With Tears in my Eyes and a Hard-on in my Pants.

So I finally get a reprieve and start feeling better (been sick lately), and I also happen to have a bit of time on my hands. What to do, what to do......Well, I could go for some video game time. Get some time in with my xbox 360......oh, but I fogot I have an errand to run....hmmm, perhaps I can rent a game while I am out......

So, I go to blockbuster to rent Raiden IV for the xbox 360, since I've been wanting to play it, and my wife was clearly done with Magna Carta 2, since you know, it's been sitting there for 2 months (rental pan) unplayed and crying itself to sleep each night as it tries to console itself with the lie that tomorrow will be the day, so just hang in there......


Anyways, I return it and head over to the 360 shelf, where I grab Raiden IV from its dusty and desolate place on the shelf, right in between all the other games that people actually rent. I dry its tears as I whisper sweet nothings in its ear, and turn to head towards the front desk. And that's when I see it.

The bargain bin.

NO!! I remind myself. NO! Amanda's on maternity lea-

wait a minute........no she's not. Not any longer. She's back to work.

but that means.....

HOLY MOSES OF ISRAEL I CAN BUY SHIT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wipe MY tears this time, wait until my erection subsides (hid it behind the Raiden IV case, which I am sure must have felt good for it, after being alone for so long, but I digress) and skip over to the bargain bin to see what's what.

I end up grabbing 5 games for 30 dollars. Yay! Here's what I bought, and why:

Wartech: Senko no Ronde

Why: Reminds me of Psychic Force 2012 and it was $5.

The Watchmen: The End is Nigh Parts 1 and 2

Why: Demo was okay, 2 games for $15, and I looooooooove beat em ups, so I'll get some fun out of it.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance

Why: Played before, was decent, and it was $5.

Armored Core 4

Why: Mechs, blow shit up, and it was $5.

Oh, and this is Raiden IV, you n00bs:

Perfect Dark XBLA Remake Imminent (Footage!)

Due out in March, for a (rumoured) measly 10 dollars (800 MS points)! All I can say is, Perfect.

....Pardon the poor pun. But I'm really quite excited. Perfect Dark was a seminal console shooter, and they seem to have kept everything intact while improving on it in several key ways. I'm stoked.

Bejeweled 2 Deluxe XBLA Review

Bedazzled

Bejeweled 2 Deluxe was released in 2005 for the xbox 360. It's a sequel to the hit puzzle game Bejeweled. The concept of Bejeweled, as is the case with most puzzle games, is really quite simple. There is a board filled with gems, or jewels, of various shapes and sizes, and your goal is to swap places, two gems at a time, in order to cause three or more of the same kind of gems to line up. This results in them disappearing from the board, only to be replaced by the same number of a random selection of gems. Also as is the case with most other puzzle games, this simplicity is deceptive, as there are various strategies to be employed en route to clearing the requisite number of moves in order to progress. At least, this is the case for some of the modes. The end goal changes depending on which of the several game modes you are playing. We'll come to this momentarily, however. I'd like to describe the basic gameplay in just a little more detail before we get to the game modes.

There are seven main types of gems: the red square, the green circle, the yellow diamond, the white circle, the orange hexagon, the blue rounded (Reuleaux) triangle, and the purple triangle. When four of these are matched, a Power Gem is created. These are special versions of the regular pieces that explode when matched with other gems, destroying the surrounding pieces. When five gems are matched, a Hypercube is created. These special pieces destroy all of the gems of a given variety on the field when matched with one of that variety. For example, matching it with a purple triangle results in all of the available purple triangles being destroyed. These Power Gems and Hypercubes become focal points of the gameplay, as they play heavily into the strategies employed in the game.


As alluded to earlier, there are several game modes found within Bejeweled 2 Deluxe. There are nine modes, to be exact. The standard mode is as described above. The Action mode is a timed version of the standard mode. Puzzle Mode is a mode in which you are presented with various puzzles which need to be solved by matching specific gems in a certain order, thereby clearing the board. Another mode available in the game is the Endless mode, which is comprised of a series of levels, which increase in length as you get farther in. The hook in this mode is that you can never lose, hence the title 'Endless Mode.' Unlike in the regular modes, you will never get the dreaded no more moves text popup, which signifies a game over. The rest of the modes are hidden, and are up to the player to discover.

