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[Yuterald]

I don't think anyone in this thread said that the first game is "dumb" now. I'm one of those who prefers the sequel, the main reasons for that being that the annoying parts of the first game, mainly mini games, vehicle sections and QTEs, are gone. It makes the whole game much more repayable for those that didn't enjoy those parts. I imagine those parts were dropped in response to negative feedback so it's not that surprising that many like the second game better because of it. Those omissions alone make the sequel superior to me, but I found the game improved on the original in most other areas as well - combat, bosses, enemy variety, environments, music. When it comes to the story, I like the more personal story of 1 better, but story doesn't really matter all that much in a game like Bayonetta.

As for the bosses, I would like the bosses in 1 more if they didn't have those platforming and QTE sections, like during the Fortitudo fight, it's just really annoying to have to repeatedly jump back and forth between the bridge and the lower part and then there's the QTE where Bayo throws the boss, that is repeated throughout the fight, one time four times in a row. I find that stuff really annoying, I just want to fight. And Bayo 2 gave me that, just pure well paced boss fights without all those little breaks.

I agree that the direction of the cutscenes in 1 is classier, but they just go on for way too long. It feels like every time Luka or Jeanne appear I can put the controller down for 15 minutes. The cutscenes containing action are much better in 2 though, like the fight scene in chapter XII or the one where you meet Rosa, those are really well done.

I won't argue the QTE or mini-game stuff. That shit still sucks and it's definitely a plus for Bayo 2. I just don't think it's a make it or break it deal for me. I'm having more fun replaying Bayonetta at the moment and I've already completed it numerous times on both the 360 and PS3 (barf). I really don't have an issue with the platforming stuff in the main angel boss fights though. I could see why others would, but I like each of the 4 major boss fights from the original more than ANY boss fight from the second game. I will say that the Lumen Sage fights are better than the Jeanne battles, but they're only marginally better. I am completely neutral on the aerial battles too. I like the fact that it still feels like you're fighting on the ground (basically, the core combat mechanics don't change), but I also think there is an over abundance of them and I just generally prefer being grounded as I fight. I still stand by my claim that the angel bosses are extremely disappointing compared to the 4 from the original, despite them having less bullshit in the platforming/QTE department. I posted this awhile back, but I SWORE Valor was a regular enemy when I encountered him and that's a problem, in my book at least.

Also, not to be a broken record, but where the fuck was my Climatic Battle equivalent!? The boss fights didn't have a Tables Turn, so to speak. The entire game just felt like a big fucking gauntlet after a certain point, like a string of ridiculous battles. The new enemies were cool and everything, but it felt like they just started throwing them in like every other "screen", especially noticeable down in Hell. I just felt like the enemies in the original were introduced better. The first angel introduction from the original game is just so fucking memorable and majestic (the flowers blooming and the angels descending from the heavens). Look at the flaming wheel enemies from the original too. They're introduced by having a trolly-car crash and burn on a city street. The way the scene is shot, you could look at it like the wheels spawned from the wreckage of the trolly-car. It's the little details that I love seeing and I feel like Bayo 2 was missing some of that. They had such a cool opportunity to do something unique and special with how to present the demons to the player, but I felt like all I got was some "portal out of the ground" for every single one of them (although, the demon book was absolutely appreciated, but that's the LEAST of what I expected).

Also...

The Heavies > The Heavies 2

>

Bayo 2 is like the Nightshade to Bayo's Shinobi to me.

I think Bayo 2 is a fine game that I enjoy, but it doesn't stand on its own like the original to me, which is perfect.

It's a sequel that builds off the first and adds and changes things for the sake of change and being a fresh game to fans of the original. but the original will always be the classic, and for me the stronger game.

HOLY SHIT! I said this to myself when I was playing through Bayo 2 for the first time. Get out of my head, haha! Probably doesn't help that both Nightshade and Bayo 2 start with jet fighter sequences lol

I agree with all of this. Bayonetta 1 throws way too many obstacles in the way of the player who wants to get down to business and just fight. Good luck replaying story mode all the way through, week after week and month after month, without wanting to skip a bunch of chapters. The QTEs, flaming enemies, enormous bosses, long vehicle sequences, and platforming are hard to tolerate after a while.

