One of Nintendo’s WiiU’s early claims was that they were gonna get bigger in the action genre. Their boldest attempt will be tested when Bayonetta 2 hits shelves this December. The sexy and ultra-violent title was bought by Nintendo as a system exclusive, but the single level demo at E3 this year left a disappointing taste in my mouth.
Since Nintendo’s biggest competition in the action genre is games like God of War and Uncharted, the bar is set pretty high and Nintendo has never had a big reputation for grand action gaming. This all makes for a long and hard road for the gaming legends to travel, and unfortunately Bayonetta 2 doesn’t looks like it’ll be making that road any easier.
Starting with a controversial title like Bayonetta may have been a step in the wrong direction. While the first game was fairly well-received, its mainstream legacy has more to do with its hyper-sexualized protagonist, a trait that most Nintendo games (thankfully) lack. Contrasted with Nintendo’s more family-friendly lineup, titles this game sticks out like a sore thumb. How does this game sit next to Mario Kart 8, Pikimon, Zelda, and Pokemon?
While the playable demo may not have given the full scope of what will be seen in the final game, after about 10-15 minutes of gameplay (including a play-through with the controller and a play-through using the new touch-pad controls) I found the game was, well, dull. Full of superficial violence and sex appeal but little originality, the Wii U’s Bayonetta 2 looks like one wave after another of button mashing confusion and ridiculous special moves. The touchpad option isn’t even worth bothering with, unless you like flailing and swiping randomly, and the camera is sloppy and actively hinders your ability to plan your fights.
Bayonetta 2‘s problematic demo should not reflect badly on the Wii U as a system or its potential to support more action-heavy titles. But maybe Nintendo should be happy with the audience it already has, rather than trying to snatch out Sony and Microsoft’s bread and butter 15-25 demographic. Leave the sex and violence to their competitors, focusing instead on their legacy titles like Metroid, Zelda, and Starfox? These games have room for Nintendo to flex their action muscles while still sticking to what they do best: not taking themselves too seriously.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl6qmIk9s_8[/youtube]