Killer Feature
66 / wfmag.ccBayonettaWe’ve got a lot of (witch) time for this
ot the first example of bullet time, Bayonetta’s
witch time wasn’t even the first time a reaction-
based mechanic that slowed down time to the
player’s benefit had been used; it was – and
is – still one of the killer-est of Killer Features.
Why? Because it’s the best. Just an absolute joy. Such an
uncomplicated feature, but one that raises a fantastic game
(and sequel) to legendary status.
You’re in a fight – as happens a lot in Hideki Kamiya’s
world of magic and malice – things are
getting a mite hectic, and you need an
advantage. You have plenty of combination
attacks available, you can leap and run
and generally avoid all you like, and you
have access to a dodge. All of this helps.
But when you learn to read an enemy well enough (and you
do get clues), you soon get used to tapping dodge exactly at
the right moment. On doing so, your enemies slow temporarily
while you remain at full speed, giving you a short-lived
advantage that can quickly turn the tide. And that’s about it.
What makes witch time so special is just how well it’s
done: it’s a tap of a button, at the right time, and you get it.
Nothing particularly fancy, and nothing happens that takes you
out of the moment – it’s a thing you’re supposed to do; a thing
you’re expected to do if you want to progress as the really
rather difficult game ramps things up. You have to dodge to
survive – what better way to force a player to learn how tododge, and to learn how to dodge properly, than by rewarding
them handsomely for it.
Again, this was by no means the first use of a slowdown
mechanic in a game, or a well-timed button press offering the
player an advantage. But in Bayonetta it is implemented with
such consummate ease – it helps the flow of the game rather
than breaks it up, and becomes not a highlight reel event
to show off but just a thing you do throughout the game. It’s
phenomenally well done.
None of this is even taking into account
dodge offset, which when used alongside
perfectly timed dodges becomes a key
tool in vanquishing Bayonetta’s later, more
challenging foes. Sure, you can get through
on guts and perseverance (and button
mashing) alone, but the mark of a true maestro is someone
who can conduct themselves with the poise and grace of witch
time/dodge offset combos.
And with that paragraph, I have managed to lose a good
deal of the audience to a justifiable ‘Whu?’ face. Apologies
there. Basically: Bayonetta is one of the best games of the
last... ever; its mix of stylish presentation and intense, tight
mechanics makes it an absolute joy, and it is – like many other
Platinum games – incredibly rewarding when you get it right.
For me, the peak of that reward is the simplicity of witch time,
and for that reason, it earns a spot in the coveted Wireframe
hall of Killer Features.N
“What better way to force
a player to learn... than by
rewarding them for it”PLATINUMGAMES / 2009 / X360, PS3, PCBayonetta