Bayonetta

[ReZourceman]

I am about 1:15 through and love it.

 

I have a serious crush on Bayonetta. She's getting naked the whole time FFS!!!!!!!!

[Coolness Bears]

I'm in love with this game/Bayonetta.

 

I stroked my disc earlier.

 

So so epic and I'm doing the challenges now! ^__^ Also playing through the chapters on normal!

 

I'm giving it 9/10 as I am mentally generous when it comes to games and this one got me playing game a again and got me excited and NO! not because their are unlockable costumes.

[Roostophe]

Sometimes it's annoying when game developers adhere to the teenage market by making the main character a hot chick, but FUCK ME, MAN, BAYONETTA IS SMOKING!

 

That bit in the car when she looks to the camera and moves her glasses down...I nearly...y'know...Lonely Island song...

 

 

Good game as well, mind.

[Shorty]

I don't really like her voice though, and all the cheesy dialogue, I would love to have this game in Japanese if only because it makes some of the lines seem a bit less ridiculous, maybe I should've imported.

[Tissue Town]

I don't really like her voice though, and all the cheesy dialogue, I would love to have this game in Japanese if only because it makes some of the lines seem a bit less ridiculous, maybe I should've imported.

There is no Japanese dub whatsoever.

[Dante]

Bayonetta also has Enochain voice acting.

GamePro - Bayonetta: empowering or exploitative?

 

Leigh Alexander provides a woman's perspective on Sega's Bayonetta. Is the character too sexually charged? Or is she an empowering figure for female gamers?

 

Bayonetta's hardly a realistic woman. Her legs are probably twice the length of her body, she's disproportionately slender and yet possesses a butt that her character modeler confesses to having spent a lot of time getting "perfect."

 

Nor is she demure; Bayonetta fights enemies with the same magical hair she wears as clothing, which means vigorous combat leaves her naked. She blows kisses to break through magical barriers. She's constantly nursing a small lollipop, suggestively, for little apparent reason. Oh, here we go, video games are exploiting female sexuality again, right? Not so fast.

 

Game director Hideki Kamiya is known for distinctly stylizing his action games. The Devil May Cry franchise has always been about flair that often goes comically over-the-top, and characters that make players feel powerful just by virtue of how cool the heroes look. Dante, Vergil and Nero perform acts of almost elegant violence, an artistic approach to combat design that's always been a refreshing alternative to the blunt-force melee and the barrage of gunfire we see in other titles.

 

Thematic style is Kamiya's calling card, and with Bayonetta, he's said the theme he's going for this time is "sexiness" instead of violence. While his games have always featured strong, sexy women (Devil May Cry's Trish, Lady and Nevan) the ladies are more or less just eye candy, objects to be ogled.

 

Bayonetta takes the video game sexy woman stereotype from object to subject, and it's tremendously empowering. The title character uses the mantle of her sexuality as a power source. Between Bayonetta and her equally fierce rival, Jeane, it's a women's world -- the boys just play in it. The Umbra Witches aren't to be messed with. With this unique theme, the game itself is an artistic representation of the concept that female sexuality is its own kind of weapon. This stylized love letter to femininity is signed and sealed with all of the game's tiny details, from the kiss-shaped aiming targets to the subtle grace of Bayonetta's butterfly-shaped shadow.

 

For years, video games have struggled to define what constitutes a positive portrayal of women. We've learned what isn't, over our checkered history of anime panty shots, gratuitous cleavage and breast physics. And thanks to the likes of Half-Life 2's Alyx Vance, Beyond Good & Evil's Jade, Silent Hill 3's Heather Morris, and Portal's Chell, we've got some idea of what is.

 

But eager as we are to make progress beyond the industry's bad habit of reducing female characters to either sidekicks or sex objects, it's unfair to strip video game women of their sexuality completely, or to assert that if a character is sexual that she must be getting exploited. It's wonderful that our entertainment medium is developing more characters that bring more to the table than their looks -- but at the same time, we can accept that being mousy, tomboyish or turtle-necked is not the only way a woman can be considered admirable. Bayonetta's elegant nakedness in the fervor of battle is not in and of itself a bad thing.

 

But what about her unrealistic body, her gratuitous sashaying, the lollipop-licking? The hypersexualization of Bayonetta is intentionally unrealistic -- just as unrealistic as the superhuman aplomb of the Devil May Cry boys. Dante, for example, is a pleasure to play because of his unrealism, and Bayonetta is too. Both reject subtlety in favor of unrestrained, sometimes theatrically-excessive style in their own ways.

 

That emphasis on style over character substance isn't every player's taste, but it's not inherently unfair to women in this case. Kamiya's thematic choice for Bayonetta is an undercurrent that unifies the entire game, thus giving her sexuality context -- and context is the most important consideration in judging whether an element is appropriate or not.

 

As gamers, we don't always pick up a controller and immediately expect that the character on screen will be a representation of ourselves -- if we did, then it's possible that the overblown macho male characters we see in games with impossible strength and unbelievable musculature would offend male gamers. We must not assume that female players are so fragile that they view a stylized female body as a personal affront.

