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PlatinumGames co-founder Hideki Kamiya is leaving the studio
PlatinumGames co-founder and vice president Hideki Kamiya is leaving the company next month. Kamiya acted as lead director for the Bayonetta series, among many other popular game franchises.
PlatinumGames’ long-awaited shoot ’em up ‘Sol Cresta’ arrives February 22nd
PlatinumGames will release Sol Cresta on February 22nd, the studio announced this week.
It looks like ‘Bayonetta’ and ‘Vanquish’ 4K remasters are coming to Xbox One
It appears that Platinum Games will release current-gen remasters of Bayonetta and Vanquish, two of the studio's most popular games, early next year on Xbox One. This week, separate listings for the two titles, along with a bundle that includes both of them, have appeared on the Microsoft Store. They were first spotted by Siliconera.
'Okami' veterans want to make a sequel
After years of remasters and ports, Okami is finally getting a sequel... well, maybe. Two veterans from the game who now work at Platinum Games, director Hideki Kamiya and Ikumi Nakamura (the star of Bethesda's E3 presentation), have posted a video declaring that "Okami is going to be back" and that they "want to make" a sequel to it. This doesn't mean Platinum is definitively making a sequel, but its alumini are clearly trying to get Capcom's attention.
'Astral Chain' brings Platinum-flavored action to Switch this August
Astral Chain is the latest neon-infused, over-the-top action title from Platinum Games, and it's due to hit the Nintendo Switch on August 30th. Platinum is best known for developing the Bayonetta series and 2017's acclaimed RPG Nier: Automata. It's also the studio behind one of the best games to ever hit the Wii U, The Wonderful 101.
'Bayonetta' is now a stupidly difficult 16-bit browser game
Nintendo essentially saved Bayonetta 2 from cancellation, which pleased many Wii U fans given it became one of the best-reviewed games of 2014. However, if you're one of the people that's yet to buy Nintendo's latest home console, you can still get a fresh fix of Platinum Games' shapeshifting witch. The developer just released a free browser game that has you fending off waves of supernatural monsters in a retro 2D shooter. The controls are ridiculously simple -- space to jump, enter to shoot -- but in true Platinum fashion, they're devilishly hard to master, especially when the number of enemies on-screen keeps increasing. Funnily enough, this isn't the first time we've seen the game either; the company once teased a similar-looking title as an April Fools' joke five years ago. This isn't quite as ambitious, but it's still a terrific way to waste five minutes on your lunch break.
AbleGamers names the top AAA, indie games of 2014
The AbleGamers Foundation, an organization that advocates on behalf of the gaming disability community, has picked Bayonetta 2 as the most accessible mainstream game of 2014, while Always Sometimes Monsters and This War of Mine are the organization's first-ever winners in the new independent game category. Bayonetta 2 receives the AbleGamers' Accessible Mainstream Game of the Year award because it is a "near-perfect example of game accessibility" that allows players to choose from a multitude of control options, AbleGamers says in a press release. "Bayonetta 2 stands out among other accessible mainstream games by paying careful attention to user-friendly game experience," the release reads. "The inclusion of a one-button combat mode creates an experience other character-action titles should implement. As a proof of concept, this game demonstrates that accessibility can be implemented into a mainstream AAA game without harming any of the gameplay. Popular titles such as Shadow of Mordor could easily implement one-button mode for those who need such accessibility while leaving complicated controls for those who prefer those methods, and still award players with a top-notch game that is accessible to everyone." We also thought Bayonetta 2 was an outstanding game of 2014. AbleGamers says it could not choose between Vagabond Dog's Always Sometimes Monsters – a game that we also adored – and 11 Bit's This War of Mine when selecting the inaugural AbleGamers Accessible Mainstream Indie Game of the Year.
