bayonetta 2 game review

Bayonetta 2: still as brilliant

While PlatinumGames is working on Bayonetta 3, the small Japanese studio has worked hand in hand with Nintendo to offer portages of the first two episodes, destined for the Switch. The latest addition to Big N is a hit and many players have not had the opportunity to discover the episodes of Cereza, the most deadly witch in the universe. This is even more true when we talk about Bayonetta 2, released exclusively on Wii U, the least sold console of the last 15 years. So inevitably, this Switch port is expected to take off.

An excellent portage

Bayonetta 3 has no release date but to make us wait, PlatinumGames and Nintendo have thought of everything: a new port of Bayonetta, which decidedly will have known all the consoles imaginable, and a port of Bayonetta 2, which it really needed it. Released only on Wii U, the game necessarily had a rather confidential success and it is a shame, since it is quite clearly the best episode of the two.

Bayonetta 2: still as brilliant

But on Switch, then? After having tested the porting of the first Bayonetta, which had posed us some concerns of readability, and therefore of playability, we had inevitably some fears for Bayonetta 2, and fortunately, they were quickly swept away. It turns out that the first opus was not devoid of any defect, especially with regard to the readability of the action, precisely. Anyway, these problems had been fixed on Bayonetta 2, and the direct consequence is that even on the small screen of the Nintendo console, the title is extremely playable. This necessarily requires a little adaptation, but the Switch proves with this game that it is capable of delivering a perfectly suitable gaming experience, even in the most extreme conditions.

Bayonetta 2: still as brilliant

Because if Bayonetta 2 gains in clarity, it does not lose in intensity with fights that are always disproportionately crazy. The good news is that the Switch does not suffer at any time and the game runs at 60 frames per second without flinching. Of course, the game was running carefree on Wii U, so there was no doubt that the Switch would do it too. What should be noted here is that the degree of performance does not vary by an iota, whether you choose to go on a party, or in front of your television. Docked and connected to your TV, the console presents Bayonetta 2 in its best light: aliasing is less present than on Wii U and the decor is sharper, less drooling. Obviously on the small screen of the Switch, it shows even less: it is a real success. The difference is all the more appreciable when we compare the game to the Switch version of Bayonetta: if the game has lost none of its charm, the graphics have aged and the action is sometimes less readable because of the small size of the Switch screen. This is not the case for Bayonetta 2, which is a masterful slap, whatever the medium.

THE COMPLETE TEST OF BAYONETTA 2 (BY MRDERIV)

Entering the universe of Bayonetta is a bit like accepting to witness an incredible story based on millennial wars between the forces of good and those of evil. A battle where morality sometimes seems as confused as debauchery on the screen. Let's put things back in place without spoiling the end of the first part too much. We left Bayonetta, her real name Cereza, after her fight against the forces of light. We find her here more radiant than ever with her new bob cut and her pretty white dress, in the middle of a shopping spree in the streets of a crowded metropolis. If all this seems far too wise, wait a few minutes for the fireworks of unbridled action to begin, not being afraid to always exceed a little more the limits of a gigantism already badly damaged in the first part.

WHERE IS JEANNE?

The soul of our friend / rival Jeanne was sucked into the underworld, a good pretext to go and tattoo the angel and the demon in a ballet of devastating attacks going crescendo on the scale of excess. Bayonetta 1 laid the foundation for a little onion combat system that still suffered from a few imperfections (those damned QTEs for example). This second part seems to give the last brushstrokes to a painting already more than successful. Let’s not be afraid to say it, after having tried both, Bayonetta 1 will take on a rough air laying the foundations of a concept mastered this time from start to finish. Lover of ultra nervous beat’em all, here you have one of the new references of the genre. Everything is bigger, crazier and, above all, much more polished. Most of the faults of the first part are eaten here in the teeth. Exit the camera muddles some meetings, boring back and forth and unexpected QTE, PlatinumGames has used all its know-how to provide us with a suite that meets its quality requirements.

The title does not fundamentally change the habits implemented in the first part; we will always evolve in compartmentalized environments to put food for servants sometimes angelic, sometimes demonic in arenas delimited by magic barriers to explode with great reinforcement of provocative kisses. The emphasis seems however to have been put on a little more exploration since in addition to its usual form of panther and crow, Bayonetta will this time have access to a transformation into a sea serpent to undulate underwater in order to unearth some esoteric trinkets. The sets, and in particular the sumptuous backgrounds, show that the Wii U has some under the hood. However, do not believe that it will be possible to roam freely everywhere, the essence of the game still resides in Castagne.