Platinum cut or improved all of these things in the sequel, and the result is an impeccably paced story mode that keeps combat the top priority. Bayonetta 2 is more replayable as a complete package. Fewer gimmicks, better bosses (in terms of gameplay), and more combat-oriented variety.

But it has been months, years even, since I've sat through the original Bayo in its entirety and I'm still enjoying myself! XD

 

[Orniletter]

Spoiler

Masked Lumen

is a motherfucker. Had to switch to 2nd Climax in the first fight and gave up on the second. I thought that the

Spoiler

sting ray

boss was the whole chapter so I used all the items! Lol.

I´m replaying B2 again right now on 3rd Climax to unlock the highest difficulty....and no kidding, Chapter 4 was tough.

I had to use *gasp* Items

 

[Grizzo]

Go in chronological order, that way you can get the full experience and appreciate the difference between the two!

Thanks JC! I'll make sure to start with the first one then.

 

[Riposte]

This game is such a sequel. It can't be said enough you really should play the two in order. It's not like Devil May Cry where Dante is a new whole person in almost every one and at most you get small throwbacks and cameos. The scenario of this game (and the particular level of its grandiose action and small things like how some enemies don't even get an introduction) seems like the entire game's premise fully acknowledges that there was a Bayonetta 1 and it needed to be complemented; it's not "more Bayonetta", it's "Bayonetta's other half" ("better half"?). People say it sets up a sequel, but I got the feeling they aimed to make the final game with this one because of how cleanly it wraps everything up. A third one would have to feel really off tangent, like, IDK, Back to the Future Part III lol.

I don't like the idea of replay value coming at the expense of, you know, overall value. I think it's rather gluttonous to play a game over and over again, especially beyond your fill (i.e., when you start to dislike the game, ruin your initial bright impression). On one hand I understand the impressiveness of a game not going stale after beating it a few times (and aiming for better performance), but I think the desire for that derives from our habit of spending a lot of time (an obsession, perhaps) with games. You can't let your enthusiasm be about the degree of your enthusiasm, it has to be about the games only; the side effects (distractions) of being an enthusiast should be corrected as you find them. I suppose that doesn't answer the question of whether we should value the game with more "replay value" of two otherwise equal quality games (hypothetically) over the other. It sounds like "Food x is great and Food y is great, but Food x is better when you eat it like a pig" - I honestly don't think we should (unless "replay value" is so expansive that it essentially feels like more content to play, i.e., you never stopped playing so you haven't started replaying). Perhaps higher replay value is a sign of some positive qualities, but I'd say focus on those qualities instead. Like, when we talk about a match-based multiplayer games, the "replay value" is already assumed, so we instead talk about what's actually good about the game.

Whenever I read "I loved game X, but I got utterly sick of it while trying to get achievement/trophy/high score" all I think is "unhealthy".

Mind you I say this as someone who, as of right now anyway, likes Bayonetta 2 over Bayonetta (while the argument is supporting the latter in the current context). I really like successful sequels. Hell, as far as I'm concerned, Bayonetta was a Devil May Cry (if not the first, then one of the later ones) sequel in many ways. (I wonder how I would feel if 3rd Climax had to be unlocked.)

Doit.gif

You, Riposte, and like 6 other folks are the only reason I read that thread, though there have been some more well made lists in the last couple years

I decided early on I wasn't doing one this year. I'm on a "break". I still ended up playing quite a few new (and very good) games, enough to make a very simple list (smaller descriptions, maybe fewer entries), but I know I haven't played enough (I can't recall playing a single game I knew I would dislike and I usually play at least a couple of those!) nor play the ones I did with the mindset to remember any insights I had and this would bother me. A simple list would likely shortly morph make a full-blown list. I feel fear knowing how easy it would be to turn my vacation into a very busy one... at the very least I would have to can my plans of playing FFXIV one last time, although that is probably a good idea altogether.

The quality of the average list has gone up it seems, both in terms of presentation and description. Which is good, because I still hold the idea that people should use their lists like a business card, an introduction into that person's tastes. I also think it breeds stronger opinions when you force yourself to think about why you like something... unfortunately, since it is a GOTY thing, if you don't think enough you just end up evangelizing your totally life-changing experience of the year with more verbosity lol.

