Feeling Bayonetta's First Climax

Bayonetta received a demo last week in Japan, which is no surprise given that the game releases there about two weeks from today. There's no way anyone with a Japanese gold account and 360 outside of Japan could've downloaded the game last week without sharing it (unless they have too much money to spend), but there were other means to play it. Given how I secretly can't wait for this game, I decided to play it and see what it's all about; I also wanted to see how similar it is to Devil May Cry, given how a lot of people who worked on that franchise are behind this. Turns out it's pretty good! Very good, in fact.

Bayonetta has been touted around numerous corners of the 'net as the evolution of the action genre, and after playing the demo, I'm inclined to believe that may be true. The game's controls actually feels like an evolution of the mechanics found in a Devil May Cry game, and you could assume that this is what  Devil May Cry 4 should have been instead of the retread we received -- though it was still enjoyable.

Baynoetta differs in that it has a plethora of combos that you need to memorize before you're able to take advantage of your main witch's entire arsenal during battles. That means the initial learning curve a little bigger than the approach a Devil May Cry game has. The demo provides you with two weapons: guns that Bayonetta can use in a variety of melee and long range attacks, and a sword that provides plenty of close range attacks while sacrificing range almost entirely. Both of them feel pretty different, and both have separate move sets, though their commands sometimes overlap. I was thrilled to see that Bayonetta has a move where you can dash across the screen with the sword to strike an enemy (or enemies) with, similar to the way DMC's Dante can in every game he's been in.

The combat is very satisfying, but it may take a while for you to get into it depending on your expertise with the genre. I can imagine the demo being a tad off-putting initially for gamers who haven't had much experience with games similar to this one, because it doesn't do a good job of easing you into the feel of it. The demo begins by throwing you right into the midst of the action, with you, as Bayonetta, having to fight a seemingly endless plethora of enemies while platforms all around you are disappearing. It's pretty tough to keep track of exactly where every enemy is, and you're bound to take plenty of hits at first due to the combination of not being adjusted to the mechanics yet and being unable to see enemies amidst the chaos. It can be a bit of a problem, and I think anyone who's easily frustrated could be turned off; maybe even for good. That's bad, because I'd love for one of Hideki Kamiya's games to do what Viewtiful Joe and Okami sadly didn't: sell.

That's a shame, too, because beyond that curve lies a very deep, rewarding, and addictive combat system that will keep you coming back to try and get the highest possible trophy that's at the end of a demo. Trophies that are similar to the rewards you receive at the end of any level in a Devil May Cry game (I'm noticing a trend here). The game also quite a looker -- and so is Bayonetta, but you knew that -- and I hear it has a sizable advantage on 360 rather than PS3, but it's not like that can't change between the demo and the final game. Speaking of comparisons, the PS3 demo also happens to be different from this one; from what I hear, it eases you into the game a bit better, and has a better boss at the end. That's a shame, I think.

But it's not like what's here isn't good. It's superb in fact, and I recommend that anyone remotely interesting in action games give it a try. You can either wait and download it when it's inevitably uploaded to the American and European Xbox Live Marketplaces and Playstation Networks closer to its release date - that's January, meaning that the demo should be up before Christmas - or find a way to download the Japanese demo. You can do that by making a Japanese account on either console (since Silver XBL users can download it now), or pursue it through means I won't describe here. The 360 demo is in whatever language your system is set to, so it's perfectly understandable. I already think this game is fresher than what Devil May Cry 4 provided, so I can't wait to play more of it. I've played the demo four times already, but I don't want to burn out on it easily. But man is it tempting.

P.S. The title is a reference to both the name of the demo, "First Climax," and the "Feel Bayonetta" marketing campaign currently in Japan. I thought I'd offer an explanation lest anyone think I'm completely depraved.