Bayonetta and Vanquish 10th Anniversary Bundle Review

For the longest time, PlatinumGames has held a reputation of creating some of the most over-the-top and stylish games ranging from third-person shooters to insane action games similar to Devil May Cry. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of two of their titles that paved the way for their legacy, they have released the Bayonetta and Vanquish 10th Anniversary Bundle. A great package containing the remasters of these two games, they were a blast to revisit and even after a decade, they still hold up pretty well.

Bayonetta focuses on a witch of the same name. Reawakening after a number of centuries, she discovers that she has no real memories of her past and sets off to get some answers all while taking on all manner of angelic and demonic creatures. It’s a great story with some entertaining characters that really drive the narrative along. Bayonetta herself is incredibly feisty with a fair amount of wit just waiting to be unleashed on anyone that stands in her way. Not only that, but she always has the skills to back it up.

The gameplay is quite heavily influenced by action games Devil May Cry and has the same fast-paced, stylish combat that made the series popular. Bayonetta definitely brings some of its own style to the party though when it comes to its enemy designs and massive boss battles. Bayonetta’s Torture Attacks are also an incredible spectacle to behold, especially when it comes to dispatching some of the larger enemy types.

Visually, Bayonetta looks great. It runs pretty smoothly, aside from a frame rate dip here and there, which is a fairly seldom occurrence. It has a fairly clean appearance and can sometimes be a little hard to believe that it is, in fact, a ten-year-old game.

Vanquish follows Sam Gideon, DARPA agent who dons an Augmented Reaction Suit or ARS, which features a large selection of combat functions. The world is threatened to be destroyed by a Russian force known as the Order of the Russian Star, who intends to use a solar microwave transmitter to wreak havoc on cities in an attempt to get the American government to surrender. It’s up to Sam to put a stop to their nefarious plans before it’s too late. Vanquish’s story provides a good reason to go out and shoot bad guys, but its narrative and characters aren’t particularly memorable.

The gameplay is where Vanquish truly shines as the ARS enables you to be a force to be reckoned with all over the battlefield. Not only does the suit equip Sam with a host of different functions, it also enhances his speed and makes it possible to shapeshift his weapon using the Battlefield Logic Adaptable Electronic Weapon System or BLADE. Using the suit, Sam is able to zip around using the jets attached to the knees of the suit, making him harder to hit, while simultaneously slowing down time to line up a better shot. It’s absolutely crazy and is just downright fun to pull off.

The shooting mechanics are also pretty solid and there’s a decent range of different weapon types to make use of throughout the game. Add to this, a number of different enemy types, big bosses and thrilling setpieces make for a pretty wild ride from start to finish.

Vanquish looks pretty good with its remastered coat of paint, however, it does have the habit of slowing down a little more than Bayonetta does. It doesn’t happen incredibly often, but it is noticeable. That being said, it doesn’t detract from the experience too much and you’re still bound to get a kick out of playing the game.

The Bayonetta and Vanquish 10th Anniversary Bundle is fantastic. The two games are both great and hold up pretty well after a decade, however, Bayonetta is the more polished of the two. It’s not to say that this isn’t a great bundle though. Being able to revisit these classics with updated visuals was thoroughly enjoyable and I love that there’s possibly a new audience yet to experience both of these games. This is an awesome gateway to the rest of what PlatinumGames has on offer!

Bayonetta and Vanquish 10th Anniversary Bundle is available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.

This review is based on the PS4 version of the game.

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