Game Details
Price
  • $59.99
Available on
Genre
More details

Bayonetta (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)

common sense media says

Mature, graphic brawler about a witch fighting angels.


parents & educators say
  • 60% say violence is an issue
  • 60% say sexual content is an issue

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this game contains lots of violence, blood, and foul language. With the former, the heroine can perform all kinds of deadly attacks against heaven's angels, using her feet and hands as well as weapons and black magic. She can also summon instruments of torture, such as an iron maiden, or call on demonic beasts to rip apart her enemies. There are also some suggestive sexual imagery as the heroine doesn't wear much clothing and can move her body in sexual ways.

Educational value: Not applicable.
Positive messages: The game's message isn't the best as violence plays the most important role in Bayonetta's world. She fights against heaven's angels and summons hellish creatures to help do her bidding. Therefore, some parents of gamers might be offended by the game's premise.
Positive role models: Bayonetta is a witch who performs deadly moves on angels. She can summon creatures and deadly "torture" weapons, too.
Ease of play: The game can be quite challenging when it comes to mastering all the moves -- and the speed at which you must master them.
Violence: Bayonetta uses punches, kicks, magic, guns, and swords, to defeat enemies. Blood can be seen spurt out of fallen enemies and various finishing moves ("torture attacks") let Bayonetta summon items and demons to rip apart baddies. Players will see these torture attacks up close which include impalement, decapitation, and dismemberment.
Sex: The game stars an attractive, scantily-clad female heroine, as well as some other curvy female allies. Some outfits are revealing to show cleavage and buttocks and some moves might be considered sexual, such as gyrating hips. During battles sequences, an occasional breast and buttocks can be seen when outfits shift or are shredded. The camera does occasionally focus on jiggling breasts.
Language: Strong profanity can be heard including "f--k," "s--t" and "assh--e."
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.

More on Bayonetta

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • Families can talk about whether this game needed the blood and gore. Couldn't Bayonetta defeat the relentless swarm of angels without showing any graphic finishing moves?

  • Some families might want to discuss how you play as a witch who ascended from below, and now fights againts angels. Is this troubling or is exploring the evil side fascinating?

What's the story?

What's the story?

If Sega's BAYONETTA is any indication, there will be a lot of sore thumbs in 2010. The first videogame of the year is a stylized action romp, with over-the-top moves and fast-paced combat that requires some serious button mashing in order to succeed. Created by renowned developer Hideki Kamiya (Resident EvilDevil May Cry, Viewtiful Joe, Okami), this Japanese import tells of a beautiful witch who awakens after a 500-year slumber. With little recollection of who she is and why she's battling against hoards of heaven's angels, this femme fatale makes her way to a remote area of Europe for an epic confrontation. Eventually, you'll help unravel the mystery of Bayonetta's identity and purpose. Not unlike the frantic third-person action in Devil May Cry, much of this game fuses gunplay with melee moves (powerful kicks, flips, punches, and slams) and dark magic that lets her summon demons or objects of torture from the underworld (such as guillotines and iron maidens). Environments range from gothic castles and graveyards to small towns and courtyards.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Yes, Bayonetta is good, but only if you enjoy over-the-top, visceral action. Bayonetta's set of double-barrel guns, which are held in her hands and strapped to both ankles, each have their own name -- Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme -- and as such, are referred to as "Scarborough Fair." Couple this with outrageous acrobatics and you can imagine the devastating attacks on enemies. Other weapons are available, too, such as a glowing katana sword or items left behind by angels, and all are upgradeable. Bayonetta can even use her long hair to call forth creatures, temporarily transform her into beasts, or fly her into the air. Expect plenty of camera angles, slow-motion effects, and over-the-top moves that would even make Quentin Tarantino grin with delight. Be forewarned: your thumbs are in for a serious workout. If you're up for the challenge, Sega's Bayonetta is a good pick for mature players who prefer fast and cinematic action, wild environments, and fantastic moves.

NOTE: The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game are the same.

