Techtite's X-Box 360 Reviews!

"If you're going to have a character be semi-nude while summoning a big giant behemoth to bite the head off of a bigger behemoth, then this is the way to do it."

---from the review

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Pros: A very likeable lead character; lots of cool special moves that are very easy to perform; an intriguing roster of "bosses" to fight against.

Cons: The biggest flaw with an action game such as this is that the story is apparently merely there to introduce the next action scene. Who are the good guys and who are the bad guys? That question is hard to answer, really, though stop thinking so hard and enjoy the fun!

Bayonetta

Click picture to order this Xbox 360 game

A Techtite Review by Steve Akyuz

You have to love a game that is "mature" for all the right reasons. Among all the games with copious amounts of "blood," gratuitous gore, unnecessary nudity and a story that's amazingly full of itself, along comes Bayonetta, which...well, let's be honest. It's all the above...in a good way! While every other Mature game out there uses sex and violence strictly as a fan service (and frankly, very poorly), This newest game does everything right, with only the least of exceptions.

To those unaware: Bayonetta is the latest action adventure title directed by Devil May Cry and Viewtiful Joe creator Hideki Kamiya. The game began production as far back as early 2007, and it shows. Few games are as well polished as this. More often, a game will show signs that it was "rushed" to reach a deadline: a shoddy level map, inexplicable clipping problems, and so on. This game could've been rushed for a holiday 2009 release, yet was bumped to early 2010, so that every little detail was finalized. That should tell you how well made this game looks. The level maps, the supporting characters, and the behemoth-sized "boss" monsters are all works of art in their own right, making every scene very fun to watch.

The story? Well, okay; you got me there. This is a really gritty old school action game, with a story not unlike the best action movies. So don't expect much of a story here, aside from the following: "Bayonetta is a witch with no memory of her origins who now fights the forces of evil." Oddly enough; the forces of evil are apparently evil...angels? Whatever. The game itself is still fun to play, evil angels or no evil angels.

The gameplay itself is of the "easy to start, enjoyably challenging to master" variety. Enter area 1, fight all bad guys, then a door unlocks to area 2, and so on. Yet what makes these battles so much fun, and rarely repetitive, is how each battle is as unique as you wish to make it. There is this outrageous list of special attacks Bayonetta can use; some learned as the game progresses, while others are "purchased" at a sort of other worldly bar, run by your best (only?) friend. Many of these attacks are amazingly unique. Example: a death move where Bayonette summons an iron maiden to throw her enemy into. Ouch!

It helps that the most detail and attention has been given to the titular character, Bayonetta. This latest action-heroine gamer grrrl comes with not just a pair of guns to play with; she has two additional guns strapped onto her ankle holsters. Ask not how she is able to shoot all four guns at once in a firefight; I suppose "because she's a witch" will suffice. You also need not ask why Bayonetta's costume is apparently so magical, that when Bayonetta uses a full-power magic attack, she apparently loses her clothes (I say apparently because nothing is shown among all the magical FX, smoke, and flowing hair). At no point does any of this seem cheap or juvenile, however. Bayonetta is, quite simply, not a shy girl (and that puts it mildly).

If none of that sounds interesting to you: well, enjoy EA Sports, I guess. To me; the best games are the ones that take you to a whole new world, or better yet, show you a "vision" in gaming never seen before. Bayonetta is both of these, and one more thing: it's the first great game of 2010. If many more games are as polished as Bayonetta this year, it will be a very fun moment in gaming.

                                                                    ---Techtite

	Final Rating : Large Crater. If you're going to have a character be semi-nude while summoning a big giant behemoth to bite the head off of a bigger behemoth, then this is the way to do it.
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