Fun things you've read about Bayonetta

This thread is for fun things you've read about Bayonetta. Additional comments are optional. I'll start!

I hope the ratings boards are intelligent enough to give this title a proper Adults only rating. If for no other reason then the title character can be rendered completely nude from the rear, and EXTREMELY close to nude from the front.

//Zig

I read a pretty scathing diatribe against the game because the female lead character is attractive--in attire that fulfills boys' fantasies when they're not masturbating to Underworld movies(?)--and therefore the game is clearly sexist. The person making those claims has admitted to never watching an Underworld movie. One of his real complaints against Bayonetta was also that women in Japan are second-class citizens(?). Bayonetta really gets him worked up.

I'd be interested to see someone who can convincingly explain why Bayonetta is sexist. All I've seen so far are rants against the inclusion of women who exude confidence in their own abilities and appearance. Those people then start prattling on about something unrelated, as you've pointed out.

I haven't finished the game. Maybe Dante shows up at the end and proclaims, "only a MAN can fix everything you've ruined, WOMAN". That could possibly be construed as sexist.

//Zig

The person making those claims has admitted to never watching an Underworld movie.

To be fair, it's obvious the only appealing thing about Underworld is Kate Beckinsale wearing tight leather.

Maybe if the subject matter itself doesn't interest you, spaceworlder, but there are a lot of people who for some reason seem to adore the subject matter of movies such as Underworld, even without Kate. That's something that the successful sequels have made clear, if nothing else.

Zig, I think the interesting question that we should be asking is: Is appreciating women's (or men's) figures inherently sexist? I don't think that it is.

If I look at a woman and think that she has an amazing figure, then I go on to ignore everything she says because I believe that she's so pretty that she couldn't possibly have anything useful to contribute to anything, obviously that's sexist. I personally have seen many women that are drop-dead gorgeous and very much in charge, entirely capable of making better decisions and doing more good than many of the men around them. I still wouldn't mind seeing them in a bikini. Is that sexist, or is that just me behaving as nature intended?

It's natural that hormones will to a certain extent dictate how a man looks at a woman (or even another man, in some cases). Trying to put a negative label on that is absurd. Sexism begins when we start judging someone's mental capabilities based on his or her physical form, when in fact the two things rarely have any real connection at all. The women who cry out against sexism are guilty of this too, by the way. They make judgments about other women all the time.

In the case of Bayonetta, the cries of "sexism" often seem to come from people who are trying to convince themselves and others that they're sensitive enough to understand sexism... probably so that they can get laid. The little bit I've seen about Bayonetta suggests to me that its sexy heroine isn't promoting sexism in the slightest. From what I can tell, some might even make a reasonable argument that her fantastic appearance helps to fight sexism!

That's something that the successful sequels have made clear, if nothing else.

Not really. The third Beckinsale-less Underworld grossed less money than the first two installments, and if you strip away inflation it sold significantly less tickets. It also failed to recoup its budget through domestic markets, which the first two movies did.

All data points to T & A appeal.

So is this game any good?

I've read that Bayonetta has Outrun music during the Highway 666 level, but it's actually from After Burner. It's an awesome song, too. Although the Bayonetta version is instrumental, here are lyrics from the vocal version:

When we touch I want you so much my heart is on fire
Make it so I can't let go, you're all I desiiiiiire
Burning Love! After Burner! Burning Love!
After Burner! After your burnin' love!

However, the music playing on the car radio during the Chapter 1 cinematic might be from Outrun. I'm not really sure.

//Zig

:0

The song playing in the red car from chapter 1 is indeed an OutRun song, called Magical Sound Shower.

I'm about to go into Highway 666 later tonight, so I can't wait to hear this.

So is this game any good?

I'm enjoying what I've played so far. I wouldn't call myself a pro with the controls and stringing together combos, but I'm able to pull off some cool combo attacks from time to time. And this is coming from someone who was struggling to do anything in DMC1. The game, mostly thanks to Bayonetta herself, doesn't take itself too seriously, so you will see a lot of silly moments. Not digging the QTEs, though.

I think that I need to play this game.

Ah yeah, I remember the name Magical Sound Shower (just didn't remember the actual music). That makes sense, seeing as the car was so damn Outrun-ish. I think some people just got confused when they heard it has "Outrun music" and assumed it was for the highway stage. I've seen conflicting information about a later level, too, so we'll see what happens...!

//Zig

I think the game is great, although it flows like they had a serious game and then said "wait, screw this, let's make it ridiculous". The result is slightly uneven.

To provide a counterpoint, here is an excerpt from a less favorable GameFAQs review:
Overall the game is definitely a rehash of other games and doesn't really give about its own charm to the player but luckily it's a rehash of an excellent genre that can be reused many times due to its ability to never grow old and overall nature to easily inform novices and veterans how to play. Bayonetta receives a 6.5/10.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10

//Zig

To be fair, it's obvious the only appealing thing about Underworld is Kate Beckinsale wearing tight leather.

And Rhona Mitra, but I second that.