Bayonetta 2 Direct recaps key gameplay information and shows new trailer

In this morning’s Bayonetta 2 Direct, the development team went over some key details about the game itself. The Direct opened with the team talking about what the term “climax action” means to the developers – and their intention is that you won’t be able to take your eyes of the screen as the action will be so intense, until you’ve reached your actual peak and the battles are over.

That is the meaning of “climax action”.

The team also went over the main character, Bayonetta herself, as well as her supporting cast. Similarly, the team told the story of the game. In this installment, Bayonetta must travel to the human realm, the heavenly realm known as Paradiso and the hellish realm Inferno to save her friend. The team also mentioned a villain known as the Masked Lumen Sage who will follow Bayonetta and will provide many twists and turns in the story.

The game also features a wide range of enemies who hail from both Paradiso and Inferno this time, whereas the previous game only featured enemies from Paradiso. These enemies can be taken down with a wide range of moves, and represent the widest range of enemies in the series. Bayonetta can use Witch Time, which activates after a successful dodge, to slow down time and get the edge on enemies.

In addition to this, she can also use her magic gauge to summon sadistic torture devices to take down single enemies with a powerful attack. A new feature, Umbran Climax, is more suited to wide areas and allows Bayonetta to augment all her attacks with demonic powers.

The weapons in the game offer lots of options to players too, allowing players to experiment with different weapons. Each weapon reacts differently depending on whether it’s equipped to your legs or feet, and there are many combinations in game. Many weapons have different functions. Some can shoot, some can poison, some can cut, some can burn and some can freeze.

Don’t worry if you’re not that good at action games either, since the game features an automatic mode which does most of the fighting for players until they’re ready to take the controls themselves, as well as a simplified touch interface that uses the Wii U GamePad to provide a more streamlined experience for less experienced players.

The team then demonstrated the gameplay against a certain type of angel, before talking about the different modes on offer in Bayonetta 2. The game’s Story Mode will feature normal battles, aerial battles, underwater battles and battles while riding atop vehicles to provide great variety.

Every chapter will offer rankings all the way up to Platinum and Pure Platinum. Story mode contains secret stages called Muspelheim, which are secret rooms with rules and restrictions such as defeating enemies using a single type of attack or within an allotted time limit. The team then demonstrated a certain type of Muspelheim room where the player can only damage enemies during Witch Time. Clearing Muspelheim Rooms will unlock news skills, items and moves for Bayonetta.

The developers also went over the game’s shop system. Bayonetta can purchase weapons and accessories from Rodin, a weaponsmith residing in Inferno. Certain skills that Bayonetta can use without weapons can be purchased, as well as different costumes for the game. Accessories can assist Bayonetta in attacking or even defend her. Players who want to use different sets of weapons simultaneously can purchase these duplicates from the store too.

Tag Climax, the game’s online mode, was also discussed. This is an online co-operative mode where players can choose a character and battle it out together in order to unlock more Halos, the game’s currency. As previously announced, both Bayonetta and Jeanne are playable characters with their own attributes. The developers also announced that the weaponsmith, Rodin, will be playable in the mode. His attacks are more powerful and unfortunately he can’t use Witch Time either, providing more of a challenge to players.

The developers then went on to announce Australian launch details, including a release date and pricing, before the presentation concluded with a trailer, as you can see below.