Freebie Feelers... Bayonetta

Freebie Feelers is a series where we download the free monthly console-specific or newly released free-to-play games to test their worth.This series will contain some useful information as well as plenty of personal opinion. While these articles may not be reviews, we hope that you will be able to use them to help decide whether that free download is worth it.

What is it?

Put simply, Bayonetta is Devil May Cry if Dante were a woman. This is a grievous oversimplification, however, as Bayonetta boasts an impressive amount of depth that mixes very well with the fast-paced and flashy combat. Releasing a whole eight years ago, the original Bayonetta is the first Xbox 360 game up for grabs this month from the Games with Gold program. It’s got witches, guns, crazy melee weapons, magic hair, and a lot more for action fans to check out.

What did you think?

This is yet another title that I’ve already played to death. Having spent the time to 100% the game’s achievements, I can say that I enjoyed all but a couple of sections. Most of the time, controlling Bayonetta feels wonderful as you cartwheel around, shooting, slashing, whipping, kicking, pulverizing, grinding, blasting, chainsawing, and even eating angels. There are so many ways to dispatch enemies, but I have my favorites. Personally, I enjoyed using the katana and ice skates (don’t ask) as it meant that I was constantly slicing away at enemies instead of shooting them. I haven’t even mentioned Witch Time (a parry move that slows time) or how Bayonetta uses her hair in power attacks and executions. When Bayonetta uses her hair to perform crazy things, the animation performed is over-the-top and awesome.

Is it worth downloading?

If you’re a fan of action games such as Devil May Cry or God of War, then Bayonetta will be perfect for you with tight gameplay and often punishing enemies. If you normally find these sort of games too hard or just not enjoyable, it may not be worth your time. I always encourage gamers to try out any new experience that comes their way, but to each their own. This game does have lots of violence, blood and gore, some nudity, and a few other things that have put it’s rating on the adult side. You can download Bayonetta for free on Xbox 360 and Xbox One until August 15th.