Platinum gets conceptual with Bayonetta's Nintendo costumes
You can channel Nintendo's heroines (and Hyrule's hero) while unleashing crazy combos in Bayonetta 2, but it's worth taking a break from witchcraft to see how the collaboration came together in the first place. As Platinum Games detailed in a recent blog post, Bayonetta's first borrowed garb was the result of director Hideki Kamiya asking Platinum's Yong-Hee Cho to draw Bayonetta in a Princess Peach outfit. The above image and the full gallery below shows some of Cho's conceptual interpretations, but Kamiya pushed to keep the dress closer to Peach's original style. After tying Bayonetta's hair up, adding a Mario charm and some forearm flair, Kamiya and Cho were pleased with the results. Kamiya's direction similarly led to the Samus costume resembling the bounty hunter's initial venture on the NES, but the development of Bayonetta's tunic is interesting: After Kamiya approved Cho's traditional take on Link's classic attire, Cho turned the designs in to Nintendo for approval. They were returned with a suggestion that Cho open the tunic's top a little more. Bayonetta's Nintendo-themed wardrobe is available in both Bayonetta games on the Wii U, and in the case of Bayonetta 2, Contributing Editor Earnest Cavalli's review remarked that it's a "grand sequel that overshadows the most gleefully over-the-top aspects of its predecessor with entirely new levels of awe-inspiring spectacle." [Image: Platinum Games]
FIFA reigns in the UK, Bayonetta 2 debuts in top ten
FIFA 15 continues to rock the UK's sales charts, marking the soccer sim's fifth consecutive week at the top. EA's marquee sports game is followed by the PlayStation version of Minecraft, which reached Vita this month and made a sizable jump from ninth to second in the sales charts last week. Third on the list is The Evil Within, Bethesda's frightful survival horror game. Unsurprisingly, the middle of the pack includes Destiny, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. As far as new games go, the Wii U-exclusive Bayonetta 2 arrived at seventh in the UK's sales charts last week, a good spot for a single-console new release that also complements our five-star review of the game. Head past the break for the breakdown of the top-ten sellers in the UK, provided by Chart-Track.
The Legend of Korra review: Bend it like Bayonetta
Bending the elements like folks do in The Legend of Korra is an intoxicating dream. Much as they did in the original Avatar: The Last Airbender cartoon, many people born in Korra's world can freely manipulate the four elements through martial arts. The Avatar, born into every generation to maintain the spiritual balance of the world Dalai Lama style, is the only one who can bend all four. Fire from your fingers, literally riding the wind, lifting up the earth to make an easy chair, and never needing a squirt gun; the promise of feeling unity with the physical world, even if you're just playing around, is mesmerizing. Who wouldn't want to do that? That Platinum Games captures even a little of that feeling in its video game adaptation of The Legend of Korra is impressive, but physical fantasy is only one piece of the show's winning formula. Platinum's made a fun, flighty, sometimes infuriatingly pedantic game that's admirably old fashioned but disappointingly limited. The Legend of Korra is a strong body missing most of its heart. [Images: Activision/Nickelodeon]
Joystiq Streams: Bayonetta 2 for what ails you
Here is what happens in the prologue of Bayonetta 2: Bayonetta goes Christmas shopping with a morbidly obese caricature of Joe Pesci in midtown Manhattan. She asks her best friend Jeanne to go buy caviar for a Christmas party before Jeanne jumps a motorcycle off a building for no reason. Then Bayonetta jumps on top of a royal blue fighter jet, upon which she slaughters a squad of centaur angels before destroying the 59th Street Bridge. Afterward she flies through the city on crow wings so she can catch an Empire State Building-scaling dragon, shoving it back into a hell. Through a portal made out of her own hair. The prologue of Bayonetta 2 literally makes life better, so we're going to stream it and more of the beginning of the game at 4:00PM EST on Joystiq.com/Twitch. A whole gaggle of Joystiq staffers will be on air hanging out, so please join us to chat about the game. Today's talking point: moments of raw joy in video games. We broadcast every Tuesday and Thursday at 4:00PM EST on Joystiq.com/Twitch, but as you may have noticed, today is Wednesday. If you want to catch unpredictable streams like these and our upcoming two weeks of horror streams, make sure to follow us on Twitch.
