When it comes to sexualized characters, Bayonetta is near the top of the list. So it's no surprise that Nintendo of America has allegedly partnered with Playboy to pair their tantalizing franchise with nude model Pamela Horton.
However, the pictures fail to titillate.
Horton, who is billed as Playboy's resident "Gamer Next Door" poses in a signature Bayonetta costume, apparently to entice would be gamers to purchase the game (which is now out for Wii U).
There are a few concerns with the shots. Primarily there is the fact that they kind of look cheap. Playboy has an expectation of quality, and the manner in which they were shot (in some cases with a green-screen background in the back and in others a white room) makes the whole set up look like it's Pamela's first time in a costume.
Bayonetta is an incredibly sexualized character, often presented with the camera in interesting places.
A common issue fans were discussing in the comments on Horton's Facebook page is that Bayonetta is uncommonly tall -- maybe too tall, with proportions that are unrealistic for a real woman, even one as beautiful as Pamela Horton.
Another critique has been that the costume itself looks relatively inexpensive. That might be because of the chosen background or the decision to use a very strong flash in these shots, which makes everything seem a tiny bit cheap.
The shot Norton was perhaps referencing, pulled from this site.
This is not the first time that Playboy has been paired with a gaming icon. CD Projekt Red worked with Playboy to do 3D renders of one of their characters (Tris) from the Witcher 2 [NSFW LINK]. She was evidently the cover girl for the Polish version of Playboy.
This has happened as far back as 2004 when Bloodrayne posed for the magazine.
Whatever your response to it, the Bayonetta 2 shoot can be found on the Playboy site as well as on Pamela Horton's FB page. All images used in this article have been pulled from those two sources, unless otherwise stated.
Bayonetta 2 is currently available on Wii U.
