Bayonetta Playable at Philly GameX Expo

Sega will be showing off Platinum Games’ hyper-sexualized brawler, Bayonetta, at Philadelphia’s GameX this October.

If getting your hands on the PS3 version of Dante’s Inferno wasn’t reason enough for you, Sega will be demoing Platinum Games’ upcoming Xbox 360 and PS3 brawler Bayonetta at Philadelphia’s GameX, which takes place from October 23-25 . Bayonetta let’s you take control of the game’s titular (*ahem*) character, a witch who has recently awoken from a centuries-long slumber who must piece together memories of her previous life while under constant assault from a horde of angelic warriors.

I had a chance to play an early version of Bayonetta (suggestively titled Bayonetta: Foreplay) at E3 earlier this year, and it was one of the strongest demos of the show. That’s not surprising given the pedigree of developer Platinum Games, the team responsible for MadWorld and formed from key members of Capcom’s now-defunct Clover Studio, themselves responsible for a number of similarly under-appreciated games like Okami, Viewtiful Joe and God Hand. Also, Game Director Hideki Kamiya is the creator of the Devil May Cry series, so Bayonetta has that going for it.

Unfortunately, Bayonetta‘s killer booth babe from E3 won’t be in attendance, but as the Expo’s official media partner, The Escapist‘s staff will be there in full force, including Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw, who, I’m told, will not be wearing six-inch, revolver-shaped heels and a form-fitting latex suit.

Here’s the press release:

Philadelphia, PA—August 4, 2009— GameX (Games & Media Expo), October 23-25, 2009 in Philadelphia, today announced SEGA® as one of their major game publisher participants. SEGA will feature their new title, BAYONETTA™, recently debuted to rave reviews at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3).

Touted as one of the top new future releases shown at E3, BAYONETTA is a stylish and cinematic extreme action game for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, directed by Hideki Kamiya and produced by Yusuke Hashimoto of PlatinumGames. BAYONETTA is developed by PlatinumGames Inc., the same independent development studio that created the critically acclaimed black and white action brawler, MadWorld™.

BAYONETTA pushes the limits of the action genre, bringing to life its fast-paced, dynamic climax combat. The main character, Bayonetta, is a witch who has been slumbering for hundreds of years. She has magical hair that she uses to summon colossal monsters, guns attached to her hands and feet to defeat her foes and can shapeshift into creatures such as a panther. Game consumers will have the chance to play the action game at GameX before the game’s release.

“BAYONETTA has a premise, characters and action sequences entirely different from other third-person action games,” says Sean Ratcliffe, VP of Marketing, SEGA of America. “Fluid controls allows for the seamless execution of stylish, yet deadly moves resulting in a truly satisfying experience. Players at GameX will no doubt be impressed by Bayonetta’s speed, combo attacks and ultra-stylized look.”

Presented by NBC Local Media in Philadelphia, GameX is a high-visibility entertainment, tech and media show with games as its main attraction. Designed to appeal to local, regional and national audiences of game players, film and TV fans, comic book buffs and tech enthusiasts, GameX features games-focused exhibits and demos, as well as pop culture elements such as advance film and TV screenings and trailers, celebrity guest appearances, high stakes game tournaments, robotics demonstrations, animation festival and competitive art exhibit, video art installations and much more.

Jennifer Halpin, executive vice president of show production for GameX, adds, “GameX is thrilled to welcome SEGA to GameX, especially when they are promoting such a strong, critically-acclaimed game title like BAYONETTA. It’s clear that the game has intense action and graphics, and that GameX show attendees are going to enjoy playing the game for the first time.”