Top 10 of '10: Number 1 - Bayonetta (XBox 360)

So here we are, with my number one most enjoyed game of 2010. And who'd have thought that a game released in the second week of 2010 would hang on to my top spot all year? Not many, but from the day I played the demo of Bayonetta, I had a bit of a feeling. About the game... what did you think I meant?

If you ignore the fact that you play a witch who is clothed in her own hair, which becomes a super-powerful weapon at her command... oh, who am I kidding? It's impossible to ignore that. But for all that it's absolutely mind-bogglingly crazy, Bayonetta actually has a good, well fleshed-out story to complement the frenetic gameplay.


That woman's in the nip!

Bayonetta is a witch without a memory... but after 500 years asleep, that's not really surprising. The story begins with Bayonetta trying to regain her memories, and indeed they do come back, piece by piece... usually awoken by some catastrophic event or a character from her past. It becomes apparent that there are two factions of witches, representing the dark and light sides. As long as balance remains between the two, the world will be a good place to live in. But, of course, that balance is threatened, and this threat seems to revolve around Bayonetta...


It's like Kung-Fu... with added kick!

The game plays like Devil May Cry... as it should, both games were directed by the same fella. But I always found the Devil May Cry series a bit po-faced. I quite enoyed them for what they were, but ultimately they were all a bit too difficult for me, and a bit too dry.

That's never a problem with Bayonetta. Right from the start, where you're on a falling clock tower (falling from where, I don't know, but it falls a looong way), battling demonic angels in strange forms, you know that this is an action game with its tongue planted firmly in its cheek.


Alright, I can't even begin to stress how much wrong is in this picture.

Bayonetta took a lot of flak before it was even released, all because of its main character. She was regarded as being a blatant sex object, only in the game to sell as many copies as possible to teenage boys and old pervs. However, once you actually played the game, you realised that the sexuality is all done with a sly wink and an outrageously over-the-top sense of style. It's great fun.


See this? This is about as straightforward as it gets.

What's more fun is the gameplay. I can't remember the last game to make me grin quite as much as this one. It's quite preposterous in so many ways, but never in a way that makes you question why you're playing it. You're dropped in at the deep end, being under attack right from the start with little explanation... that comes as you progress.


Once again, Bayonetta finds herself in a hairy situation...

While at first it just seems like a hack-and-slash game with lovely graphics, things soon take a turn for the better... pretty much the first time you encounter any kind of boss. They're massive, and often quite ridiculous, but always imaginative. Any time you're attacked by anything with an upside-down baby head is a bit disturbing. Luckily, you can counter any such monstrosity with a monster of your own, made from the finest jet black hair. Yes, Bayonetta uses her witchly powers to summon forth some incredible-looking creatures from her hair, and these things deal some almighty damage. It might sound ludicrous, but when it happens under your control, it's amazing.


Look, I'm a reasonable guy, but I've just seen some very unreasonable things.

Games such as this do sometimes have a bad habit of becoming samey, but Bayonetta has a few tricks thrown in to mix things up a little. There are "Alfheim Portals" to be discovered... mini-challenges that are hidden away and, if found, can be beaten for a reward. Then there are the little things thrown in as a service to Sega fans... just wait until you see the OutRun and Space Harrier tributes...


Well, I'm very happy to be here...

Bayonetta might not be the most serious of games, and with some epic and perhaps more worthy games being released last year, it probably didn't top many end-of-year polls for Best Game. But I had way more enjoyment out of this game in 2010 than any other. Its action was great, always imaginitive and inventive, and it had a sense of humour unlike anything I'd played before. I completed it, and have gone back to it with the intention of completing it again. And when I've done that, I just might do it again. It's one of the best games of this generation, without a doubt.

Number 3.

Bayonetta (XBox 360)

I'm not ashamed to admit that I was gagging for Bayonetta for a long time before the game was released. Sure, it looked like a Devil May Cry game... no surprise, given that the director was responsible for both games. But the charm, wit and sauciness promised to elevate it to another level.

And it did. Well, that, and the madness. There was oh, so much Japanese madness. Few games cause you to burst out laughing at the sheer over-the-top ludicrousness of your own special attacks. Bayonetta dared to be different, to push its tongue firmly into its cheek and say, "yeah baby, you know I'm a good time".


I see no ships. I don't really know what the hell those things are.

There aren't many games that I've completed on the 360... there are even less that I've restarted on a harder difficulty level. In fact, there is but one. Can you guess what that might be?

Yep... I'm now playing through Bayonetta on the Hard level. That's not something that's ever appealed to me with games before... when they're done, they're usually done. But I still had loads to unlock by the time I'd finished it, and I actually want all those weapons, moves and powers, just to see how I get on with them. Plus, it's just stupidly entertaining. And I didn't find the cutscenes so cheesy that I couldn't bear to see them again... just the opposite. They're full of sly, knowing winks and innuendo, and I'm all for that.


There's just so much wrong here.

Bayonetta is a brilliant videogame, one that was well worth my frothy-mouthed wait. It delivers everything that it sets out to, with style and flair. It's got a sense of humour, but it's not forced or to the detriment of the game. And it's packed with action, and for me, never gets boring. Money well spent, and easily in my top three blog games to date.

Devil May Cry 4 (XBox 360)

I was quite excited about playing this. I played the first game way back when it was first released, and really enjoyed it. The second one wasn't much cop, though. And although I read good things about the third, I never actually got around to playing it. Being a bit of a cheapskate (credit crunch? Nah... I've been tight when it comes to buying games since long before that kicked in) I probably wouldn't have bought this one, if it wasn't for Currys being desperate to flog anything that's been sitting there longer than six months.

First things first: it looks stunning. Granted, I'm not a videophile (nor am I an audiophile - years of listening to fast guitars at high volume saw to that), and it's the first game I've really played in HD, but even so... well, I'm impressed.

As far as the game goes, it's pretty much what I expected, and that's not a bad thing. It's yer typical Capcom slash-'em-up fare: over-the-top characters, hordes of barely-threatening minions to dispatch, and some really impressive boss characters that will smash you all over the shop until you work out what you're supposed to do with them. And of course, there are glowing orbs... red ones, green ones, blue ones... flying out of everything you kill or destroy, with the purpose of being put towards the purchase of new skills or items. It's just as well these games are set in a fantasy world... if I tried to buy a pair of trainers or a new pen with glowing orbs, I expect I'd be sent packing with nowt but a couple of choice words ringing in my ears.

There are a couple of difficulty levels (to start with - I expect at least one more can be unlocked), and I've started on the easiest. Don't rag on me... I know how difficult these games can be, and lack of gaming time in the last year has dulled my reflexes. I'll ramp it up later on, perhaps... the difficulty can be changed at any time.

Devil May Cry 4 is proving to be very enjoyable, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the story pans out. It's probably a bit cheesy - most of this stuff is - but it's all done with such incredible style that you can forgive it that.