No voice-over with funny accents included. Just subtitles.

In a recent official blog entry, Tatsuya Minami, President and CEO of Paltinum Games, anounced that they will not be developing the PS3 port of Bayonetta, and will be handing if off to SEGA, and Platinum games will be “giving them advice… and overseeing the progress”.

As some of you dedicated readers may remember, our guest writer Andrew wrote an aticle about Bayonetta for our E3 coverage back in July, and I think it was pretty obvious how overly excited he and the rest of GamersRoute was about this title.

Of course, those with Xbox 360s have nothing to worry about. But for those of us who have PS3s, this news doesn’t make me feel too comfortable, especially with a line like this:

We feel the best way to evaluate this [the differences] is by actually playing the game for yourself and coming to your own conclusions.

I can’t help but feel that what’s really being said is this: “Yeah, the game is not gonna be the same. And we’re not actually a part of the PS3 port. But we’ll just go ahead with this plan and let you deal with it.”

I guess we won’t know till it comes out. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for all of us Bayonetta-wantin’ PS3 owners out there.

No doubt people either hate or love (mostly love) the styles and character of Bayonetta. I mean come on; she’s basically naked but wears her hair around. Can you honestly say that you don’t like ‘em?

And thanks to Maxim.com , we get to see look-alike of Bayonetta in real life form. Not the naked part with hair long enough to cover their body parts, but we’ll probably get something close to that, considering it’s Maxim. Oh, and if you’re thinking about it, you have to be at least 18 years old.

Maxim and Bayonetta. It’s like a perfect mix of two worlds.

Bayonetta will be released on January of 2010.

Bayonetta's no fragile thing--look at the sparks fly as she decimates the angelic hosts.

I cannot put into words how excited I am for Bayonetta. From the month-old trailers showcasing the protagonist’s suggestive antics, to the spot-on costume that Sega put together for the girl at their booth at E3, to the constant lines to get a chance to play, to Hideki Kamiya and Yusuke Hashimoto doing the press meetings in person, my anticipation for this game has only increased over time. Here’s why.

First of all, Hideki Kamiya has an excellent track record. I’ll avoid discussing Devil May Cry, since that’s the first comparison everyone seems to make. Viewtiful Joe proved that Kamiya is able to do over-the-top, and do it well. Okami demonstrated his ability to bring an expansive world to life with the perfect palette and feel. Now that he has been freed from corporate control (to an extent) at Platinum Games, he is able to bring all of his talents together and make the game he really wanted to. When I asked him what the inspiration was for Bayonetta was and how she became the lively heroine that she is, Kamiya stated that he had created enough male characters for now and that Bayonetta was partially inspired by his “ideal woman.” The amount of fun they had making the game was evident during the press meeting, and it is evident throughout the game itself.

The game really does look great. While the Xbox 360 version was the one being shown to us at E3, I have no reason to doubt the PS3 version is equally dazzling. The attention to detail saturates the entire world–the game’s producer, Yusuke Hashimoto, created many of the enemy designs himself. The angel motif is one that has been explored a great deal in recent years, but the statuesque, cherub-faced monsters still show a great degree of variety in their presentation. Each of the many (many, many) combos unfurls beautifully on the screen, giving the combat a fluid beauty that is matched by the natural control scheme. Devil May Cry 4 (okay, I’ll let one comparison slide) may have come out only a year and half ago, but Bayonetta really does leave it in the dust. Essentially, it is a complete visual pleasure.

Finally, the game is FUN. My greatest complaint with Okami is that battles were an overall detraction from the experience. Being carried away to a limited battle area, being forced to carry out a set number of brush strokes to execute certain enemies, each additional transition took me out of the experience a little bit. Bayonetta really looks to be fun throughout. Cutscenes, combat, characters, all of it! The controls are really intuitive, and Bayonetta moves as you’d expect her to (yes, that includes the gyrating crotch). We can’t talk about everything we saw at E3, but it seems that they have woven in a significant plot that adds to the richness of the experience without weighing it down. Fans of the action genre will be pleased, and a few minutes at the controller will be enough to convert you to the genre. Dynamic and responsive always, intense at times, the game just feels right.

With one month having passed since E3 and another two or three until the game’s release, I recommend that all Xbox 360 and PS3 owners prepare themselves for this must-have purchase. This one can’t be passed up.

Bayonetta's attempt at Climhazzard. These angels don't quite have Sephiroth's salon primping though.

The massive heel formed from hair and the fading crotchline of her skinsuit inspire in equal measure.