And what a pleasure to rediscover the technicality of the sequence of foot / fist combos associated with weapons which it is possible to alternate at any time via a quick selection menu. Double sword, bow pistol, lance, whip or big hammer, our witch has an ultra-rich panel of techniques to unlock at Rodin's friend thanks to the Halos collected from the opponents. Among the novelties, the Apotheosis mode of the Umbra makes its entry: it allows us to use our wizardry gauge acquired with great strokes of skills and dodges to give each of our attacks the devastating power of our usual finish. In short, expect a riot of visual effects on the screen against adversaries with an equally bizarre and successful design. Platinum does not forget the basics since Cereza always triggers a slowdown in time in Witch Time mode when it dodges an attack at the very last moment. Sadistic punishments are still in the game and have not lost anything on their enjoyable side. Everything is served by a camera finally tamed, with calibrated angles for more readability.

A LORRAINE WITCH

For regulars of the genre, the Story Mode on Standard Difficulty will be a short dozen-hour fitness trail, useful for warming up your thumbs before tackling serious business in Infinite Apotheosis Mode. Undoubtedly, the difficulty has been somewhat reduced in the classic mode. But let perfectionists be reassured, the “Pure Platinum” challenges are always there. The developer also met the expectations of the specifications of his Nintendo sponsor by integrating touch controls to the Mablette. Optional, they are aimed at a newbie audience and open up the game to more accessibility. Purists will therefore turn to a classic grip with Mablette or Controller Pro. As for Nintendo's special contributions, Bayonetta has a series of eccentric costumes in line with the atmosphere of the saga. Put on Peach's outfit and the Halos will become coins or Link's to transform them into green rubies. All this is accompanied by the most beautiful visual effects in the pure spirit of the Zelda, Mario, Metroid and Starfox licenses. Certain scenes are even modified in depth when one of these outfits is worn.

The icing on the top of an already appetizing cake, the Double Apotheosis mode is emerging. An online cooperative, it allows you to test the talent of another player (or AI) in a series of six arenas closed against monsters encountered during the main adventure. The idea here will be to bet a certain number of Halos on the player with the most skins. Far from being trivial, this game mode is the opportunity to embody a gallery of secondary characters like Jeanne or Rodin. The money collected can be used in Story mode to improve the arsenal of Bayonetta and, believe me, it will take angelic money to pay for certain costumes or certain weapons ... In short, no need to fear a lack of content since the disc is full of various game modes and bonuses to unlock. Especially since from the special edition, sold 10 € more than the basic one, a copy of the Wii U port of the first game will await you in the box. Entrusted to the good care of Bee Tribe, this version has nothing to be ashamed of compared to its Xbox 360 counterpart (I will not mention the PlayStation 3 version here out of respect for the fans). Fluid, decorated with small bonuses and having the good taste to offer optional Japanese voices, his test has already been available on the site for a few weeks.

MA BELOVED WITCH

What to blame in the end for this Bayonetta 2? Technically already, all is not rosy since certain modelings are sometimes a little spot. We are thinking here of a few urban landscapes unworthy of a modern machine and an overly pronounced aliasing concern present throughout the adventure. Fluidity on the other hand is there with an impeccable framerate. The gigantic nature of certain meetings nevertheless sometimes agrees quite badly with the requirement of the combo sequences of the title. Fights on the water, for example, suffer from a lack of subtlety but do not drag too long in contrast to certain phases of the first component (the missile phase for those who remember). Due to its structure, a certain form of repetitiveness takes place between clashes. The latter are almost always interspersed with cutscenes in slide show mode with a slightly indented technical aspect. Fortunately, even if his script flies to the upper echelons of the great no matter what, the provocative humor of the beautiful witch manages to keep us going. Accompanied by her young and unbearable makeshift sidekick Loki, Cereza always gratifies us with the most scathing aftershocks and the sexiest hips before leaving to kick asses off the cuff. In short, at no time does the rhythm run out of steam and the spectacle of excess becomes linked with mastery at all times.

Bayonetta 2 uses the original recipe for critical success from its predecessor. You didn't like the first one, so there is little chance that you will hook on this sequel. On the contrary, amateurs of the license will find their heroine there with a certain jubilant pleasure. Perfectly calibrated between accessibility and depth of play, the title is a little gem of game design, probably the best beat'em all in recent years. If sales will now follow, which is not necessarily won given the figures of the first episode, Nintendo is holding here what will no doubt be one of the great classics of Wii U. Five years after her first arrival in Japan, the witch of Umbra has therefore lost none of its charms, quite the contrary.

The notes
+ Positive points
A port that works on the hair on the small screen of the Switch ...
... but also on a real TV
Fluidity never disturbed
Still one of the best beat'em all of the last 20 years

-Negative points
The cut-scenes have aged badly
Same thing for some decorations

When it was released in 2014, Bayonetta 2 was a small masterpiece and it's still true in 2018. Certain aspects of the game have aged, especially on its technical part, but the game runs at 60 frames per second without ever shake, no matter how you want to use your Switch. Its frantic action is absolutely captivating and does not suffer at any time from the smallness of the Nintendo console screen: it is therefore urgent for all those who have not yet tried to get Bayonetta 2 and go to distribute kicks in Heaven and Hell. Strongly Bayonetta 3!