costumes, like Peach and Daisy from Mario, Link from The Legend of Zelda, Samus from Metroid, and Fox from Star Fox, which will certainly impress Nintendo fans.
10. Surprisingly good replay value, especially to access the Alfheim challenges.
11. The newly introduced characters are very interesting, like Loptr and Alraune.
    • Also, new Infernal Demons appear in this game, such as Baal (not the one from Diablo II), Alraune, Diomedes, Labolas, and Mictlantecuhtli.
12. The boss fights are epic and very engaging, as you'd expect from a Bayonetta game. There are also mid-bosses in some chapters, and a lot of them are incredibly fun and adrenaline-pumping.
13. Unlike the first game, this one doesn't degrade you for using your items after clearing a level.
14. Bayonetta and Jeanne's redesigns in this game are very beautiful and attractive, and are even better than they were than in the previous game. They also look just as sexy as ever, and even seem to be dressed in fashion.
15. The voice acting is top-notch, with talented actors such as Hellena Taylor as the titular character, Crispin Freeman as the Masked Lumen, Yuri Lowenthal as Loptr, Tara Platt as Alraune, Julie Nathanson as Baal, etc.
16. There is tons of rich in-game content without the need for DLC, microtransactions, or any other modern-day monetization practices.
17. While still confusing, the plot in the game is very interesting and somewhat well-written for what it is.

Bad Qualities

1. Some of the missions can get repetitive at times, likely due to the lack of platforming and puzzle solving.
2. Although very good and well-written, the story does have its share of plot holes and confusion.
3. Some characters were flanderized, with the worst offenders being Jeanne and Luka. For instance, Jeanne is reduced to the "damsel in distress" role with very little screen time, and Luka is just a supporting character with comic relief, and also a Butt-Monkey.
4. Like the first game, 90% of the cutscenes are just slideshows with still images in them, which is still cheap and lazy, which looks like it was done by a college student or a photographer in 2 weeks who did it reluctantly.
5. Angel Attack, a minigame where you shoot angels with a limited amount of ammo, is absent from this game. This problem will continue in the next game.
6. Some Infernal Demons are absent from this game, such as Phantasmareanae, Malphas, and Hekatoncheir, while Gomorrah isn't usable because he tries to kill Bayonetta at the beginning of the game (an act which comes back to haunt her in the next game).
7. The final boss fight against Loptr is very divisive by fans.

Reception

Bayonetta 2 received universal from critics and audiences (scoring 91/100 and 9.0/10, respectively, on Metacritic). Commonly-praised points were its improved graphics, gameplay, soundtrack, and world-building, while the story was criticized.

It is often considered the best Bayonetta game by fans of the series.

Trivia

• Bayonetta sports a new hairstyle in the game. Her hairstyle transitions from a beehive to a much shorter pixie-cut.
  • Upon being interviewed, the creators of the game confirmed that Bayonetta is a character who likes to change her style from time to time and different appearances.
  • Aside from the hairstyle, Bayonetta and Jeanne's eyewear also changed.
    • Bayonetta's original black glasses with red butterfly wings are replaced by more intricate glasses, with large blue flowers in both sides and spiraling temples.
    • Jeanne's signature red winged glasses are put to the side by a pair of cat themed motorcycle goggles.
• The game's Wii U exculutivity came to be as a result of SEGA (the publisher of the first Bayonetta title) declining/refusing to publish the sequel and Nintendo stepping in to fill that role.

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