Witch Time

I didn't update before midnight. Doesn't matter. Still counts. My arms still feel like useless slabs of meat, so I again skipped my pushups and weightlifting tonight. And again I went on a breakneck speed run and almost died. I'm sure these exercises will end up being good for me in the long run but I'm basically killing myself at this point. I'm determined to stick to it, though. I want to be something that is... not what I've been for the past several years--and I want to get there in a year's time. I want to climb that mountain. I'll do it! I'll climb the damn mountain!

Anyway, I bought a Wii U today because I've been planning on getting one for awhile and Bayonetta 2 came out today. I was thinking about putting off the purchase, but the GameStop employee I called to ask about it informed me he only had two copies left in stock. I figured this might be my only chance to snag a copy for awhile, so I bit the bullet and grabbed the New Super Mario Bros U bundle Wii U and Bayonetta 2 with it. It's backwards compatible with the Wii so I can still use it to help me clear out my Wii backlog--and of course I need it for Super Smash Bros, which is coming out quite soon. I can only hope there'll be more quality titles for the console, but I am reasonably satisfied with my purchase even if that doesn't end up coming to pass.

Bayonetta 2 is a frenetically paced action game much in the vein of its predecessor. I'ts been a long time since I played the original, but the gameplay seems almost identical--which is fine, because I felt the original formula was ludicrously successful. Combat is fast and hard-hitting. The player is rewarded for timely dodges with Witch Time, a mechanic that slows down enemies and speeds up Bayonetta herself, allowing her to pepper her opponents with blows before they can even react. Unleashing devastating combos on your angelic foes while flipping around and dodging their strikes is extremely satisfying, especially when you consider the precision of the controls. The combat never feels awkward or clunky.

Of course, Bayonetta herself is the same as always. Her distinctive hourglass figure, British accent, and skintight suit made of her hair all return--except this time the hair on her head has been transformed into a something much shorter. I preferred the ridiculously long hairstyle from the previous game (which melded into her suit) but I can respect Platinum's desire to explore new themes. I read online that Bayonetta's central color in the first game was red, whereas they wanted to emphasize blue for the sequel. Cutting the hair short is just another way to make that design stand out from the previous one, I guess.

I'm not very far in yet so I don't know what else about Bayonetta 2 differs from its predecessor, but I'm enjoying it a lot so far. Even just two hours in, I've already had several very challenging fights. This is definitely going to be one of those games I can't just breeze through. This makes my backlog cry, but I can't say I'm disappointed.