Visually, the game is pleasing to the eye, especially in high definition. Nothing ground breaking, but it's a nice clean, simple look, with sharp detail and beautiful backgrounds. The gems have a shine to them which catches the eye.

The game, like many other in the genre, is seemingly innocuous at first, but gets devilishly harder as time progresses, and if it grabs you, will hook you in for many, many hours. The developers tried to play to this with the achievements, which are very, very difficult to attain and almost incomprehensibly time consuming for the most part. The one for reaching level 280 in Endless mode, for example, will take about 100 hours to complete. Then you add in the 10000 power gems/1000 hypercubes achievement, and you have yourself a lot of gameplay ahead of you, if so inclined.

As far as negatives go, there are but a few. It's not incredibly complex, but that seems to work to its advantage. There's just enough depth to keep you interested, while at the same time remaining simplistic enough to be accessible and fun. However, this lack of depth may be seen as a downside to some gamers. Another possible downside is that there is no multiplayer. This is a single player only affair. The game design is not one that strikes me as particularly conducive to multiplayer, but some people may feel otherwise.

This is a good game that will appeal to most puzzle game fans, save for those few who require vast amounts of depth in their puzzle games. Other than that group, this will be a good purchase, and at 10 dollars, it's a good value, especially considering the gameplay hours you can squeeze from it. It's the type of game that's good for those times where you don't want to play anything too engaging, but rather, just sort of zone out and play something that will help you unwind after a long day. And if you're an achievement hunter, you've got your work cut out for you.

Overall Score: 8.5/10

Gamer On Fire!!! ( Gameronfire.com )

Gamer On Fire!!!

I am now on staff at a gaming website. We're still working on defining roles, but it appears that I will be the Lead Content Editor, or something akin to that, as well as a writer (primarily xbox 360 related content, I imagine, but as I said, roles are still being defined), and a forum moderator. We are throwing together ideas for a podcast, a video service, and some other cool stuff like integration with and support of, professional gaming teams, and some other neat stuff.

The site is also going to feature a discussion forum that allows basically any and all discussion in regards to gaming. None of that ''blog it'' or ''no vs. threads'' shit. If you want to post a topic extolling the virtues of one game over another, go for it, but at least try and be constructive about it. If you think the DS is better than the PSP, say it. We're not little children who will jump to rally behind our little plastic devices and act all indignant upon hearing a dissenting opinion. And if you act like one, you won't have mods to protect you from others' opinions, so you'll have to either grow up, or leave.

Of course, if this is too idealistic, and it turns into a shitstorm of crybaby bullshit, then we might have to implement some changes, but that's not the vision we have for the forums.

The website is http://www.gameronfire.com/

I have an offical blog there, which can be accessed @ http://www.gameronfire.com/index.php/blogs/magx01

So, come check us out, join the forums, and help us grow. Keep in mind, the place is still under construction, and things are still being sorted out, but it's basically fully functional at this point in terms of forums and such, but there is plenty of work to be done yet on the content and infrastructure implementation side of things. The admin/webmaster, Tyler, seems to have a good vision for the site, so I have much confidence in it and him. Also, he's looking for staff, so feel free to apply if you feel you would be an asset. You can do that on the website itself, or in the forums.

What I Have Been Up To.

Well, I have been up to some fairly big things, at least, I consider them to be so in the little microcosm of my world. I'll do these numerically:

l) I am now on staff at a gaming website. I'll put up a post on that momentarily.

EDIT: That post it now up. See HERE

2) It appears that I am going to be writing a monthly corporate newsletter for my buddies' business, as well as editing and proofing their written proposals and other such documents. I was given their current proposals to look over as a sort of test run, and, having submitted them to him tonight, I think he's going to be pretty happy with what I did :)

And if he's not.....I'll kick him in the balls and make him cry :P

Bye for now.

Borderlands Review

Care to Open Pandora's.....Vault?

[Note] This review is for the xbox 360 version of the game.


