Bayonetta Cover Analysis

Spine

·Non-Stylised

-Pros: Easy to read for organizational purposes
-Cons: bland, makes a sudden gap in the cover art; does not flow

·Section at the top shows what console the game in question is compatible with

·Age rating visible, showing the minimum suitable age for players

            -BBFC shows this is the British version of the game

·PAL listing shows this is only compatible with PAL consoles

Protagonist (Bayonetta)

·Stands out against the backdrop
·Guns in hand show Bayonetta is a fighter, and the pose suggests she is ready to/about to get into a fight

·Guns attached to heels show she is insane and/or superhumanly skilled. (Also implied by the high heels and incredibly long hair; fighting with them in reality would be incredibly difficult) Guns also very unusual, perhaps custom made implying she altered them herself?

·Wearing what appears to be a skin-tight leather catsuit and high heels. Incredibly sexualised appearance perhaps says something about the character and/or the target demographic, further implied by the exaggeration of her features, e.g. the incredibly long slender legs, and disproportionately sized backside

·Glasses imply intelligence (semi-supported by the blurb mentioning she is a witch?) However could be use of the “Hot Librarian” Trope.

·Femininity implied by long, styled hair, pink guns, slender face, high heels, etc

·Appears to be winking on the back cover, implying she is flirtatious.

Cover: Front

·Backdrop is night sky with a large moon, perhaps hinting that the game has a dark, almost gothic feel (somewhat supported by the character being dressed in full black)

·Console strip at the top of the cover showing the console this game is compatible with, also that the game has online capability (Xbox Live)
·Title Art. Black and red, combined with the lettering holds evil/ demonic connotations (blurb mentions witchcraft, perhaps links there)

·Circular pattern behind title looks reminiscent of a witchcraft symbol/sigil/seal?

·Age rating visible, showing the minimum suitable age for players

            -BBFC shows this is the British version of the game

·PAL listing shows this is only compatible with PAL consoles
·Lists the publisher (SEGA)

Cover: Back

·Bayonetta appears again in another pose, and in the in-game screenshots

·In-game screenshots all show what the game looks like while playing

            -All have been captioned with information relating to the in-game features

·Tagline “Being Bad never felt so Good” implies that Bayonetta is an evil character, or perhaps is implying she is a flirtatious character

·Blurb just below talks about the plot of the game, explaining what players should know about the story

·Two quotes from review sites showing the game has critical acclaim, assuring the quality of the game

·Age rating visible, showing the minimum suitable age for players

            -BBFC shows this is the British version of the game

            -Also explains why the game is given the rating

·Lists the publisher (SEGA)

·Lists the Developer, Platinum Games

            Well known for fast-paced action games

·Features of the game listed, e.g. 1 player, HD capable, leaderboards, etc.