 

[Fine Ham Abounds]

I decided early on I wasn't doing one this year. I'm on a "break". I still ended up playing quite a few new (and very good) games, enough to make a very simple list (smaller descriptions, maybe fewer entries), but I know I haven't played enough (I can't recall playing a single game I knew I would dislike and I usually play at least a couple of those!) nor play the ones I did with the mindset to remember any insights I had and this would bother me. A simple list would likely shortly morph make a full-blown list. I feel fear knowing how easy it would be to turn my vacation into a very busy one... at the very least I would have to can my plans of playing FFXIV one last time, although that is probably a good idea altogether.

The quality of the average list has gone up it seems, both in terms of presentation and description. Which is good, because I still hold the idea that people should use their lists like a business card, an introduction into that person's tastes. I also think it breeds stronger opinions when you force yourself to think about why you like something... unfortunately, since it is a GOTY thing, if you don't think enough you just end up evangelizing your totally life-changing experience of the year with more verbosity lol.

That's a shame, but I can appreciate where you're coming from. I decided much the same earlier this year regarding a list and have been gaming roughly the same as well, in my case because my job has seriously eaten into my free time this year.

Personally, I'm just going to focus on the 4-5 games I played the most, committed to the most and ostensibly enjoyed the most, and just do a short but hopefully more focused writeup,

I just hope JC realizes there's more pressure on him now

 

[ViewtifulJC]

I decided early on I wasn't doing one this year. I'm on a "break"

absolutely-disgusting.jpg

 

[Weltall Zero]

Can anyone tell me why I sometimes get a kick when press the punch button?

The only thing I can think of is that you might be mashing the kick button ad it gets buffered. If you're trying to do PKP for example, and you hit P, then mash K until you see the kick animation, then mash P, the extra K's are buffered so that you get them as the third input. Bayonetta's buffer is not as long in duration as, say, Tekken's, but it's still there.

[post about obsessive replayability]

I feel exactly the same, if only because, with so much on my plate, I don't have time to replay games over and over (with the exception being games that are designed around that, like FTL or Spelunky). Even though I loved TW101, I'm in the middle of my third (101% hard) walkthrough, and that's exceptional. Conversely, I don't mind its many minigames / gameplay shifts.

For the record, I consider Bayonetta 2 to be vastly superior to 1, especially its story. Bayo1's was a fucking mess with no rhyme or reason for almost anything; 2's manages to not only be much more coherent and interesting, but actually retroactively fix several of 1's plot holes or simply unexplained plot points. If making the previous game twice as good is not a huge achievement, I don't know what is.
Aside from that, going back to Bayo1's dull and muted color palette (not just after 2, but TW101 as well) is frankly hard on the eyes. I like my games lively and colorful, and hate "brown realism", so that's probably just my taste. Finally, Umbran Climax is such a great thing to have and have an use for the magic meter for, not to mention it adds an additional layer of strategy. I also like that the magic meter is not depleted when you get hit, as it's a bit of an excessive "slippery slope" mechanic. And of course Tag Climax is awesome.
The only thing that was a massive disappointment in Bayo2 was it's final boss, but hey, you can't have everything.

 

[Host Samurai]

Just finished it. The final few chapters really amp up. Also that final boss was epic, idk why most of you guys said it was a disappointment. Also is that

Spoiler

Bayo1's final boss that Balder and Bayo summon?

Still holding on to my opinion that I like Bayonetta 1 better, its not a landslide but it was overall paced better and the levels were more explore-able. I feel like the Hell levels really brought Bayo 2 down a few notches. Nothing stood out besides a boss or 2 and the levels were just really red and bland compared to Bayo 1's more fantasy/urban environments and I miss running up buildings while a 50 foot creature is trying to kill me.

 

[ExReey]

Started playing Bayo 2 yesterday and wow, it`s absolutely amazing! Never played Bayo so it`s all new and frankly, it`s pretty overwhelming. A lot of characters, places, terminology, and almost nothing is explained at the beginning of the game.
Another thing: how can I compare weapons? I just found a second weapon (some kind of swords) but I can't see if they`re better and how much..