Borderlands in the latest game from Gearbox software, the developer known for making FPS games, namely, the Brothers in Arms series. They have always prided themselves on being just a bit different. A bit more cerebral and thoughtful in their approach. They have brought that mentality of innovation and fresh experiences to Borderlands, which is an FPS/RPG hybrid, that finds the player alone on a vast wasteland of a planet known as Pandora.

Pandora is a hostile place. You find yourself there on a quest to locate the oft rumoured Vault, a place steeped in myth and legend that is said to contain unnamed riches. You are not alone in this search, as many other individuals and some greedy corporations have tried over the years to locate the Vault. So far, none have been successful. Does the Vault even exist? This question haunts you on your quest.

Does that sound compelling? Well, I didn't think so either, but it's enough to drive the action forward. The story is definitely not a highlight in this game, and it's shallowness is definitely one of the few flaws. The emphasis in this game is on gameplay. Namely, combat, looting, and leveling up your choice of one of four available characters. So, is the game compelling enough to succeed despite a paper thin story, and other issues?

Graphics

This game utilizes an intriguing art style that has been described as a moving comic book. It's really quite stunning in motion, despite a few occasional flaws (jagged edges and shadows, and some minor clipping). It features black line borders around characters and objects, and a very vast colour palette. It's a game who's look speaks for itself (which is likely why the developers changed it midway through development. It really helps differentiate it). There is a small issue with the engine, as texture pop in is evident when loading a new area, similar to games like Mass Effect and Gears of War. I'm not sure if this game utilizes a modified Unreal III engine, but I know that engine is known for pop in so it is possible. Overall, despite the few flaws, this is a game that will, if not outright atop you in your tracks, at least have you acknowledge it's proficiency and uniqueness. The look is also complimented by some nice special effects, including fire and explosive effects, lightning, and exploding limbs. It's really quite beautiful to see.





Sound

The game's soundtrack is largely forgettable, and the audio mixing seems a bit off, as I have difficulty finding a balance between audible but not overpowering musical accompaniment, and clearly defined sound effects. It works for a while, but the music has moments where it grows either too quiet or too loud, and, at least for me, needed to be occasionally adjusted. Then again, when playing, I always have a wife and baby sleeping nearby, as I play at night, so it definitely may be a player specific concern. The gun sounds are adequate.
Voice work is good, although there isn't very much of it, which brings us to another one of the game's flaws: largely inactive NPC's. Most of them don't have all that much to say to you, which can leave you feeling even more alone than you already did at times (assuming you aren't playing this co-op). I'll expand upon this later.

Gameplay

As stated earlier, this game is an FPS/RPG hybrid. It plays like a very adequate FPS, and the RPG elements fit right in, and do not feel at all tacked on, although NPC interaction and story are on the weaker side, as I mentioned earlier. What is done right on the RPG side of things is the experience/leveling system and the loot system. Essentially what you have here is a Diablo style game that plays like an FPS. There are an incredible number of weapons and different items to be found, most of which are procedurally generated, giving you almost limitless combinations of things. Enemies drop guns, shields, money, health packs, class modifications, and other items when they expire, leading to the infamous loot drop addiction: What cool stuff can I acquire next? Let's kill something to find out! You also obtain things as rewards for completing quests, and also, you'll find items through chests located throughout the world. All of these are staples of the RPG genre. Take that, but play it from a first person perspective and with guns, and you have the basic blueprints for Borderlands.


Ah, loot. Glorious loot!

The game is structured similarly to an MMO, although an MMO it is not. There are several areas in a huge world, separated into different zones (with a load time between each). In each zone, you'll find people waiting to doll out quests to you, both of the main story and side variety. You accept these quests, and then go forth to kill things, hunt items and people down, repair things, etc. Standard fare, and of course, along the way, you fight enemies scattered throughout the environment. Speaking of enemies, there is a good variety. You'll find yourself fighting human bandits, giant spiders, rat like creatures (skags), giant scorpion like enemies, flying bat like creatures called Rakks, huge bosses, and a few others I won't spoil here.



