Back in 2010, Bayonetta released on the Xbox 360 and was ported to the PS3. Unfortunately it did not sell well enough for Sega to continue supporting the IP. Thankfully years later announced that it was going to pick up the downtrodden property and give the planned sequel new life. And the result is nothing short of amazing, and the wait was definitely worth it.

The game takes place sometime after the original. After her usual day of Killing angels, Bayonetta has to go rescue her friend’s soul which is trapped in Inferno. On the way she meets a mysterious boy with equally mysterious powers who will aid her on her quest. Needless to say, the story isn’t all that deep. It serves mainly as the setting for all the crazy action that takes place. Combat is largely the same as before, but there are number of welcome design tweaks that make the game a much richer experience.

The first change is that combat is overall smoother, attacks are easier to connect, and weapons are more incredibly varied this time around. Most of them are useful and fun to play with. The magic system has also been improved. Magic now is charged up by attacking the enemy, and no longer drops when attacked, and it charges more quickly with successful execution of With Time. It also is no longer used to pull off Torture Attacks. Instead, it activates a Devil Trigger type of state called Umbran Climax. In this state, your attacks are further reaching, more powerful, and restore health over time. You do need at least ten magic orbs full before activating however. The Enemy Arms are also now tied to the standard shoot button instead of the melee buttons, which is welcome. The dreadful ‘perform this QTE real quick or die’ portions also have been nixed, but the button mashing boss finishers are still present. Thankfully the button mashing bits have been toned down and are more generous with the time given to get the max bonus.

The level design also has undergone some improvements. The challenge areas to earn extra health and magic are easier, and are also easier to locate in the levels. The game could have done without the ‘collect the fragments to access to treasure box’ bits though. The game takes about as long as the first Bayonetta did, and should last at about 8 to 10 hours if you don’t take to much time searching the levels for secrets or grind for money to buy items. Music is fantastic, and the visuals showcase exactly what the Wii U is capable of despite being old tech in light of the current generation of consoles. Gone are the drab shades of gray and brown from the first title.

It should be noted that people who buy the first prints of the game or on the eShop also can get the original Bayonetta. So seeing the two games side by side easily showcases all of the things that Bayonetta 2 simply does better. As far as port quality goes the game is great, with only a few discrepancies. Colors are less rich, and the there are no custom control configurations. It’s still a great game to play, warts and all.

Bayonetta 2 is colorful and a sight to behold, running at a constant 60 frames. Although the developers really love using the colour blue throughout the game. The game can also be played with both English and Japanese audio tracks, but the voice acting will be excellent no matter which track you use. The game is still challenging, and the game is somewhat shorter than the original. But with the improvements and rebalanced difficulty and more forgiving nature, the game’s pacing will offer a much richer, smoother experience. It’s extravagant and ridiculous set-pieces are ever present. The game is totally stupid, but that’s not really a bad thing. Because it’s fun. If you are a fan of the original game or just a fan of action games, Bayonetta 2 is a solid recommended buy. It’s a high quality title that’s at the top of its class. This game earns a Pure Platinum, baby.

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