 

[Curufinwe]

I love how the new area feels a bit like DMC3.

 

[Muchi Muchi Pink]

Bayonetta 2 is the first game fine tuned in almost every way. Almost every enemy design is cut content from the first game. In Eyes of Bayonetta Hashimoto talks about how they wanted to introduce Infernal Demons but it got cut due to time and budget. Valiance was his favorite design in 1.

Also talks about a mage type angel, which later in Bayonetta 2 was made with Enrapture. Bayonetta 2 is clearly the game Hashimoto had in mind while working on 1.

Should Bayonetta 3 ever exists, Hashimoto needs to direct it.

 

[ajjow]

Just finished bayo1.

I dono want to play the second. Im trying to get gold or platinum in hard in each stage.

The game is so amazing that.... I just don't know. A mixture os happiness and sadnnes I'm feeling.

They will never release a third coming, so I want this franchise to endure as much as it can in my life. So I'll probably try the sequel next year.

Never played DMC, so its like a new genre for me. Im impressed. For a time, i thought the game was a small sucesses just because you were playing a sexy character. Man, how wrong was i... After you grow acostumed to Bayonetta, you dont look at her, its like a friend who is crazy as balls. I just dont know how to explain. The gameplay is everything here. Pure perfection. The câmera has some problemas, but just this.

The gameplay, however, it impossible to get acostumed. It really shines the director and the team work. Everytime you play, you do something new and discover a new way to play. It's a misture of a fighter game with beat em up.

I just wish Kamya could do a spiritual sequel do OKAMI with bayonetta fighting system, where you improve your characer reeeeeaaaaally slowly.

What a professional this man is. What a team!

 

[Andrew J.]

Beat the game last night. 2nd Climax, mostly gold trophies. Used the strategy guide for collectibles and such, beat all the Muspelheims. That second-to-last one, where you have to

Spoiler

jump off a Beloved after it smashes your platform?

Took me two dozen tries and my thumb still hurts, but I beat it.

Probably my game of the year. Hard to say how it compares with the original, have to think about it some more.

 

[IKizzLE]

Bayonetta 2 is better than 1 in every single way. Better gameplay, better pacing, better environments, better boss battles(prefer bosses where you can be creative and player control isn't limited) better graphics, more enemy variety, more coherent story. I can go on and on. I do prefer her personality in the first sslightly but I also like the more caring bayonetta in 2.

But like someone mentioned, this argument is similar to Mario galaxy 1 and 2 and demon souls compared to dark souls; its ok to prefer one over the other. They are both the best in the genre.

 

[Crab Milk Mickey]

Same, doesn't seem to have any effect (D-Pad down), the taunt is LB in Bayo 1 and Hard lock is RB (wish so bad they made it "hold" or "toggle" like in the Zelda game, I hate holding that damn RB while trying to dodge at the same time...

For what it's worth, you can dodge with the jump button whilst holding the lock-on button. Still more cumbersome than it needs to be though, considering some of Platinum's other games had more intuitive lock-on systems.

Chapter 14 on Bayo 2 and this shit is awesome. I was hoping not to see Grace & Glory back because those fuckers were a pain in the ass in the first game. But alas, I encountered them in Chapter 12 I think it was but Witch Time actually activates against them in Bayo 2. Jeezzz I swear it was broken in Bayo 1 against them.

Witch Time activated in Bayonetta 1 too against Grace and Glory. It was their golden versions (Gracious and Glorious) where the devs essentially pulled the rug from under your feet.

1 all the way for me. I seem to be in the minority who didn't really love Bayonetta 2. :/

- The camera's more zoomed in than in Bayo 1, and there's almost always an ally with you, making the onscreen action very chaotic at times. The action in Bayonetta 2 also lacks a certain finesse, it feels more "button mash-y" to me.

- The entire thing felt like a "curated" experience, with way too many cutscenes, NPC presence, onscreen instructions... I never felt like I was left alone long enough.

- There's almost no level design to speak of, ~70% of the game is made up of generic set pieces. There wasn't enough exploration or puzzles like in Bayo 1, which admittedly weren't really well made, but they did wonders for the pacing.