You start the game with an introduction to the four playable heroes. You have the Soldier, the Hunter, the Siren, and the Berserker. Each of the classes is more proficient with certain weapons, although anyone can use any weapon they like, with no penalty. Each class has specific abilities, which can be unlocked via a skill tree (different for each character). Using this skill tree, you can specialize your character, so, for example, as a Soldier, you can spec yourself to be a medic, or a support character. Or you can go Commando style and focus on damage abilities. You can also mix it up, and refreshingly, you can redo the whole build for a small in game fee, so don't be afraid to invest points, you can always redo it later on.

Each character also has a character specific action skill. The Hunter can release a bird of prey, which hunts down enemies, the Soldier can throw down an automatic turret which provides cover as well as shoots enemies (and can be spec'd to heal the player(s) as well as regenerate ammo, the Siren can turn invisible and run very fast. Activating this also damages all enemies in the vicinity. The Berserker goes into Berserk mode, which is a rage mode that makes him damage resistant. In this mode, you can rush enemies and melee the hell out of them.

So, you do the aforementioned quests, and you collect weapons and armor. You build up an super powerful version of your original character, kill countless enemies, and try to find this Fabled Vault. You can do this alone, or you play with up to 3 other players online, or 1 more in splitscreen. Co-op increases the fun exponentially in this game, as playing alone can make you feel bit lonely in the vast wasteland that is Pandora, and the fear-of-public-speaking NPC's don't help this feeling.


If it helps, just picture me in my underwear

Co-op works very well, and it is drop in/drop out, so no need to wait around in lobbies. People can join and leave mid game. The only negative to co-op is that the loot system does not incorporate rules for loot drops. It doesn't randomly allocate things to players, or take turns giving each person something. It doesn't split up or share the loot in any way. It's totally everyone for themselves, which means, if you are playing with the wrong people, someone may hog it all. If you are playing with friends, or decent people, it's easy to share, even after someone picks something up. You can just drop it for them, or even trade. You can also fight over loot if you wish, as there is a duel feature implemented into the game. Just melee someone, and if they melee you back, it's on. The fight leaves one person close to death, but no one dies. You can also go to various arenas located throughout the world to engage in 4 player round based skirmishes.

The developers hyped up the amount of guns in the game, and they weren't being deceitful. It's almost endless. You can get shotguns that shoot rockets, snipers that do lighting damage, assault rifles that set people on fire, rocket launchers that shoot 3 rockets at once, ect etc. Now, of course, there are archetypes that the guns fall into, and more often than not, you'll find yourself dropping, ignoring, or selling the guns you see, as many of them won't be better or as good as something you are already carrying. The guns fall into the following types: Combat Rifles, Pistols, Shotguns, Rockets, Submachine guns, Snipers, and Eridian Weapons. There is a proficiency rating for each, and this is leveled up as you earn experience while using one of the different kinds of guns.

There are these little robots called Claptraps, and they can be located throughout the world. When you find one, you will have to find a nearby repair kit to fix him, and upon doing so, are given a backpack expansion, which adds to your inventory space. By the end, you can carry as many as 42 items/weapons.

The world is very huge, although it is broken up into zones, as said earlier. To traverse the land, you can walk, sprint (you have an infinite sprint and do not need to hold the button down, it can be toggled). You can also approach any of the vehicle spawn locations and order up a car, which can be outfitted with either a rocket launcher or machine gun. You can also change the colour of the vehicle, but that's it for customization. And that there is another flaw in the game.

One great aspect of RPG's is that they often allow you to customize your character's appearance. In Borderlands, this is restricted to colour, just like the vehicles. It's not a pressing issue, but it is one that demonstrates how the game is a bit weaker on the RPG elements than some may like.

Summation

So, to sum up, the combat is fast, fluid, visceral (even with the more ''cartoony'' presentation) and fun. Leveling and loot collecting is very addictive. This game is absolutely recommended for anyone who is into both types of gameplay. This game, despite the few flaws, is a fantastic new intellectual property, and, for my money, is one of, if not the game of the year. If the gameplay hooks you, be prepared for countless hours of exploration and looting. Co-op adds to this replay value, as does a new game mode type mode called ''Playthrough 2'' (inventive, I know) which is unlocked after beating the game for the first time. Boderlands is a fantastic game that should not be overlooked.

