A someone who does not own a WiiU I have been waiting for the current catolog of games to justify the purchase for me. And with games like Wind Waker HD, Super Mario 3D World, Mario Kart U and Pikmin 3 I was one game away from wanting to get a WiiU and that game is Bayonetta 2.

Having seen the great review scores for the game going up I was very happy to see the overwhelmingly positive feedback with all reviews at the time giving the game a 9/10 or higher, bar one review from Polygon.

Over time I have had to temper myself from getting upset over review scores that may be lower than the average for a game am now anticipating. So rather than commenting on polygon I went and read the review to see why they did not like the game.

To summarize why polygon reviewed the game lower is the over the top displays of sexuality in Bayonetta 2. Having read the review I was having a hard time believing that this was the case.

To begin with the character of Bayonetta in the game is in no way subservient to any male or female character as one would expect of a character who is simply an object. Rather than Bayonetta's baring it all style overshadowing her personality it matches it perfectly in a way that really shows us her own over the top attitude and liberation.

The reviewer may have been uncomfortable with what the game was trying to do, but I believe that a game reviewers should try to review games based on their quality rather than their themes. If a game can be criticized for being to sexual than can games like Gears of War and The Last of Us have points taken off for being to violent?

Let me know what you think.

In the words of Spinal Tap, 'what's wrong with being sexy?'

I don't think Bayonetta is sexist, the character is much more than a mere sexual object. And her sexuality comes across as empowerment rather than enslavement.

There are many representations of women in videogaming which are much worse than Bayonetta, how many of them had their scores docked by Polygon?

If that's the only criticism Polygon had then that's pretty weak. To answer the question: no the game doesn't seem sexist to me at all.

ohh boy, we all know that polygon is full of sexists. they dont wanna see women because they hate em.
im pretty sure they went batshit crazy after they saw women driving in mariokart 8.

sure for us liberal western people te review seems crazy, but polygon isnt like us, they are way more like the saudis.
they hate women and dont wanna see them.

Ya know, picking up hookers, killing them, stealing their money and dumping their body is a heavily incentivized activity in GTA amongst many other horrible things. To me, I find that more detestable than likely anything that'd go on in Bayonetta.  Polygon gave that game a 9.5.

If anyone's being sexist, it may as well be Polygon. They're more than happy to overlook moral grievances for a game with a male lead, but not for one with a female one. Yes they did give the latest Tomb Raider a good score, but in that game we Lara constantly bruised and beaten -- it sort of perpetuates the stereotype that women are naturally helpless. This only shows how sexist Polygon themselves truly are.

Bayonetta is a strong, liberated woman who unashamed of and in control of her own sexuality.

She does what the hell she wants, and is comfortable in her own skin, taking both pride and joy in her own body and femininity.

Far from being sexist, she's actually a testament that female characters can be empowered without being stifled of all sexuality.

Bayonetta 2 is gonna always be looked at sexualized. Like comics that have bare chested, skin tight muscle guys. That still gets ignored. People will still call out porn symbol to the women. A perfect example is Hulk and She-Hulk. Hulk wears nothing but pants and sometimes speedo underwear. Getting into a fight. Missles are shot at him. Bullets everywher. She-Hulk gets into a fight, gets lasered. Her clothes are burnt off except her bra and panties. People btiched and moaned. Both characaters are doing the same thing. There shouldn't be complaints. But they keep happening.

No matter what someone does, it ends up being called wrong. Look at Tomb Raider. Everyone keeps saying Lara being attacked and injured all those times is showing her "weak" and vulnerable. When those writers where setting up the opposite. They're creating a characters arc. But the audience will not see it that way. But people will never ever complain when say Drake was tied to a chair and beaten. Wrong characterization to a strong woman is Samus in MOM. That is were they screwed up the balance. And logic in a game.

The only time Bayonetta is actually sexualized is when she's in poses for the game. And when her hair comes off. The rest of the game is a no. Could it be toned down? Yes. But this game is based off that type of ridiculousness. We are talking about a woman who can wield guns without pulling triggers. I want to see Snake do that. And aim with precision, on her legs. Fatal frame 5 is more sexualized than this game. Because the clothing options are completely inappropriate for the normal game setting. To me that's a worse offender.

I love a woman with power. My favorite tv heroin is Xena: Warrior Princess!! There's nothing wrong with a woman expressing her power and beautiful body.

There's a difference between sexualised and sexist, and I think Polygon have had difficulty with that.

It's very telling that many game reviewers are still fine with misogyny in games like GTA, but with a niche Japanese release starring a female protagonist, some are quick to cry foul.

It is not what she does it is what the game does, read in reviews the game will have plenty (or to much) close up of her crotch and boobs..