Bayonetta demo due next Tuesday

By Robert Purchese Published 23 November, 2009

Witch platform will you pick?

SEGA has announced that the European PS3 and Xbox 360 demos of Bayonetta are due out next Tuesday, 3rd December.

"You'll have to wait and see," a SEGA spokesperson told Eurogamer when quizzed on the sampler's content and whether it's the same as the Japanese equivalent, which Digital Foundry put through its paces recently.

Bayonetta launches in full for PS3 and Xbox 360 on 8th January, 2010. And it's bloody good, as our Japanese import review points out.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (32) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • JahB #1 2 years ago

    is that the same horrible demo that has been on the japanese PSN store for weeks?

    If so, i can tell you i won't be downloading it on either console, because it is utter shite.

  • wizlon #2 2 years ago

    Is this one of those demo's that will do nothing but put you off the game? Can't be worse than Bionic Commando's demo!

  • Phattso #3 2 years ago

    The first impression of the Japanese demo (downloaded a 360 torrent) was "what the fuck is this, and why the fuck are people talking so highly of it?"

    Then about 20 minutes later when you've reached a zen state of oneness with the game and the truly amazing spectacle it presents to you you think "ah, so this is what they're on about."

    I don't even particularly like the genre, but the demo has me very interested indeed.

  • chukcyQ #4 2 years ago

    Have it already preordered for XBox 360.

  • berelain #5 2 years ago

    I played the Jap demo on both PS3 and Xbox 360 a while ago. It was sublime. Well, it was on the 360. The PS3 version feels like its crippled cousin by comparison; if you only have a PS3 the demo is still enjoyable, but if you own both you owe it to yourself to opt for the 360 version. Its so much smoother to play.

  • PenguinJim #6 2 years ago

    Next Tuesday 3rd December?!?!? So... Tuesday 3rd December 2013? That's... quite an early announcement. And quite a late demo. Why does Japan get it four years earlier than the rest of us?! :p

  • menage #7 2 years ago

    Pre ordered as well, I only played the PS3 demo and preordered it for 360, so it's good I'll have the demo as well.

    Fucking love the combat.

  • JahB #8 2 years ago

    Then about 20 minutes later when you've reached a zen state of oneness with the game and the truly amazing spectacle it presents to you you

    have we played the same demo? the truly amazing spectacle you speak of consists of a female character model designed by somebody who obviously never, ever got laid before, truly horrible shading, bad overall effects and a combat mechanic ripped straight from devil may cry.

    i love hack and slash games, but i can't get my head around this one. i wish i'd understand why people are hyped so much for this

  • Toothball #9 2 years ago

    I've not really had a great desire to get into many games like this, but since Platinum are on board with this one I'm more interested to see it than before. Also the import reviews seem to be treating it quite well.

  • martlev #10 2 years ago

    @jahb The bad shading will be down to the crap conversion as shown by digitalfoundry.
    I played a demo at the MCM Expo in October and highly enjoyed it. I would guess that will be the one on the xbox marketplace.

  • Phattso #11 2 years ago

    Well, it was made with the assistance of the guy that made DMC so that is hardly a surprise. The combat feels light years more involving than that did (although it has been a while since I played it, back in the PS2 days). Point taken on the slightly overdone main character, but frankly I could barely see her through all the particle effects anyway. My teens are so long ago that I don't feel self conscious about characters like this anyway. ;)

    But suggesting that it's a bad looking game, JahB, does hint at the PS3 version being a lot worse than we've been led to expect, or your TV being on the fritz. On my setup it looked lovely, excellent framerate in the main, and a truly impressive spectacle (like the boss lifting the section of bridge you're standing on and lobbing it around - very Shadow of the Collossus in scale I thought).

    Not everyone's gonna like it, fair enough if you don't. But for fans of the genre I'm not sure what more you could want than what I saw in the demo. :)

  • retr0gamer #12 2 years ago

    Combat mechanics ripped from Devil May Cry you say? When the hell was that a bad point? Can't wait for this, I'm expecting a game of DMC 3 calibre and it looks like I won't be disappointed.

  • menage #13 2 years ago

    @JahB

    Your issues seem mostly graphically or stylistically (th style was obvious 1-2 years ago)

    Apart from the graphics, which really depend on the version I don't see any objections to it playing like DMC. cause Capcom obviously lost a bit of it when it's creator left. DMC4 wasn't nearly as good as 3 was for exmaple.

    It thought this was way more hectic and fun though.

    Edited by 1 at 23/11/09 @ 16:13

  • mikeck #14 2 years ago

    It'll be interesting to see just what led Edge to give this game a 10 - yup, a 10.

    I played the demo from the JP store and it was fun, but didn't seem like a 10 to me, but then maybe I'm not the target audience.

  • danathjo #15 2 years ago

    Got it off the JP months ago but it would be nice to play it in english so I can work out what the hell is going on!!
    Move/button wise that is..I don't think anything will help me with the actually story weirdness

  • VicViper #16 2 years ago

    Excellent, Think I'll download the 360 version to see how it looks given I've been playing the PS3 demo so far.