Overall score: 9/10

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved Review

Geometry is Fun Again.

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved is a game with humble beginnings. The game began as a mini game found in the game Project Gotham Racing 2. Now, expanded and released on the xbox Live arcade service, it has become its own entity, and while modestly priced at $5, provides an experience quite above its meager means.



This is a 2D top down shooter, that is essentially a modernized version of Asteroids, without the warping and with dual stick controls added in. You move the ship with the left analog stick, and fire in the direction you point the right one in. Instead of flying saucers and asteroids, your ship shoots at enemies that take several different geometric shapes, are colored differently, and behave in different ways. There are simple enemies like the blue diamonds that move towards your position in a non aggressive manner, or the purple pinwheels that spin about randomly, not attacking you but causing your demise if you inadvertently make contact with them. There are green squares that hone in on you, and cowardly move away once you turn to fire in their direction. There are also more complicated enemies, like intensely aggressive seekers, ones that split up into smaller pieces when hit, long snakes that slither about and present a challenge due to their movement patterns and near invulnerability, or tiny blue particles that fill up the screen almost faster than you can shoot them.



There are also black holes (well, red holes with the properties of black holes) that appear on the grid once you start to earn enough points. These suck in the nearby enemies and even the grid that forms the background (for a cool visual effect) before exploding into a swarm of enemy shapes. These are supposed to present a challenge to the player, but can also actually be used to your advantage, as it's possible to lure enemies nearby, and shoot them as they are being sucked into the gravitational vortex.

You start the game with three lives and three bombs, and earn more as your score increases. The longer you go without dying, the bigger your score, as there is a multiplayer in effect, which increases the more you destroy the enemy shapes. The game is over when you run out of lives, and in theory, can run indefinitely. There is no real objective other than survival and setting a high score, which is a great throwback to the golden era of gaming, as it is fondly recalled.



The aforementioned bombs are a staple of the genre, and although not revolutionary, they serve you well, clearing the entire screen of enemies at the press of a button. In addition to the bombs, you have your ships main weapon, which has unlimited ammo, but also grows stronger earn points. Once you hit the 10,000 point mark, you get either a spread gun or a super concentrated but powerful machine gun, and the game randomly alternates between the two every 10,000 points.

There are two modes of play in the game. Evolved mode, which is likely where you will spend most of your time, is a remade version of the Geometry Wars from PGR2, with vastly improved graphics and a pulse pounding soundtrack, complimented by some of the coolest sound effects ever heard. The graphics in this mode are often referred to as 'psychedelic' and that seems to be an apt description. The colors pop off the screen, shapes explode into smaller shapes, the screen fills with enemies as the game progresses, and the very background itself is effected b both the black holes, as previously mentioned, and your machine gun fire.

With lights flashing, sparks flying, enemies exploding, and the music pumping, as the screen gets filled up more and more with enemies, shrinking your travel route inch by inch, you'll find yourself intoxicated by the intensity of the experience. This is definitely a twitch game, heavily relying on reflexes and quick decision making. And it all looks beautiful.



The second mode is the Retro mode, and it's an exact port of the game from PGR2. So, it's the evolved mode minus a chunk of the, excitement, although it's novel in its own right as there are a few small gameplay changes to be found. It's the mode you'll try out a few times before inevitably heading back to the evolved mode where you;'ll get, well, the evolved experience.

The game starts off deceptively easy, but the longer you survive, the harder it gets. Survive long enough and you'll see the screen completely filled with enemies, black holes exploding every few seconds, and you'll wonder if you even blinked anytime in the last few minutes. It's really quite a sight to behold, and, at $5, it's a no brainer for shooter fans.

The only real flaws present are the lack of co-op play, and the lack of any real differing gameplay modes.

Gorgeous to look at, beautiful to hear, and intense, challenging, and thrilling to play, this game is excellent. Another mode or two and some co-op play and this game would be hard to beat.