Game themes & details

Game Details
Available on: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Not available online
Genre: Action/Adventure
Developer: Sega of America
Released on: January 5, 2010
Price: 59.99
ESRB Rating: M for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes
Screenshots

This review was written by Marc Saltzman
 
 

Review It

 

Review Bayonetta





Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
 

What parents & educators say

14
Based on 5 parent & educator reviews:
  • 60% say violence is an issue
  • 60% say sexual content is an issue
  • 60% say language is an issue

Most useful reviews by all members

Ghost Rider Sky
kid, 12 years old
 
first of all why would you want to play this.It is just stupid.

JasonsWebsite
kid, 12 years old
 
please mother********
Safe for all ages mrs fidler in 31a Ok for kids to play with buy me this to school

 
I think 14+ is a good age.
Ok first off great game. Secondly what she fights are definatly not angels unless your interpretation of angels is dinosaurs with with and togas. So if your a christian parent dont listen to the websites that say they are angels just go to google images and type in enemies in bayonetta and you will clearly see dinosaurs with wings. Come on people get it straight angels arent dinosaurs!

Father and son
parent of 14 year old
 
Ok for 13, if they do not mimic game action in real life
Dad: Bayonetta is to me a typical Sega game, an highly stylized anime game, like combining Sonic Heroes and Kingdom Hearts in effects and music, full of supernatural action and typical anime objectification of women. Son: True, but the combat’s great. Battle music is a bit too disco-ish. Dad: Bayonetta’s hair forms her clothes. She uses it to form the underworld creatures that she uses to defeat the bosses. When it flies off her to form the creatures, she is partially naked, you can see her behind and lots of skin. She struts sometimes during battles, which I suppose could be sexual, but game villains, usual male, also strut. As nudity goes, it is not much more bare than heroines in any anime film, even Miyazaki. Son: Her hair does other strong or torture attacks throughout the game, and her hair flies partially off her, leaving a Borat swim suit [1920’s style one-piece]. The gun shots are less violent than the sword attacks. The bullets explode but the swords do the dismembering. Dad: And the gore is so unrealistic. Blood flies off in stylized globs, not like real blood spurting, and the foes disappear shortly after they are defeated, so there are not bloody bodies and hacked off limbs laying around Son: The angels she fights don’t look like angels, they look like mutant raptor bird things on steroids. And even though she is harvesting angelic halos, they look like Sonic’s rings. Normal setting is moderately difficult as foes attack much more swiftly. It’s like Matrix mixed with Disney princess. Dad: But the big angel bosses have human faces on the giant raptor-bird bodies. You collect the halos to buy special powers. Son: You can buy weapons too, and they are infused with spirits or demons. Normal setting is harder than usual. Dad: I don’t find the game interesting to enough to buy. Rent first or download free demo. Son: I like the story, though it is slow developing, like Assassin’s Creed. Recommended.

tommy18
teen, 15 years old
 
Well lets start.
The reviewer below me claims its appropiate for all ages. Actually he's 10 so he shouldn't be playing it anyway. Its really well not suitable for all ages. This game has all aspects of violence. Torture,Dismemberment and tons and tons of blood. The sex just goes on and on. Its like a witch extremely violent GTA. :) This is given a 15 age rating in my country which quite frankly is ridiculous. 18 it should be. Anywayyy. Its a great game but disturbingly violent. PLAY IT.

Lady-Lithium
teen, 17 years old
 
Not for everyone
I love this game from the moment that I picked it up from the store. Younger kids really shouldn't be playing since it's quite bloody and parents might not like the idea of a witch killing angels. So teenagers 15 and up can have no problem playing the game.

