"Everyone rushes at me like crazed fans.They still haven't figured out that I don't give autographs!"

Bayonetta as a game is still one of my favorite games when looking back at it when I first played it for the first time almost three years ago. My game design sense has changed much from what it was in those years, but damn this game is lightning in a bottle in my eyes.

Gameplay: As of 3's release, letting the game sit with me I can safely say while I respect its creative liberties, and ambition with its combat system, 1 still has probably the most ironed out, tightest, and fresh combat system still in the whole series. For me, there is not a single thing this game does wrong with its combat system, the enemy design is so interesting and intricate, but fair. They can only attack on screen, they challenge you and test your knowledge of Bayonetta's moveset, but also, let you express yourself against them with so many ways to combo, or interact with them like being able to sweep them. Enemies can only parry if you hit them with their armor/stagger intact, things like shooting, or WW's can help break that in so many interesting ways. Wicked Weaves can launch, stomp, or send enemies flying across the arena.
I can not tell you how many days I have pulled all-nighters, labbing away at an enemy just to perfect and pull off a combo session perfectly. 3 gets onto that level with it's unique systems like Demon Slave, but 1 has such a good moveset with interesting interactions I just can't stop thinking about it when I think of action games. The fact that inertia exists in this game alone puts it above.
With how tightly integrated Dodge Offset is to the game,
you can offset through taunt animations, Umbran Spear, portals, and even FUCKING CUTSCENES. It's even hilarious to note that Kamiya himself was even shocked that you can offset combo strings through Umbran Spear.

Let us not forget how much more agile Bayonetta feels in the first game, considering how much faster she can string her combos, cancel them, and the availability of wicked weaves on her Scarborough Fair gun strings. This game does receive some criticism from the more surface-level players due to reusing a lot of the same animations from SF for a good amount of the different weapons, however, I find that to be positive. I find that as a positive because, when using different weapons throughout the game, having a visual cue gives you a sense of familiarity with the weapon, and its combo strings. What really sets the weapons apart in Bayonetta is the different properties they have, some weapons are insanely fast, some can freeze enemies, some can blow them up, or stagger them easier. Each end result is different, so why complain about how it looks so much?
The weapons like Sai Fung are satisfying and creamy as FUCK with that just being the tip of the iceberg.

I love, love that the higher difficulties actually go beyond changing enemy damage output in 1, instead of just doing that, encounters are completely changed, enemy placements are varied and tailored differently too, and on NSIC Witch Time is taken away! This makes you change up your play style in the best way, it pushes you to learn the game systems much more now that Witch Time is no longer a crutch, you can't bait enemies anymore into easy WT's. Hard mode is the best experience of the game though imo.


The only thing I would flaw this game for is alot of the bosses, I can forgive it however, with the existence of Jeanne, she is easily one of the most interesting bosses in terms of gameplay design, that bitch does not let up. The fights with her are always a delight and exciting, but fair.

Jeanne is identical to Bayonetta, fighting against her is almost like a 1v1 against another player, she can dodge, is just as mobile, wicked weave you from far away, shoot, but hit her in recovery and it will land every time. The battle goes so quickly so the back and forth is just too much fun.




On an aesthetic note, while this game has a more brownish and yellow filter (like most games during its time) I think it fits, this game, unlike the others, focuses on a much more gothic and dark appeal, like the European architecture, the angels and demons, so so cool.
Bayonetta and Jeanne still have the most unique designs in the whole series in this game, I love their designs in 2, but for some reason, I find both their first game's designs the most appealing because of how original it is. Bayonetta's design is supposed to be a witch hat, with the red ribbons on her text saying "BAYONETTA" over and over again in demonic text. So cool how subtle and intricate these designs are. Also, as a man I'll tell ya Bayonetta and Jeanne have the most beautiful faces and best asses in these designs, don't @'t me. (thank god for Bayonetta 3's photomode!) the sound design ooo man, each hit, and gunshot feels sooo satisfying to land, or even hear, they all feel impactful, and not like a peashooter.



Story:

This game is more focused on characters than story (something Kamiya notes in his developer playthrough) and that is its biggest strength for playing into that. Bayonetta in this game is probably the best she's been characterized the whole franchise. You get her origin story, campy showcases, most character development throughout the games, and her at her most caring. I like Bayonetta 2's characterization of her as well for some of the same reasons but I dislike the dialogue of the game too much for me to say she's better than her here.

Bayonetta don't got a Shakespeare-worthy plot, nor am I saying it's perfection but damn it if these characters don't have alot of charm or heart would be a lie. I love how much detail, and emotion is put into every cutscene of this game, I also love even more is Bayonetta's character, so much. Her arc in the first game is something I really love about it.

