Bayonetta 2 Demo

Bayonetta by Platinum Games, in the likely event you haven't played it, is one of the strongest character action games to date, particularly in terms of gameplay. The combat is silky smooth and discourages mindless button mashing in rather ingenious ways. The dodging mechanic, however, is the key that ranks Bayonetta among the best. It is entirely possible to play this entire game without taking any damage, based purely on player skill. Over time you develop as a Bayonetta player and develop a skill set that only makes the game better and better. The dramatic change from new to experienced in Bayonetta is a thing of beauty. It really speaks to the caliber of gameplay Platinum developed here. If you like the way that sounds, check out Bayonetta and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, also by Platinum Games.

As officially announced at E3, Nintendo ultimately stepped up to fund development of Bayonetta 2 for their Wii U console. This week we have been treated to a free download of the Bayonetta 2 demo on the Wii U. This is probably the Wii U title I'm most excited about, so I downloaded the demo immediately upon setting up my recently-acquired Wii U.

The demo runs through about 10 minutes of gameplay, including a very dynamic moving stage and two boss battles. The art, style, music, and overall feel of the gameplay are so far unchanged from the original Bayonetta game. The level design is bold, dynamic, and bosses are massive in scale (as are Bayonetta's finisher moves). The brief demo did not touch on any items, weapons, or other equipment whatsoever, which is a bit of a disappointment. At this point it seems Platinum did not mess with their formula, but it's too soon to say for certain. Hopefully in the full version we will see Platinum take some risks and innovate in a few areas while keeping the overall feel of the original title's crisp gameplay intact.

Bayonetta 2 will be available for purchase October 24, 2014. The digital download of 2 is available for $49.99 while the retail disc version ships with both Bayonetta 1 and 2 for $59.99.