Metareview: Bayonetta 2
Our five-star review - yup, all five stars - said Bayonetta 2 is a bit of a triumph, with Earnest "Nex" Cavalli deeming Platinum's hack-and-slash sequel one of the best games to come to Wii U. And remember, it's only on Wii U. "Bayonetta 2 is the perfect action game," wrote Nex. "It oozes style and boasts gameplay that's both refined and lacking in excess. The combat is so purely entertaining that it's easy to lose yourself in the almost-zen flow of dodging, countering and kicking enemies to death. Bayonetta 2 rewards a player's drive to look as cool as possible in combat with gameplay designed for exactly that – and with the acrobatic violence of a winking heroine who is as legitimately endearing as she is completely ludicrous." Nex wasn't the only one bewitched by Bayonetta 2's charms. As ever with Metareview, we've taken a sample of the other reviews out there, and you can peruse some choice quotes with links to the full articles below the break.
New Nintendo eShop releases: Bayonetta 2 demo (you want more?)
Bayonetta 2 doesn't hit Western shelves for another couple of weeks - check out the launch trailer below the break - but the demo is available right now on both the North American and European eShops. There's a brief tutorial introducing the basic hack-and-slash moves, but fans of the first game won't be surprised to see the demo drop you straight into the madness after that. In the 15 minutes or so it lasts you do battle with all manner of beasties, regular-sized and generally massive, all while riding on top of a jet plane, being chased down on a moving train, and winging your way around a huge dragon thing that's made its way up a tower, King Kong-style. Expect similar insanity when the Wii U game launches on October 24. While we know the Bayo demo is big news - by the by, it's just over two years since Nintendo wowed us by announcing Bayonetta 2 as a Wii U exclusive - there are other games, full games, out on the eShop this week. WiiWare favorite Art of Balance comes to Wii U in a new, bigger iteration, tasking players with 200 levels to stack up oddly shaped objects in while keeping things steady. For even more nostalgic types, Game Boy Advance entry Castlevania: Circle of the Moon whips up a Virtual Console debut this week too, again on Wii U. So, you know the drill: You'll find the list of new releases below the break, with prices, details and dates of availability (PS: as ever, if there's no date that means it's out today or is already out). As for sales, check Nintendo's press release for the complete list of offers - our pick this week is loco Latin-styled platformer Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition, which is roughly a third off at $9.75 until October 16.
The Legend of Korra difficulty level just for Platinum fans
The Legend of Korra has a special difficulty level tuned for fans of Platinum Games – Bayonetta, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance – producer Atsushi Kurooka says in the latest behind-the-scenes video. Activision approached Platinum to do The Legend of Korra, and the show's depth and silky smooth fight scenes convinced Kurooka it was "worth the challenge," as he puts it. And the final boss fight? It "has Platinum Games written all over it." The video shows off a few cool fight scenes between the talking heads, too. The Legend of Korra is due out on October 21 on PS3, PS4 and PC, and on October 22 on Xbox 360 and Xbox One. [Image: Activision]
Bayonetta 2 channels Fox McCloud with 'Star Mercenary' outfit
If you ever wanted to dress Bayonetta up in an outfit normally worn by an anthropomorphic fox, well, that's your business. This week, your fetish gains a little more legitimacy with the announcement that Platinum Games' upcoming Bayonetta 2 for Wii U will feature a costume swiped from Nintendo's Star Fox series. Nintendo's Bayonetta 2 Direct presentation showcases Platinum's "non-stop climax action game" in precise detail, revealing that a Fox McCloud outfit (shown at the 18:30 mark) will accompany previously announced alternate costumes inspired by Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, The Legend of Zelda's Link, and Metroid's Samus. While wearing the "Star Mercenary" outfit, Bayonetta will wield tiny Arwings instead of pistols, and a familiar reticle will indicate locked-on targets. The featurette also reveals that Bayonetta 2 will feature "controls that meld with your mind" in a pioneering and possibly illegal occupation of player brainspace. Bayonetta 2 collects the original Bayonetta alongside an all-new quest at retail and via Nintendo's eShop on October 24. [Image: Platinum Games]
Bayonetta 2 European editions detailed following confusion
Nintendo unveiled the three different editions of Bayonetta 2 coming to Europe, following some confusion over which copies include the original Bayonetta. Unlike in North America, not all copies come with the first game as a freebie. Instead, as listed by UK retailer GAME, a £33 Solus Edition only includes the sequel, and a £45 Special Edition bundles both Bayonetta discs. There is also the £60 First Print Edition that's exclusive to GAME, with physical editions of both games in a special case alongside a Bayonetta 2 art book. Though Nintendo of America announced during its E3 broadcast all copies of the Wii U hack-and-slash sequel would include the first game, the company's European branch noted (as above) the promotion was for a special edition. though that was only further clarified this week. However, it seems two major UK retailers were unaware of the difference. According to VideoGamer.com, Google cache (now updated) showed GAME had previously listed the Solus edition as including the original Bayonetta. As we've verified, Amazon UK is still listing the Solus edition as including the first Bayonetta. We've reached out to Amazon to clarify the situation going forward.
