Bayonetta

Bayonetta (Japanese: ベヨネッタ, Hepburn: Beyonetta) is a third-person action game developed by PlatinumGames and published by Sega. The game was originally released for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in Japan in October 2009, and in North America and Europe in January 2010. The game was later released on the Wii U alongside its sequel, Bayonetta 2, releasing in September 2014 in Japan and October 2014 in North America and Europe.

Bayonetta centers on its title character, the witch Bayonetta, who uses firearms and magical attacks to fight against angelic enemies. The game was praised for its easily learned yet deep fast-paced combat, presentation and upbeat soundtrack, and has sold over 1.35 million units worldwide as of 2010. An anime film adaptation of the game by Gonzo, titled Bayonetta: Bloody Fate, was released in Japan in November 2013.

Gameplay

Bayonetta is a single-player, third-person 3D action game. Its combat system is similar to that of director Hideki Kamiya's previous title, Devil May Cry. The player controls a witch named Bayonetta, and using both melee and long ranged attacks, complex combo strings, and multiple weapons, is encouraged to explore ways to dispatch angelic enemies with as much flair as possible. Special commands or actions are woven into events, finishes, executions, and unique "Torture Attacks" in which Bayonetta summons a variety of devices to deal devastating blows to her enemies. Such devices range from chainsaws to iron maidens. Bayonetta also has unique but limited abilities that her enemies do not possess, such as "Witch Time", which activates when the player makes a well-timed dodge to an attack. This temporarily slows time to allow Bayonetta to inflict massive amounts of counter damage before the enemies can react.

Bayonetta 2

Bayonetta 2 (ベヨネッタ 2, Beyonetta Tsū) is an action hack and slash video game developed by PlatinumGames and published by Nintendo for the Wii U, with franchise owners Sega serving as advisor. It is the sequel to the 2009 game Bayonetta, and was directed by Yusuke Hashimoto and produced by Atsushi Inaba and Hitoshi Yamagami from Nintendo, under supervision by series creator Hideki Kamiya.

Bayonetta 2 was announced on September 13, 2012 exclusively for Wii U, unlike the previous game which was released on both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The titular character, Bayonetta, sports a new costume and hairstyle and the game itself features a new two-player mode. The game is also the second Bayonetta product to receive Japanese voiceovers, using the same cast that voiced the Bayonetta: Bloody Fate anime film by Gonzo.

Bayonetta 2 was released in September 2014 in Japan and October 2014 for the rest of the world. The Special and First Print Editions of the game include a Wii U port of the original Bayonetta as a separate disc inside the case. The game has received critical acclaim from many reviewers, praising the combat system and overall improvements from the first game.