The biggest thing about Bayonetta in the first game is an extremely subtle detail much miss, even though she is so strong, confident, and powerful upfront, she is also a very lonely woman. Even though Rodin gave her an identity, and her name in the first place, she had no recollection of who she was and it frustrates her, in the lyrics of her battle theme even notes

"Bayonetta, you're mystery. (Who)
You come along with a destiny. (Are you?)
This is your life, a battlefield telling you who you are.
(A mystery, Bayonetta.)
Bayonetta, this is your time. (Hold tight)

Bayonetta, you bury your loneliness deep down in your eyes.
(Beautiful. Beautiful. So Powerful. So lonely.)
Sadness lies in your eyes. (Lonely heart)
But victory shines in your eyes. (You will find it)
You're still alive!
(Deep down in your heart. Deep down inside. Victory!)"

Her battle theme is about her and her alone, all from Jeanne's perspective. All she can focus on is trying to stay alive, her identity as Bayonetta is what keeps her going, but she wants to remember who she was.

Bayonetta has never, been and is not a heartless person at all, very much the opposite, even though she considers Luka an annoying nuisance, a young man she has to deal with, she does sympathize and cares about him still even if she kinda does emasculate and humiliates him throughout the first half of the game. Her and Cereza's relationship is really interesting to me on a thematic level considering in a technical sense, she is reciprocating motherly love to herself, something she never had as a child, being the Umbran Outcast. Cereza is a time-distorted version of herself from the past, at first she isn't head over heels for Cereza, she is stern at first, but she takes care of her, and then, later on, she grows to be more vulnerable around her, and attached. Her attachment to Cereza is completely reflected in the gameplay, when you meet Cereza, she is seen as distant, following Bayonetta, and then later on, Bayonetta is seen, and in a section controlled carrying Cereza in her arms.

Cereza also plays a massive role for Bayonetta and Luka to start respecting one another, she is quite honestly the bridge that helps them understand one another more and see each other differently, Luka thinks that Bayonetta is a murder and was the one who killed his father when he was only a child, Bayonetta thinking that he's just an annoying, shallow stalker/perverted fool. By the end of the game, they respect each other and are on good terms. Let's not forget Jeanne too, near the end of the game when Bayonetta regains her memories, they do a good job of showing how much Jeanne means to Bayonetta, they were always there for each other, Jeanne lifts her up when she needs it the most so many times throughout the game and they inspire each other.

Bayonetta returning Cereza to her time is such a great moment for her character because she is in a sense, giving herself from the past a better future. These experiences of Being around her future self with Amnesia gives Cereza the strength she needs to become strong in her own time. When she sees her mother die in this world, instead of losing all confidence and being destroyed by it, she gets up and continues to fight. Thus, giving her a better future than Bayonetta herself had. Making Cereza, become a different person in her own time.

So when I hear this game's story is just plain nonsense, I can't help but feel like they didn't really care enough to notice it in the first place, tbh.

These previously mentioned things are the most important for her arc in this game, she like I said before, was never a heartless person, she learns to open up, and not reject people being in her life. She learns to stop being so distant towards others, and open up more.

After looking at the clusterfuck of a story that Bayonetta 3 was (SPOILERS) I am a little glad that the protagonists in Bayonetta 1/2/3 are different people, from her first game incarnation being the first. It feels like night and day when looking at Cereza in 3 to Bayonetta in 1. Bayonetta herself is a lot more flashy, and campy, but overall is an extremely compassionate woman who cares about everyone around her. She has the most heart here and development. Cereza in 3, on the other hand, feels a lot less brave, and honestly, alot dumber and less intelligent than Bayonetta in 1 even though she is technically the strongest Cereza. She's a lot more bitchier, and she doesn't have any interesting characterization or developments that make sense like Bayonetta's, Bayonetta had signs of weakness as well, her fear, losing her mother, and so on, so it is pretty unfortunate Cereza doesn't really have any interesting character traits like Bayonetta, even her style and camp aren't on the same tier.

I miss when Bayonetta had actual continuity, even though the story wasn't its focal point, the characters were the heart. So to me, It's pretty deplorable seeing the direction 3 went for with its story, considering how few interesting developments happen in the cutscenes or are even explained and feel sensible to the characters. They just are missing the soul that made them great to me like this game did. It feels like with each passing sequel so far, the story just keeps taking a nosedive even though they put so much emphasis on it in 3. To the point were it affected the characters greatly.

I think what made Bayonetta such a fascinating character to me is her subtlety, it pops in and out but we get to see it in full through the actions she takes and her visuals, instead of it being out loud and about in your face all the time, it is more so hinted through her mannerisms at first. So when it is shown out and about, it feels very earned, and special. It's not overdone like in shounen anime, it feels a lot more human and believable, more earned to me.

She's a subtly emotional woman, and I can't help but love her for it.

I'm so sorry if some parts of this review is just a rant of me comparing 1 to 3, but I can't help it. LOL.