-

Spoiler

Loki

is the worst character in history and

Spoiler

he's practically glued to you throughout the entire damn game. I was hoping he'd be a side character and that I wouldn't see him so much, but storywise Bayo 2 felt like a Loki game featuring the cast of Bayonetta.

.

- In the first game, Bayonetta was irreverent and cheeky throughout the entire thing. In the sequel, she's way too serious at times, which kills the charm.

Despite the negatives, it's a pretty decent game overall, but I have to say I'm disappointed.

- I found it to be the opposite regarding the camera. Yes, it's more zoomed-in when nothing is going and when you're merely running from one noteworthy moment to the next (be it a new Verse, cutscene, etc.) but during the actual combat the camera zooms out more than in Bayonetta 1, even moreso during the use of Umbran Climax and other specific circumstances. I also disagree with it feeling more buttonmash-y: I felt Bayonetta 2 did a better job of keeping me on my toes despite the lower general difficulty on 3rd / Infinite Climax due to a higher frequency of enemies who either dodge / parry quite frequently, or by introducing specific enemy types like the sorcerers which could not be left alone over time for good reason. 2's weapons also made me more inclined to experiment with different combinations, whereas in 1 the katana (which you receive early into the campaign) served me well in just about any situation with how effective it was. Not to say there aren't any weapons like that in the sequel (see: chainsaws), but at least 2 had the courtesy of hiding them away for a little longer.

- Most of the on-screen prompts were limited to either negligible actions (such as turning into a snake) or for the on-rails sections. Not much of a difference to me. What did grate me though were the NPC's regularly trying to urge you to move on. Bayonetta 1 is far worse when it comes to cutscenes though; I'm glad Platinum restrained themselves with 2 because 1 often had the tendency to stretch them out for convoluted plot, even if the general cinematography stood out more.

- Bayonetta 1 is just as linear as 2. The only "exploration" that existed was looking for the sporadic breakable wall, finding something that happened to be tucked away in an inconspicuous corner (made more annoying by blatant use of invisible walls) or tedious backtracking for the Alfheims. That's not my idea of exploration. All of the puzzles are insultingly shallow and were only there to break the pacing; action games in general need to stop doing this.

- I'll agree with Loki being an obnoxious little shit hogging up too much screentime and Bayonetta having been more playful in the original, however.

Didn't know that! Incidentally, I wonder if it'll have an effect on the framerate. Based on some of the discussion in this thread, there seem to be conflicting reports on whether Bayonetta 1 or 2 performs better. I wonder if the camera distance setting has anything to do with that.

Bayonetta 2 performs better than 1 by a country mile. Anyone who claims otherwise is either misremembering how badly 1 fluctuated or doesn't know any better.

 

[Orniletter]

I think the only thing I liked from B1 far more is the music. B2´s is very good, I like moon river and the legend of aesir....

....but there is just nothing quite comparable to Red and Black, Battle for the Umbra throne, You may call me father and especially Let´s dance boys !

So good.gif

 

[OG_Original Gamer]

I'm enjoying this game so much that I have not made it pass chapter 2. I keep trying to get pure platinum, so I restart the chapter and don't mind it either. The pacing reminds me of RE4, I can't get enough. Plus I need a two week vacation, so I play it with having to worry about work the following day.

 

[Palculator]

Started playing Bayo 2 yesterday and wow, it`s absolutely amazing! Never played Bayo so it`s all new and frankly, it`s pretty overwhelming. A lot of characters, places, terminology, and almost nothing is explained at the beginning of the game.
Another thing: how can I compare weapons? I just found a second weapon (some kind of swords) but I can't see if they`re better and how much..

Well you compare weapons by using them either in actual battles or practice mode. Weapons are entirely defined by their moveset, basically. There are no attack stats you can compare between weapons, since this is character action and not an RPG. Some have additional properties, though. Like Kafka poisoning or Undine freezing/burning enemies. But generally the moves, each move's range and speed or cancelability are what differentiate weapons, which you just have to check for yourself and see what you like most.

Also, when testing moves remember to check for altering behavior when holding an attack button as opposed to just tapping it once.

I think the only thing I liked from B1 far more is the music. B2´s is very good, I like moon river and the legend of aesir....