Overall Score: 9/10

Bayonetta Review

Platinum Games Puts on a Level Design and Combat Engine Clinic.

Note: This is a review of the xbox 360 version of the game. There are several significant differences between versions, so, if you are planning on playing the PS3 version, while this review will definitely give you an overview of the game, you should look elsewhere to see what differences you can expect with the PS3 version of the game (although I have read that a patch is imminent which should remedy the issues present in that version).

Story

The story deals with two factions, the Umbra Witches, and the Lumen Sages. These two clans represent darkness (witches) and light (sages). Both clans resided in the fictional European city of Vigrid, and, 500 years before the game takes place, they mysteriously vanished. The titular character, Bayonetta, is a witch who find herself awakened after a 500 year slumber. She finds herself in an unfamiliar place, and no idea who she is.


Oh NOES! Who am I?

The narrative unfolds in the classic amnesia driven mystery (yes, the main plot device is the progression of a character afflicted with amnesia; original, I know) style: the events surrounding the present are shrouded in mystique, and are slowly unveiled to the character, and the player, as the game progresses. It's not unique, it's not original, and it's full of cliche's. The voice actor for the Enzo character is really annoying, although his appearance in the game is fairly brief.

However, the cutscenes are well directed, and they take three different forms: fully animated scenes like one would expect, still shots with dialogue, and a mix of animation and still shots surrounded by a film strip. All three combine to actually make the serviceable but unremarkable plot compelling enough to at least watch it through. At first it seems jarring, and one wonders if perhaps there was a time or budgetary constraint placed on the team, but, over time, it seems to actually work. And the action sequences contained within are very well done.

The dialogue is corny, and the whole thing drips with a self parodying campiness, that, while intentional, might turn some players off., while appealing to others.

Graphics



Visually, this is a very good looking game, with a great use of colour, and it runs at a brisk place and suffers very little discernible slowdown. Quite a feat, really. I have seen some complaints of screen tearing levied at the game, and while I have not noticed this myself, I thought it prudent to mention it. The environments are varied, detailed, and visually impressive. Character animations are sublime. Enemy designs evoke feelings of both awe and disgust, and the bosses.......they look absolutely incredible as they tower above you, setting such a sense of scale that I often had to stop and just look up in awe. The name of the game here is scale and detail. The special effects are also very noteworthy.
Everything looks both fantastical and believable, and it all compliments the action very, very well, leading one to feel nothing but excitement as they do battle with the games roster of enemies, of which there is no shortage.



Audio

The sound effects are great, adding to much the atmosphere and not detracting from the experience in any way. The music, on the other hand, will draw its share of detractors. I for one liked it, as it just seems to fit, even though it is basically the furthest you could ever get from my music of choice (death metal). The music in this game is a combination of ''j-pop,' jazz, and synth. It fits the over the over the top and humorous tone of the game, although I can easily fathom (and understand) people just outright hating it. In that case, mute away and listen to whatever you want.

Gameplay

Forgive me for a second:

WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW

Okay, sorry to regress to such childishness, but this game is just absolutely brilliant. For anyone that has played Devil May Cry, or more to the point, Devil May Cry 3 or 4, they know what to expect (for the most part). A fast, smooth, technical combat system with a heavy emphasis on offense, combos, and style. Stringing together ridiculous and stylish combos as you dispatch legions of foes is the name of the game. Essentially, at it's core, it boils down to a simple template:

Y button for punches, B for kicks, X for guns, R for dodge, a jump button, a lock on (which you don't really need, save for making certain moves easier to pull off) and a taunt button. Pretty simple, although it's how you put it all together that makes the game shine. You can mix and match attacks in an utterly ridiculous number of ways. Throw in air juggles, slams, throws, magic attacks, and so called ''torture attacks'' (which I will get to shortly), the ability to have two separate weapon sets equipped (each containing two weapons, one for the hands, and one for the feet...giving you 4 weapons available at all times) which you can switch between with the L trigger (even mid combo), and you have a quite a lot of depth to play with, if you are so inclined. To exemplify this, I will give you a sample combo:

Whip, pause, whip, jump, afterburner kick, weapon switch, sword slash, sword slash, downward kick, stomp(hold) bomb, jump, weapon switch, whip(hold) (pulls the enemy back into the air), weapon switch, downward sword slash.

