Bayonetta 2 is still a couple weeks away from its release, but thankfully Nintendo released a short demo for us to play last week. It was totally awesome, and it looks like the majority of gaming sites feel the same way of the full game, judging from their reviews, which have been published today.
In our review round-up, we’ll take a look at a few of the outlets that have published their reviews, their scores and what they thought of the game.
Edge – 100
SEGA’s loss is Nintendo’s gain: Bayonetta, twirling away from a gigantic demon’s maw and smacking the highest choir of angels on the nose, has just given Wii U its first true classic. [Via Edge’s November issue]
GameSpot – 10/10
Bayonetta 2’s combat is so expertly constructed, and its presentation so joyously insane, that you’d have to try so very hard to get bored of it all. In a year filled with the promise of ever more elaborate experiences on all the shiny new hardware, that Bayonetta 2–a homage to classic game design and escapism–should be the most fun I’ve had playing a game all year is unexpected.
Destructoid – 10/10
When Bayonetta came out in 2010, I thought it was nearly perfect. Four years later and Platinum hasn’t lost its edge with Bayonetta 2. It’s just as stylish and as fun as ever, and a must-buy for action fans who own a Wii U.
Joystiq – 5/5
Even if Bayonetta 2 did not include an enhanced remake of its predecessor, it would launch as one of the Wii U’s best games, but this generous inclusion pushes Platinum’s first sequel into no-brainer territory for anyone with even the slightest affection for action games. If you bought the Wii U months ago explicitly in anticipation of Bayonetta 2, congratulations, your decision has paid off in spades.
Eurogamer – 90
The rhythm of combat remains the same, though it’s hard to complain when it’s riffing off such a heady beat, where chimed enemy attacks are lithely dodged into slo-mo pugilism, where impossible combos culminate with a 20-foot boot weaved from hair crashing from the heavens and where spinning amidst the avalanche of colour and cartoon violence is Bayonetta herself, stopping only briefly to wink at a player exhausted by the unrelenting joy of it all. Bayonetta 2’s biggest disappointment may be that it’s an iterative sequel, but it’s not such a problem when it’s iterating on genius.
Polygon – 7.5/10
When Platinum Games is on, it’s really, really on, and Bayonetta 2 is in almost any respect that counts a better game than the first, whose mechanics were already exemplary. But every time I’d feel on a roll, enjoying my time with Bayonetta 2 immensely, I’d be broken out of it by another cheap shot of T&A. I would be wrecking a flock of angelic or demonic enemies, sliding in and out of witch time almost at will, and then the special weapon I had picked up became a literal stripper pole for Bayonetta to dance on, because … well, because, I guess.
Game Revolution – 70/100
If you’re an action gamer with a Wii U or even an older Nintendo fan with patience enough for Bayonetta’s Moon River remix soundtrack, then summon the strength to face this bad hair day with both guns up. Actually, make it all four guns up. Bayonetta manages to pull it off without tucking her ankles behind her head, though you might strain something if you try it her way.