....but there is just nothing quite comparable to Red and Black, Battle for the Umbra throne, You may call me father and especially Let´s dance boys !

So good.gif

Yeah, I'm also missing some Infinite Climax mixes from Nintendo games much like they did for SEGA games in the first one. That and the little use of the excellent Moon River remix. Would've been great if you could set tracks that get chosen at random for the regular battles and tag climax just to add some variety.

 

[Xpike]

I would like a Bayo 3 because then we'd get closure on Bayo's story, something neither 1 nor 2 have done except a vague "The adventure continues...". Also, we still need to

Spoiler

battle the God of Inferno herself, maybe as a way for Bayo to finish her contract and be able to die peacefully?

 

[Unit24]

Does beating Rodin still count if you use the Climax Brace 2? It's the only way I've managed to almost win against him.

 

[MichaelFassbender]

Finished the game yesterday; still miss Angel Attack. Can't wait to share it with some family members over the holidays, see how they react to all the craziness going on.

 

[danmaku]

So, I tried the co-op mode and I have no idea of what's going on. I lost all my games except one, and in the only one I won my score (at least I suppose it's a score) was lower than my opponent! Another time my score was higher and I still lost.

 

[Muchi Muchi Pink]

Does beating Rodin still count if you use the Climax Brace 2? It's the only way I've managed to almost win against him.

Sure.

 

[Paz]

I finished my first run on this game tonight and I have so many thoughts that are hard to express, I'll have to play a bunch more and do a thorough write-up but for now I think this might be the absolute best game released this console generation and simply a phenomenal experience focused on mastery in a time where game designs move more and more towards simply being reward treadmills.

On a technical level everything exceeded my expectations.

On a mechanical level I actually cannot imagine how you improve on this in the character action genre, prove me wrong Platinum.

And it has an incredibly difficult to nail down x-factor that just makes everything special, the fantastic unlockable bonus content is plentiful and very interesting, the art design is phenomenal and varied, the encounters seem endlessly unique, I had a massive smile on my face at so many points throughout the game at the sheer insanity of what was happening - and it was all gameplay, all things under my control!

Platinum/10

 

[Unit24]

Sure.

Just to be clear, I meant whether or not it counts in-game, not in terms of bragging rights. I recall the climax brace 2 not recording scores when it's being used, and that worries me.

 

[Professor Renegade]

I'm having trouble beating

Spoiler

Rodin

for the first time. Any recommendations on which weapons and equipment I should use?

 

[Unit24]

I'm having trouble beating

Spoiler

Rodin

for the first time. Any recommendations on which weapons and equipment I should use?

From what I've seen, the most efficient way to beat him is with

Spoiler

Rosa, Eternal Testimony, and the Climax Brace 2. Basically, what you have to do is use the PPP combo on him over and over until he goes into his second form. Then you use umbran climax and beat him down with the mech's PPP combo. Note that it's nearly impossible to hit him like this if you're not in witch time. The Bat Within dodge timing doesn't give you nearly enough witch time to hurt him, so you need to dodge his attacks perfectly to get any hits in. When you run out of magic, stay alive long enough to get more, and repeat until he is dead. With Rosa and the Climax Brace 2, you're a total glass cannon, so you should try fighting him with Bayonetta for a while first to get a feel for his moves. The way I'm playing, one or two hits will certainly kill you.

I've also seen a few people recommend the Bracelet of Time and Evil Harvest Rosary, but I haven't had any luck with those, mostly due to inexperience.

 

[Astral Dog]

So, I just booted up the Wii U version of the original Bayonetta tonight. Haven't really sat down with the first one in awhile. Got up to Chapter III and you know what, I DEFINITELY prefer the original over the second game. Aside from the bullshit that Bayo 2 improved upon from the first game, there's something missing from the second game. Just replaying the first couple of chapters was enough to solidify my thoughts on the two games. I stand by pretty much everything I said about the original versus the sequel. I'm actually looking forward to replaying the original game for the umpteenth time more so than returning to Bayo 2.

I agree Bayonetta 2 lacks something, it feels incomplete, there are parts when it seems its trying to emulate the first but it doesnt quite get there.