Witch stream: Bayonetta 2 gets its own Nintendo Direct tomorrow
It's witch time: Nintendo announced it's doing another of its single-title Direct broadcasts, and this one is for Platinum's Bayonetta 2. The livestream will air tomorrow, September 4 at 3PM PT (6PM ET, 11PM UK time), and you'll be able to watch it right here on Joystiq. With the flamboyant hack-and-slash flying players back to the moon fairly soon, Nintendo's keen to push one of its marquee exclusives in yet another games-stuffed holiday season. Bayonetta 2 struts onto retail shelves on October 24 in North America, but for some early thoughts on Platinum's gun-shoe, hair-raising antics, check out our recent video preview. [Image: Nintendo]
Bayonetta 2 gives Wii U a new 'do on October 24
Bayonetta 2, the new Platinum Games and Nintendo joint starring a witch wearing a jumpsuit made of her own hair, will officially be available on the North American Wii U just in time for Halloween. Both retail and downloadable versions of Bayonetta 2 will release on October 24th. The retail version of Bayonetta 2 will also include a new version of the original Bayonetta. First published by Sega on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2010, this edition of Bayonetta has her wearing new costumes based on classic Nintendo series like The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros., and Metroid. They're not just cosmetic additions either. Bayonetta's new Princess Peach outfit actually lets her summon a giant Bowser fist to crush angels. Watch our Bayonetta 2 video preview for more info on the Umbra Witch's return. [Images: Nintendo] [Show full PR text Bayonetta 2: The witch is back on Oct. 24. The game features over-the-top battles with wild weapons that take place in gorgeous set pieces. A new snake transformation lets Bayonetta better navigate underwater. The original Bayonetta game, complete with some Nintendo cosplay options for the powerful heroine, comes bundled with the retail packaged version of Bayonetta 2.
The Legend of Korra begins in October
If you've recovered from The Legend of Korra's season three TV finale, read on for more news about the series in video game form. Otherwise, take a few more deep breaths and brace yourselves: The Legend of Korra game from Platinum and Activision is due out on October 21 on PSN and PC, and on October 22 on Xbox Marketplace, Activision producer Robert Conkey told IGN. The game is coming to PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC. Last month, we got a look at some Korra gameplay featuring Naga, the polar bear dog. [Image: Activision]
Video preview: Bayonetta 2
In the pantheon of video game absurdity, Platinum's Bayonetta franchise stands atop any other series. A witch with guns for shoes and hair that acts as both outfit and weapon trumps pretty much any other crazy concept ever concocted in interactive entertainment history. Platinum brings its powerful action heroine back later this year in Bayonetta 2, exclusively on the Wii U. After spending time with the game, Joystiq Editor-in-chief Ludwig Kietzmann recounts the many monsters slain, snapshots taken of Bayonetta in action and puts an age-old debate to rest: long haired Bayonetta or short? [Image: Platinum]