To prohibit a character like Bayonetta, and rush to cover her up in disapproval, is a rejection of her particular brand of femininity. Why do that? Because she makes men uncomfortable? If men feel uncomfortable with Bayonetta, maybe that means she succeeds.

 

As a woman, I haven't often been satisfied by female character options that effectively boil down to "the same thing as a man, just with breasts and a ponytail." Thanks to its innovative approach to the idea of female power, Bayonetta is the first action game heroine that's made me directly conscious of how cool it is to be a girl.

 

I already know that women can do all the same things men can. This time, I get to see a woman do plenty of things men can't. And I love it.

[Will]

I've just finished this and in my opinion the game is an absolute work of genius. It's a non-stop riot from start to finish and I can't think of a better game on PS3/360. I won't go into detail but I'd say anyone who owns the console to play this game on owes it to themselves to give it a go, even if it's not 100% their cup of tea.

[Roostophe]

I'm really enjoying this game so far, but I'm so fucking shit at it!

[Will]

I'm really enjoying this game so far, but I'm so fucking shit at it!

 

God I was awful, in the end it was annoying not being able to play it properly. Once I lowered the difficulty level I found it much more enjoyable.

[Chuck]

Picked up this on the rent before my review copy came in the post. This game annoys me so much. Nearly every boss, especially near the end is a major difficulty. Playing through on normal was clearly not a good choice. I'm at the part where I have just had to use my hair to defeat three rounds of angels and I'm fighting the two big bosses. The first one is easy, but I can't deal enough damage before I die with the other bloke. Same can be said of the giant green globe.

[Dante]

Eastereggs.

 

I didnt spot the God Of War one.

 

Bayonetta voice actress is Hellena Taylor

 

Also as Zorin Blitz (Hellsing Ultimate)

[Goafer]

Once I lowered the difficulty level I found it much more enjoyable.

 

Same here. Although I dumbed it down to the one handed mode' date=' so it's probably for different reasons.

 

They did keep the one handed mode in right?

[Dante]

The very easy mode is the one hand mode because of you start with the accessory immortal marionette and everything is automatic.

 

On the normal mode you should buy Selene's Light, Moon of Mahaa-kalaa, Air Dodge and Bat Within.

[Chris the great]

so my scarbrough fair replica came in the post. the actual modle is pretty good, just a shame its not a great paint job when you get up close. obviosuly its consigned to a draw as i would like to have sex at some point this year and dont belive that a bright pink toy gun is the most arrousing item to any willing whoopi partners.

 

i'll stick it on ebay i think.

[ReZourceman]

I love it personally. Really heavy too. Only one dodgy bit of paint on mine (the back gold bit on the handle)

 

Ill do a YouTube video of it later.

[Chris the great]

I love it personally. Really heavy too. Only one dodgy bit of paint on mine (the back gold bit on the handle)

 

Ill do a YouTube video of it later.

 

its the gold thats bad on mine too.

 

is it me, or it that stand a peice of crap?

[Shorty]

I've nearly finished this game and only just remembered about concocting compounds -___- does anyone else struggle with thos enemies with big claws, usually come in pairs...

[Goafer]

I've nearly finished this game and only just remembered about concocting compounds -___- does anyone else struggle with thos enemies with big claws, usually come in pairs...

 

They are a pain in the arse. Quick fuckers.

 

On most enemies, I tend to use the break dance bulletfest thing. Doesn't do much damage, but builds up the torture attack guage nicely.

[ReZourceman]

Wait....you guys actually have control over what attack you do?

 

[Coolness Bears]

I've never really had a problem with Grace and Glory.

 

Ooh I love the way the enemies are introduced.

[Dante]

I have finished the game and the last five chapters was amazing.

 

I've never really had a problem with Grace and Glory.

 

Ooh I love the way the enemies are introduced.

 

Grace & Glory are hard but Gracious and Glorious are very hard and can remove Witch Time.

[LegoMan1031]

I completed this yesterday afternoon. Simply point: Amazing game!

 

Easily the best out of Devil May Cry & Ninja Gaiden (IMO), although i have yet to play God of War (bar the demo for the third) so i cant compare to that.

 

Enjoyed the humour and liked all the references to other games!

[Shorty]

I didn't spot any game references except the Resi 4 one :3

[LegoMan1031]

I didn't spot any game references except the Resi 4 one :3

 

Have a look on this link: http://www.gamesradar.com/f/30-hidden-references-in-bayonetta/a-2010011493658559064 Dante posted it awhile ago under 'Eastereggs'.

 

In the very first cut scene they mentioned a person called 'Eggman', at the time i thought naa can't be! haha.

[Deathjam]

Have a look on this link: http://www.gamesradar.com/f/30-hidden-references-in-bayonetta/a-2010011493658559064 Dante posted it awhile ago under 'Eastereggs'.

 

In the very first cut scene they mentioned a person called 'Eggman', at the time i thought naa can't be! haha.

 

Eggman gets mentioned quite a few times. One of the Madworld ones gets repeated a few times. Like the DMC references which was intertwined with a Sonic reference but my fave is probably the Viewtiful Joe homage as it was suitably outrageous. Really really enjoying this game even if I do suck at it. No DMC style dancing around for me just yet.