E3 2014: Bayonetta 2 Shines On Wii U

Picture this: You’re fighting on top of a massive fighter jet propelling itself at light speed through a city landscape. Your enemies? Giant angelic centaurs, dragons, and a massive beast that can turn its tongue into a chainsaw. Your outfit and weapon of choice? Your own hair and a pair of four gorgeous pistols, two of which are attached to your high heels. Like its predecessor, Platinum Studio’s Wii U exclusive Bayonetta 2 starts you off in insane, gorgeous, and intuitive action immediately.

When approaching the Nintendo booth at this year’s E3 to give the new demo a try I was very apprehensive. I’m a huge fan of the original Bayonetta, but I played it on the Xbox 360, with a controller I have an intimate familiarity with. Having never played the Wii U previously, I was terrified the tablet controller would prove too clunky—that it would lack the fluidity necessary to play such a fast-paced action title. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

The Wii U controller proves to be an intuitive counterpart for such a title, making the combat smoother than the first with the use of responsive design and the touch pad. Despite my lack of experience with the controller itself, it actually felt easier to play. The controls are quick and precise, making the piecing together of fun combo attacks and dodging into Witch Time (which slows time for a brief moment) an absurdly rewarding experience that left me craving more at the end.

Bayonetta’s hair still flies off her body as she powerfully attacks her foes, but this controversial aspect is also part of what makes Bayonetta such a unique and fun character—there is nothing else quite like her out there. She makes beasts and powerful fists out of her own hair. She has guns in her heels. And she is part of a rich and vibrant world that is absurd but at the same time maintains its own unique aesthetic throughout.

I’ve said it many times, but we need games that take risks, and Platinum is doing it again. Combine that with successful combat that is never bereft of action and a fascinating character and it’s safe to say that this exclusive is good news for Nintendo.

Bayonetta 2 will be released sometime in October, and will also come in a bundle with a remastered edition of the first game with additional content.

Katy Goodman is a freelance writer and graduate student in English. When she isn’t busy training birds of prey, horses, or freshman composition students, she can be found playing video games or climbing trees. She also really likes grilled cheese. Follow her on Twitter @InvizzyB or on her blog, Pixel Hearts.