Army of Two: The 40th Day
EA, $60Bayonetta
Sega, $60Death comes to most every video game character, be it the player or your enemies. How those deaths come about is where most of the fun lies. Two recent releases are big on killing and small on consequences. And really, what more could you ask for?
The second iteration of Army of Two makes death a team sport. The blood-soaked bromance tells the story of Salem and Rios, soldiers for hire who choose the wrong job. As they work together to shoot, slash, and obliterate their way out of an already exploding Shanghai, they have “morality moments” where they can execute or simply detain enemies. These moments have immediate consequences but nothing that sticks with the characters in any way. The effect is laughable and completely unnecessary. The gameplay surpasses its flawed predecessor, but during the interim between the games’ releases, the expectations for cooperative multiplayer experiences has skyrocketed. Case in point: Borderlands has cooler guns, Left 4 Dead 2 is more fun, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 looks better. Sorry, fellas. At least you have each other.
Bayonetta, on the other hand, is an army of one: a witch with a cheeky attitude and enough moves to keep the heavenly hordes guessing how they’re going to die next. The plot and characters are miles above over-the-top, so it’s hard to believe there are wagging fingers aimed at the portrayal of the protagonist as a hypersexualized woman. At the risk of overthinking the issue – something the game’s creators certainly didn’t do – Bayonetta may be drowning in at least one wave of feminism, but the fact that her towering heels have guns mounted in them must be empowering on some level.
Kicking realism to the curb, Bayonetta‘s action sequences are thoroughly engrossing, capitalizing on every move and weapon at your disposal. Master the art of evading opponents’ attacks and the game goes into Witch Time, an embarrassing name for slow-motion decimation that helps you take down several baddies in rapid succession – a truly inspired touch. By the time you’re skilled enough to easily summon creatures from the underworld, the creative kill sequences for some of the larger deities will have you cheering as the puddles of blood become lakes. It’s when Bayonetta whips her hair and body around in a breakdance-style flurry of katana-slashes and bullets only to come to rest in a photo-worthy pose (Breakin‘s Ozone and Turbo would drool) that you realize just how fun dying can be.
This article appears in January 29 • 2010.