Or

Y, pause, Y, A, A,B, L, Y, Y, B, back-forward B(hold), A, L, Y(hold), L, Y.



This may sound complicated to the uninitiated, but it's not as hard as it may seem, and it can get a whole lot more complex with practice. The beauty of it though, is that it's up to you how complicated you want to make it. If you're content with just spamming attacks, then okay, as long as your defense is adequate, you can get through just fine, albeit not as stylishly. If you're the type of gamer though, who must explore the nuances of a combat engine, this game is for you. Already there are some remarkable combo videos out there, and they will just get better and better as time goes on. There is a rating system in place, similar to that in the aforementioned Devil May Cry, which grades you based on your combo usage and damage avoidance. Also, every single possible facet of the controls works perfectly.

An interesting mechanic present in this game is the usage of Bayonetta's hair to dish out pain. So called Wicked Weave attacks are combo finishers that deal out large and cool looking damage, and they are done with her hair.



Finshing attacks on bosses also utilize this mechanic, in incredibly ridiculous and inventive ways, which need to be seen to be believed.

In terms of defense, the options here a bit more limited that something like Ninja Gaiden, for example, as the focus is much more on offense here. Your best ally is the dodge button, and, if executed at the last moment before an imminent attack hits, you will activate 'witch time', which is essentially bullet time, as we now all know it. In this mode, the enemies slow down, representing a heightened sense of awareness for Bayonetta, meaning you have extra time to dish out the pain while the enemies remain mostly defenseless. It also leads to some jaw dropping moments as you really see some awesome maneuvers executed in glorious slow motion.

Also on the defensive end of things is the ability to negate any damage taken if you execute a dodge or a directional press at exactly the time you take the damage. This ability is unlocked via a magic ability and also an accessory. Both of these require fairly precise timing, and as such, are much less reliable than the ever useful dodge maneuver. This ability requires some practice to use, but will become very, very useful, once learned.



There are many other abilities to be unlocked via the games currency system, which takes the form of rings that look exactly like those found in the Sonic games. You can unlock many different moves, accessories that increase or add abilities, items, weapons, and costumes. There is much to be unlocked and learned throughout the game, and it will require multiple playthroughs to experience them all. In fact, the game seems to encourage replay, as there are 2 unlockable difficulties (Hard and Infinite Climax Mode, which does away with witch time) and a survival mode called The Lost Chapter (similar to the Bloody Palace mode in DMC), in addition to the aforementioned weapons, items, techniques, and accessories. In fact, one of the weapons requires the player to play through 100 Chapters of the game to unlock it. There are also online enabled leaderboards available to add to the replay value.

The weapons available include a standard katana, a whip, claw attachments for your hands and feet, various guns, including pistols, shotguns and rocket launcher boots, ice skates (yes, you read that correctly) and a couple of others I have not as of yet unlocked, but know about. I will not spoil those here. Suffice it to say, there are several weapons available, all with differing movesets.



The problem is, they aren't given to you in a linear progression throughout the story, which means you can end up beating the game while only possessing three weapons and some different guns. That's a bit of a letdown, as this game screams for more and moire inventive weapons. It's a great feeling to unlock a new and vastly different weapon every few chapters, something that, for example, Ninja Gaiden excels at.

The enemy AI is predictable in the sense that they almost always telegraph their attacks, and they usually don't gang up on you or work in concert. A few enemies break this last rule, but most stick to the typical hang back while one or two attack rule. I am not sure, however, how enemy behaviour changes in the higher difficulties.

The boss fights, as stated earlier in this review, are very memorable, due to their design and scale, as well as really numerous.



There are MANY boss fights in this game, and, true to genre convention, many of them repeat throughout the game. Some will find this tedious, others will relish the chance to fight these memorable bosses again. I was in the latter camp. If boss fights are truly enjoyable, then I am all for repeat appearances. Luckily for this game, all of the bosses are fun to fight. Not all fit the huge scale requirement, and in fact, a couple of the most memorable take place against enemies of a similar size and evenly matched in ability. These result in some fast and furious battles against equally agile opponents that can leave one breathing heavily when completed. They are reminiscent of the truly thrilling and remarkable doppelganger fights present in Ninja Gaiden Black, and while not quite up to par with those, come pretty close to their greatness. One of these fights, in fact, brings me to a novel mechanic int his game.

