10 Weirdest Genre Shifts In Video Games
6. Bayonetta
A twofer here, as Bayonetta sees Platinum's eponymous heroine take part in not one but two vehicular excursions in her debut adventure.
Much like the the aforementioned Saints of Rage, Bayonetta's genre shifts are an elongated tribute to Sega's 16-bit golden age. In this case, the games being paid homage to are arcade classics Space Harrier and Super Hang-on. And yes, these are very deliberate tributes - the Space Harrier section even includes a (banger) remixed version of that game's theme.
Now, some of you may be wondering why these particular genre shifts made this list. After all, vehicle sections have been part of the Character Action/Spectacle Fighter genre since the original Devil May Cry culminated in a plane ride through the Underworld. What makes Bayonetta's stand out is that they are so bloody long.
What should have been short-and-sweet tributes to Sega's arcade glories are stymied by ludicrously lengthy run-times that see Bayonetta's dedication to excess work against it. Similar sections in Bayonetta's sequels were far shorter, and far better for it.
And you thought Bayonetta 3's ending was the worst thing to happen to the franchise...