    Pretty much buying it anyway but it will be nice to check out the demo in english, hope understand the combat mechanics a bit more and how the torture attacks function.

  • beastmaster #17 2 years ago

    Demo is pretty short. There's around 10 hours or so of gameplay (there's a link to a review of the PS3 version on the forum thread). All these high review scores mean (certainly on 360) is a bloody good game.

    Edit: I know I'm stating the obvious but I'm just suggesting that it's difficult to judge a final score from a demo. Only if you enjoy it or not.
    Edited by 1 at 23/11/09 @ 16:53

  • cianchristopher #18 2 years ago

    The PS3 version feels like its crippled cousin by comparison

    Is the Playstation 3 not the crippled cousin of the Xbox 360 anyway?

  • drumbaby #19 2 years ago

    I'll play the PS3 demo, but certainly won't hand over money for an extremely sloppy port. This shouldn't be rewarded.

  • menage #20 2 years ago

    Some people need to play games released this year me thinks.

  • JahB #21 2 years ago

    @phattso
    TV's a 40" Samsung 6 series, every other game looks fine.

    @menage
    admittedly i haven't played the 360 version, but the difference would have to be spectacular in order to moot my point. the PS3 version i played is technically shockingly bad. and you're perfectly right, there's nothing wrong with playing DMC, but playing bayonetta just feels like playing a re-skin of DMC, one that was done by a bunch of sad, lonely, male game students.

    edit: typo
    Edited by 1 at 23/11/09 @ 16:38

  • cianchristopher #22 2 years ago

    But, JahB, the PS3 version of Bayonetta is widely considered to be an appalling port. Just like the bad old days!

  • Darren #23 2 years ago

    I've already tried the PS3 and 360 demos so I won't be bothering again. The 360 demo was fine but the PS3 one was noticeably inferior technically. The demos did nothing for me though so I won't be buying the full game in the new year on either platform.

  • Quint2020 #24 2 years ago

    Can't wait for this one, already got it pre-ordered for 360, haven't played it yet but it looks phenomenal.

  • Phattso #25 2 years ago

    @JahB: Strange, I'm on a 46" Series 6 from Samsung and the visuals were, in the main, very pretty. Not the best this gen, but they moved quickly and framed the action very well. Certainly at no point did it rape my eyeballs. My fingers, however, are in considerable pain after going for a few too many heroic combos.

    I guess I'd have to play more DMC to be sure, but none of the encounters I recall seem as epic as those in the demo and footage around the place. Happy to be proven wrong mind you, as DMC4 is only a tenner nowadays! :)

  • Vemsie #26 2 years ago

    Actually, Bayonetta (the character) was designed by a female I believe. :-)

    The game itself of course comes from Hideki Kamiya, one of the greatest designers out there. Yes, the game shares similarities with one of his most famous creations (DMC), but it shares a lot with one of his other games as well (Viewtiful Joe).
    If you're a fan of the genre, it's pretty easy to see why it's being hailed as the greatest third person fighting game of all time. Its gameplay is insanely deep, easily surpassing DMC, not in the least thanks to the fact that you can dodge cancel out of every move, resulting in some truly spectacular freeform play. Some great combo vids are already out on Youtube.

    There are enough elements to distinguish itself from DMC. The aforementioned dodge move that also has the risk/reward system of Witch Time attached to it, the fact that you use enemy weapons, the weapons on hands and feet mechanic, the finishing moves, the nods to certain SEGA arcade classics, the J-pop and jazzy tunes... I could go on for awhile. On the 360 at least, it's beautifully fluid.

    It's a masterpiece and both Eurogamer and Edge nailed why.
    Edited by 5 at 24/11/09 @ 12:39

  • Dusk777 #27 2 years ago

    Errr the 3rd of december is next thursday! You spun me out for a second as the 2nd is my birthday, i thought i'd booked the wrong day off!!!

  • hiddenranbir #28 2 years ago

    Demo out AFTER the free Gold weekend, hehe.

    So much Hentai from this game.
    Edited by 1 at 23/11/09 @ 23:08

  • sifujames #29 2 years ago

    @ Dusk777

    Same here!!

  • muscleblade #30 2 years ago

    Edge gave it 10/10 and called it flawless.

    I guess they reviewed the 360 version. Buying it as soon as my local game shop has it.

  • des #31 2 years ago

    The superior one,of course...for the game

    No need to try the demo,patiently awaiting for western release.

  • monkeywithnoeyes #32 2 years ago

    i think the trouble with the demo is that it opens with the falling clock demo that can overwhelm you with everything thats going on on screen.

    Playing the second level in the demo first allows alot more ease into the pace and action. It wasnt till i played the second level that i actually "got it"...and saw a snippet of the insane beauty that the game offers. So my advice to those new to the demo, should it be the same demo, play the second level first.. then go all out on the falling clock one. Otherwise you might give up before you've truely given what is bound to be a huge hit next year a chance.