Bayonetta employs a mechanic called Witch Walk, which essentially allows her to walk on walls and ceilings. This is put to liberal use during two of those excellent boss fights, as well as during a few platforming segments. The platforming in this game, while not hugely present throughout, does consist of a decent chunk of the games time, and is all done very well. The excellent control holds up well in these sections, although the camera, in a few instances, can present a small, but not nearly gamebreaking problem. This is common in most 3D games, and, like many others, enclosed spaces can present a small problem. These instances are fortunately few and far between, so it's not really a detriment to the experience.

The witch walk and other gravity and perspective tricks are utilized to build some truly remarkable set pieces, which I will not spoil here. Suffice it to say, there was not one section of the game that was poorly designed, although there are 2 or 3 moments that involve vehicles and flight that may cause some disagreement, although these are not prominently featured, and not in any way broken. They just may not seem to fit with the rest of the game. Overall, the game continually ups the ante, and you will find yourself thrilled by the design ingenuity, scale, and style.

Another new mechanic present are the torture attacks. These are gruesome finishing moves hat can be executed by building up the magic gauge via combos, and then pressing Y and B when prompted. These are very impressive and exciting finishing moves, and they serve to add another layer to the wow factor.



There are a few simple ''puzzles'' found within the game, but they are not prominently featured,a nd there's nothing particularly great about them. There's also nothing particularly annoying about them either, something that I cannot say for the Devil May Cry games.

The load screens in this game are actually noteworthy, as they allow you to practice the combat, and, if you press the back button, you can remain in this mode for as long as you wish. There are button prompts that show you the combinations available, and how many times you have executed each one.

In terms of challenge, I can't comment too much on this, as I only just beat Normal, and have yet to begin Hard mode, although I plan to start tonight or tomorrow, and hopefully will have that and Infinite Climax mode bested within a week or two. I have read that Hard is quite the challenge, which is good to hear, as many times Hard is not all that much more difficult than Normal, and one must wait until they get to the next step up to truly feel challenged. Infinite Climax is supposed to be very, very hard, so I look forward to that.


I'll see you on Infinite Climax mode

Normal mode was challenging, but not overtly so. I'd say that, compared to the hack n slash genre's difficulty beast, Ninja Gaiden, this game was a step down in terms of challenge. Opinions will differ, but if Ninja Gaiden's Normal mode is a 10, this game's Normal mode is a 6 or a 7. It was fine, but t could have been a bit harder. I think genre veterans will find it about the same, although people new to the genre may find themselves scratching their heads at times, as there are a few instances where the game will give you a taste of what it can really do. I was bested at a few of these moments as well, and definitely saw the continue screen a bunch of times throughout the game. This can, and will, be remedied with more practice and familiarity.

I did not play Easy or Very Easy, and likely never will, so I cannot comment on those difficulties. The aforementioned new players will likely find themselves starting here and working their way up, and that's a good thing, as it allows a wider audience to enjoy the game, something that Ninja Gaiden stubbornly (and almost proudly) fails at doing.

I am anxious to see how Infinite Climax mode compares to the now legendary Master Ninja mode from Ninja Gaiden.

Overall

This game is all about style and combat depth, and it succeeds at both. The level design is fantastic. Not once was there ever a section of the game that was so annoying I wished I could have skipped it. I haven't played many games for which I could make the same claim.


I'm that damn good

As I stated earlier, there is not one single annoying or badly designed area present in this game, and that is truly one of its understated qualities that will likely go unnoticed due to the combat, but deserves just as much kudos. This game also changed my perception on huge, towering boss fights: they need not be underwhelming or limiting in terms of the combat.

This game is an absolute no brainer for hack n slash fans, and a must rent for everyone even remotely interested.

Overall Score: 9.5/10