Thank you Sega
So a couple years ago I had to join some Sega online club in order to participate in the Universe At War: Earth Assault beta. What I got out of it as giving Sega my contact info was a completely unplayable beta. I would go on to not buy the game based off its very “meh” demo, even though it had an absolutely fantastic soundtrack by Frank Klepacki of Command & Conquer fame (a sound track that you can download for free by the way. I recommend you do).
Anyway, much to my surprise I got an e-mail last weekend from Sega asking me if I’d like into the demo of Bayonetta early. I don’t know how Sega figured out I had a 360, maybe I told them, but the answer to that is a gigantic yes.
So I’ve downloaded it, I’ve played it and let me tell you, it’s good. While I still feel guilty for admitting my interest in the game since it features a curvy woman in a skin-tight outfit who gets more naked the more powerful her spells are, and whose ultimate attacks are called “climax moves”, the game play is momentously solid. It is the same kind of over-the-top action you expect from a Devil May Cry game, but in a vastly different flavor. The team has done a fantastic job of creating a unique fighting style for Bayonetta and I can already see there’s tons of depth to be explored with it in the full version of the game. I can’t quite put my finger on it but for some reason the combat feels more fluid than it does in Devil May Cry 4, and it’s certainly much easier to dodge than it was in that game.
My only complaint so far is that I’m gonna need a better TV to play this game. The camera likes to stay pretty far away from Bayonetta (surprising giving how much work the team put into her “assets” *ahem*), and that can make it hard to make out the white-colored baddies standing against stone-colored floors and backgrounds if they are more to the background. This is an issue since dodging is just as important in this game as aiming your cross hairs on the target’s head in a FPS is. Dodging unlocks a slow-mo “Witch Time” mechanic, during which you have a few seconds to just absolutely pound your foes and get bonus points for doing so.
So, long story short, thank you Sega for giving me early access to this game. I can definitely add this one to the list of “Pick it up in January” titles this year.
Now quit screwing about and release a good Sonic game.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
You know, I keep forgetting to ask you how you got that demo… From the videos I’ve seen, it really does look like a ton of fun! Is it a true FPS? From what’ve I’ve witnessed it looks similar to the…oh what was it called…you had to collect the demon crystals and level up your demons…one of your favorite being ‘bomb’….
Anyway, it’s good to hear it’s getting a positive demo review…I’ll be curious to see if they deliver in Jan, assuming that they do, and I manage to finish 99-nights it may be a side project to save up for.
Also, sonic for the 360, building off of the current franchise, or a new version of sonic entirely? I don’t know, having played the 3d versions on the DC, and examined… ok looked at the one that came out currently for the 360… it’d be nice to see them release the same game-play as sonic 3 just new worlds…kind of like they did in the Sonic Advance series as opposed to trying to create new 3d worlds to keep the audience gambling on if they can find XYZ item in ABC level…
Instead, keep the same elements from the old-ye days of sonic of, fast, faster, and fastest (with the inclusion of a hop, skip and jump). Heck, when in doubt make a world editor for DLC that way intrepid fans could make their own creative worlds, upload it to their handheld/console of choice, and then BAM! instant new sonic.
Anyways, I’ll be looking forward to your new comments on Bayonetta…you lucky dog you!
November 30th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
Bayonetta is not at all an FPS. It is a 3rd person action/adventure much like Devil May Cry or the 3D iterations of Ninja Gaiden. The reference I made to FPSes was an attempt to express how important dodging is in that game. Like “Being good at dodging in Bayonetta will allow you to kick as much ass as being good at headshots does in UT.”
I think the game you are referring to is “Chaos Legion,” and yes there is some similarity, though Bayonetta is much closer to Devil May Cry if for no other reason than DMC1 and Bayonetta have the same director.
At this point I don’t care what they do, I just want them to make a good, new, Sonic Game. I’d love for them to take either the Mega Man 9 approach an release an entirely brand new 2D sonic game in 8-bit style, or go the New Super Mario Bros. route and make a 2-and-a-half-D (a term I don’t care for btw) game. All I care is they drop all pretext of the need to make new characters and the Sonic Adventure setting completely, along with Amy Rose, Big the Cat, and probably Rogue the Bat as well, and just start over from “Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles vs Robotnik.” Minimize story, maximize the high-speed platforming. Done. And if they want to keep 3D, fine, at least manage to capture the spirit of Sonic Adventure2, dropping all “Hub levels” from the game and just make it a action game crawl from one level to the other.