So you’ve been on a date with the sexy witch and can’t get enough of her? We don’t blame you, Bayonetta is worth a second shot. Now that you’ve finished the port of Bayonetta 1 on your Nintendo Switch system, it’s time to jump into the sequel. Is it as good or is it even better? Let’s find out in our review, dedicated to Bayonetta 2.
The season of the witch
Bayonetta 2 is what a sequel is supposed to be, more of the same with some improvements to make it even better than the original. Now that both games released on Nintendo Switch, this might be the perfect moment to jump in if you haven’t played it before. In all honesty, I would recommend Bayonetta 2 over 1 since, in my opinion, Bayonetta 2 is better at every aspect. If you want to follow the funny yet interesting story however, it’s advised to start with the first one, which of course, still is an amazing game. It’s the season of the witch on Nintendo Switch and we couldn’t be happier!
Bayonetta is back in Bayonetta 2 and she’s stronger than ever. When this game originally released, a lot of attention went to the transformations of the witch. Transforming into several beasts like a panther, crow, bat and more is extremely fun. These transformations are called ‘Beast Within’ and can be earned or bought at the Gates of Hell. Since Umbra Witches can use these transformation powers, it’s a no-brainer that Bayonetta 2 features some high-paced animal action, way better than the original ever was. The Beast Within power was also part of the first game but it’s here, in the sequel, that you’ll truly understand its potential.
Harder, better, faster, stronger
At its core, Bayonetta 2 still is the same game as Bayonetta 1 was but everything looks better, goes faster and plays more fluently. Just like its predecessor, this is a pure hack ‘n slash game. Meaning you’ll basically travel from boss to boss until you reached the end. Of course, your path is filled with smaller enemies to take down but the bosses form the main attraction of the game. Without exaggerating, these bosses really are something else. Not only do they look atrocious, they’re up for a good fight. If you just want to follow the story, you can play the game on easy without ever having to fear for your life, but let’s be honest here, that’s not the way you should play Bayonetta.
If you want to experience Bayonetta 2 as it was supposed to, you’ll switch to a normal or harder difficulty so the bosses truly form a challenge to take down. Everything you’ve learned in Bayonetta 1 still goes for Bayonetta 2. In case you forgot, or haven’t played the first one, there’s a handy tutorial explaining everything to you once more. Once you master the controls, you’ll enjoy creating combos. Just like before, Bayonetta combines light and heavy attacks with special attacks and guns (or swords if you upgrade them in the shop). This combination still works and even got better thanks to the extra character. During your adventure, you’ll get help from Jeanne from time to time.
Two witches are better than one
In the first minutes of the game, Jeanne will walk right by your side and fight the monsters at the same time as you, which makes it a lot more fun to conquer the world. Long story short, Jeanne disappears and you’re forced to play the levels on your own again, that is until you unlock the Tag-Climax challenges. These co-op challenges are unlocked at the end of the chapters in the main game. At the end, you’ll unlock a Verse Card, corresponding with the boss you just took down. If you enter the Tag-Climax challenges you can revisit a certain boss with your friend or random online player. It’s a fun way to implement a co-op mode in a hack ‘n slash game that’s mostly aimed at the solo gamer but it doesn’t really add something new to the game. Sure, it’s fun to fight the bosses with your friends, but it’s a fight you fought before. Instead of giving you something truly unique, these challenges can only grant you extra rings to buy some new gear in the in-game store.
Bayonetta 2 on Nintendo Switch
So now that you know just how awesome Bayonetta 2 is and always will be, it’s time to answer the most important question. Yes, Bayonetta 2 is a great port to have on Nintendo Switch, just don’t expect any miracles from it. This is, once more, the Wii U version ported to the new Nintendo console. Meaning you won’t really find something new besides the mechanics that make the Nintendo Switch into what it is today. Being able to carry Bayonetta 2 with you is without a doubt the biggest advantage you’ll have in this Switch port and it must be said, the game runs extremely smooth in handheld mode:
That being said, the game still features the touch controls it originally got on Wii U. You can, once more, control Bayonetta with the touch of your fingers but in all honesty, it still doesn’t work that good. In a game like this, you’ll simply miss the precision of your buttons and the touch actions aren’t as complex as the actions you can perform using the buttons. Meaning that you can’t perform all combos if you’re using only the touch controls. That doesn’t mean they are totally useless, flicking an enemy away with the touch of your finger can mean the difference between life and death during the more high-paced battles (most of them).
Conclusion:
Bayonetta 2 is a great game to have on Nintendo Switch but could have used some more extras. This is the perfect game for those who never played it before. If you own Bayonetta 2 on your Wii U, realize this is the same version and consider if owning this again will bring you any fun. I didn’t mind playing through both the Bayonetta games again, simply because they are the best in their genre and I’m happy that I’m finally able to carry the sexy witch around anywhere I want. Now, I just have to wait for Bayonetta 3.
9/10