Caleb_Mitchell
parent of 15 year old
 
Fun, but difficult; Mature teens and up
For all the people freaking out about killing heaven's angels in this game...you're not. Anyone who's actually played the game could tell you that. This game takes place in a fictional Europe where there are three dimensions of reality: Paradiso, Purgatorio, and Inferno. Paradiso is where the angels reside, watched over by the "creator" Jubileus...who is a goddess. So it's not heaven. There is no God. I'll admit, Bayonetta is a witch, and the game clearly states that to become a witch she had to sell her soul to the devil, so that's a little iffy, but it kind of contradicts this since she was born a witch, so I don't guess she really had a choice? Anyhow, this is a really goood game but it is extremely difficult. All about learning combos, dodging, and mastering moves, so don't expect to be able to just jump right in and start mashing buttons unless you play on Very Easy or Easy mode; this is not encouraged in the game, since you lose the ability to find additional weapons, health/magic power-ups, hidden levels, and other secrets as you play. The violence is pretty over the top, but it's not too extreme. You can summon torture devices such as a guillotine, a vice, an iron maiden and more to severely damage opponents. Gameplay is very over the top, you start out with four guns, two in each hand and two attached to your high heels, and can earn other weapons such as missle launchers, a whip made of a cobra (yes, really), and ice skates (again, really) among other things. Finishing moves consist of Bayonetta summoning various demons from Inferno that shape from her hair and kill enemies. These finishers are the most brutal attacks in the game and can range from a dragon eating an enemy in half to a giant crow ripping off a foe's head and swallowing it whole. This is one of the most sexual games I've ever played, despite there being no actual nudity. I read a review stating that Bayonetta's sexuality was highlighted at every turn, and this is very, very true. When you pull levers, she wraps her leg around the lever and leans back, pulling it with her. If she needs to turn a lever, she pole dances around it as you spin the analog stick. Bayonetta's suit is composed mostly of her hair, so when you summon demons her hair disappears, leaving very little to the imagination (but again, there's no nudity). In cut-scenes where she dodges enemy attacks, this is usually done in a very suggestive manner with the camera zooming in on her breasts or butt. In the opening sequence and end credits she pole dances. Bayonetta loves lolipops, and is usually seen sucking or licking them very suggestively. There are several sequences where she dances, and this is done quite suggestively, with the camera zooming in on jiggling parts, and lots of gyrating and making very dirty poses. In one scene where Bayonetta saves a man by grabbing him and jumping away, he grabs her butt as they fly through the air. Language in the game is quite strong, there are several F-bombs, and few uses of sh*t and a-hole. Overall, it's a very good game, but due to it's difficulty, violence, over the top sexuality, and language, this is definitely not something for the kidd-o's.

Sweet_Little_A ...
teen, 15 years old
 
Good for those that know better
I've played this game and its really cool. If your kid (like me) knows that some things shouldnt be imatated then something like this shouldn't be a problem. The game is easy to learn and I love everything about it.

Gimmick
parent of 10 , 12 , and 14 year old
 
Great game
This is a very enjoyable game, there are towering bosses and Thousands of angels to kill as well as unlockable combos, torture moves and weapons. The violence in this game is gory and bloody, but the camera Is far off and this makes the violence not that noticeable. The protagonist in this game is a witch fighting angels. She is often shown close up, with the camera focusing on her breasts. This isn't so bad as she is normally fully clothed, except for a large section of her back, which is visible. Sometimes her clothes sort of fly off her into a tornado-demon-thing. You don't see her naked, as the tornado-demon-thing covers it up.

purpledragon
teen, 15 years old
 
witchs rule
Bayonetta fans live on and game on

Armadan
teen, 17 years old
 
Idiotic game for idiotic people
This game is a pathetic excuse for a peepshow at proportionally deformed women. The combat is cool, but far too unrealistic. The developers should have just been making Devil May Cry 5 instead of this ridiculous waste of time.

JocaBrate94
teen, 18 years old
 
its an awesome game just dont get it if you under 17...

 
An awesome Game. Definitely not for kids.

hitokiri3
teen, 18 years old
 
Sexuality is the biggest issue, light tone negates violence and language
The only real issue you should have with Bayonetta is the sexuality. Definitely not appropriate for anyone under 13 or 14 but lets be honest, past that point people have a pretty good idea about sexuality. The tone is fairly light so the violence, language, and sexuality are gratuitous but never truly offensive. As for the religious aspect, this isn't challenging beliefs, it's just taking a different spin on the Devil May Cry formula.

SaintsRowFan
kid, 12 years old
 
Just perfect for the right child.
I think bayonetta is awesome. I played this game when I was 9 going on 10 years old. I have been gaming sense the age of 3 years old playing mortal kombat, def jam, and god of war at 5 years old. I was always a mature child. So IF u don't mind language it is fine for kids at 8.

An independent voice for families
Age-appropriate reviews
 

vote now

Will you play Bayonetta?


Already played it? What do you think?

 

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors


About our rating system
ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age