I prefer the first for the chapter progression, the epic feel of the bosses, the music, the story, and it was more fresh, of course.

But, im the opossite when it comes to replaying , im finding much easier and fun to replay 2, i like the new and more varied weapons, the better animations,i prefer the human sized bosses, even if i miss the gigantic battles of the first, i dont want to replay them. the variety of enemies, and, why not, the more colorful artstyle.

Bayonetta 2 is better on gameplay and graphics/art direction,in that way Hashimoto did a very good job.

Also, no, Shimomura, does a great job on Bayonetta 2 too, its filled with great little touches and scenes, The Lumen Sage against Loki on the fountain, his battles against Bayonetta, Lokis introduction, the prologue on the plane, all the "fashion" poses, the Luka scenes were good too.its as good as the first imo, the problem i had is that the story is unfocused and the dialogue slighty worse,too much swearing compared to the first.

 

[JaseMath]

Just finished up Bayonetta 2; vastly prefer it over the original. The combat it tighter, the story is better

Spoiler

(even if it is somewhat of a rehash)

, the fluff is cut out, and it looks better. It's no contest in my opinion.

 

[Professor Renegade]

From what I've seen, the most efficient way to beat him is with

Spoiler

Rosa, Eternal Testimony, and the Climax Brace 2. Basically, what you have to do is use the PPP combo on him over and over until he goes into his second form. Then you use umbran climax and beat him down with the mech's PPP combo. Note that it's nearly impossible to hit him like this if you're not in witch time. The Bat Within dodge timing doesn't give you nearly enough witch time to hurt him, so you need to dodge his attacks perfectly to get any hits in. When you run out of magic, stay alive long enough to get more, and repeat until he is dead. With Rosa and the Climax Brace 2, you're a total glass cannon, so you should try fighting him with Bayonetta for a while first to get a feel for his moves. The way I'm playing, one or two hits will certainly kill you.

I've also seen a few people recommend the Bracelet of Time and Evil Harvest Rosary, but I haven't had any luck with those, mostly due to inexperience.

Shit,

Spoiler

It's gonna be hard to get all those Platinums for the Climax Bracelet 2,

 

[one_kill]

The only thing I can think of is that you might be mashing the kick button ad it gets buffered. If you're trying to do PKP for example, and you hit P, then mash K until you see the kick animation, then mash P, the extra K's are buffered so that you get them as the third input. Bayonetta's buffer is not as long in duration as, say, Tekken's, but it's still there.

I think this might be it. Thanks!

 

[Unit24]

Looking back, I think Bayonetta 2 peaked too early on.

Spoiler

Chapters XIII - X felt like they could have been buildup to the finale, with the way they make you alternate between fighting demons and angels, and how chapter X is probably the hardest chapter in the game. The next two chapters are really climactic, with Jeanne getting rescued and Balder revealing himself. I think those things should have happened later, because after that, the pacing just sort of... drops off. The next three chapters are spent doing stuff that's completely irrelevant to the plot, and it feels like they were added just to pad things out. The Bayo 1 throwback should have lasted for one chapter, so that the next two chapters could be spent building up to the finale. Also, the final boss needed at least one more form, with Balder contributing more to the fight.

 

[Skellig Gra]

Beat B1 last week and I'm cruising through 2 now. Great game. The combat is just plain ol fun.

 

[Monocle]

I finished my first run on this game tonight and I have so many thoughts that are hard to express, I'll have to play a bunch more and do a thorough write-up but for now I think this might be the absolute best game released this console generation and simply a phenomenal experience focused on mastery in a time where game designs move more and more towards simply being reward treadmills.

On a technical level everything exceeded my expectations.

On a mechanical level I actually cannot imagine how you improve on this in the character action genre, prove me wrong Platinum.

And it has an incredibly difficult to nail down x-factor that just makes everything special, the fantastic unlockable bonus content is plentiful and very interesting, the art design is phenomenal and varied, the encounters seem endlessly unique, I had a massive smile on my face at so many points throughout the game at the sheer insanity of what was happening - and it was all gameplay, all things under my control!

Platinum/10

It's nice to read more glowing impressions!

Platinum is one of the few developers still soldiering on in the opposite direction of modern gaming's worst trends. They deserve so much more credit for the great work they do. Fankly I'm surprised a console like the Wii U with games like Bayonetta 2 and The Wonderful 101 even exist right now.

 

[Unit24]

What the hell? I finally beat Rodin, which gave me the last Umbran Tear of Blood, but the Climax Brace is still not in the shop. Did it not count because I used

Spoiler

Rosa

with the Climax Brace 2? Do I have to fight him again as Bayonetta?

 

[Moofers]

I finished the game tonight. Holy shit what a ride! I'm riding such a high right now, im a little obsessed with Bayonetta

I honestly think this is the best action game of all time. It's fuckin incredible. I had so much fun playing and now I am just enjoying the post-game stuff for a bit before I pop in Bayonetta 1 to complete that again.

So amazing!!! I'm thrilled this came out. Gaming as a whole is better for having this game in it's history.

 

[Monocle]

What the hell? I finally beat Rodin, which gave me the last Umbran Tear of Blood, but the Climax Brace is still not in the shop. Did it not count because I used

Spoiler

Rosa

with the Climax Brace 2? Do I have to fight him again as Bayonetta?

It doesn't matter which character you used. If you're sure you earned all the Tears of Blood (including collecting all of the crows), maybe you need to select Bayonetta before visiting the shop.

 

[Unit24]

It doesn't matter which character you used. If you're sure you earned all the Tears of Blood (including collecting all of the crows), maybe you need to select Bayonetta before visiting the shop.

Nope, still not there.

 

[correojon]

It doesn't matter which character you used. If you're sure you earned all the Tears of Blood (including collecting all of the crows), maybe you need to select Bayonetta before visiting the shop.

The problem may be using Climax Brace 2...I´m not sure because I haven´t beaten Rodin yet, tried for 3 hours the other day and I consistently managed to get him to his demon form but he utterly destroys me before I even survive long enough to start learning his attacks (I´m using Bayo with Eternal Testimony, Moon of Parrying, Salamandra and Ulrine). Anyway, check that you have unlocked all the bewitchments, just in case.

 

[Unit24]

The problem may be using Climax Brace 2...I´m not sure because I haven´t beaten Rodin yet, tried for 3 hours the other day and I consistently managed to get him to his demon form but he utterly destroys me before I even survive long enough to start learning his attacks (I´m using Bayo with Eternal Testimony, Moon of Parrying, Salamandra and Ulrine). Anyway, check that you have unlocked all the bewitchments, just in case.

I checked, I definitely have all of the bewitchments. It says 50/50.

...By which I mean I have 30/30 bewitchments and 20/20 crows.

Oh nevermind, it finally showed up after I restarted the game and completed the prologue. Thank goodness.

 

[Akiller]

Seriously guys, i don't Know wtf is happening with Bayo2 story, with all these time changes ,mechs and angels i feel i am totally playing an Evangelion game.

 

[Marjar]

I gotta say, there's just something off about the first Bayonetta that I didn't get playing the sequel. I loved Bayo 2 and I feel like I'm forcing myself through the first game more than anything.

I remember having a similar feeling back when I first tried it on the 360.

 

[NEO0MJ]

Finally got my chance to fight the Infinite One, holy fuck this is too hard X(

 

[Curufinwe]

So, I tried the co-op mode and I have no idea of what's going on. I lost all my games except one, and in the only one I won my score (at least I suppose it's a score) was lower than my opponent! Another time my score was higher and I still lost.

I just played with the CPU and didn't bet. It's a nice way to earn some halos when you don't feel like playing the story.

 

[jordn613]

I need some help here. I played and enjoyed the first Bayonetta back when it came out. I'm currently on chapter 7 of Bayonetta 2, but I still don't feel like I have a good grasp of many of the mechanics. I mean this in the sense that I don't always know when these huge enemies are vulnerable to attacks, so much is going on that it can be tough to understand and decipher the battlefield and what I can pull off.

Is this intentional, in that I should be prepared to replay these fights and have a better understanding of them?

I also feel like I'm well into the game at this point but so much is still locked in the way of equipment and moves. Is that also a function of the focus on going back to replay and perfect encounters?

A primer or a guide to the fundamentals of the game would be great.

 

[Punished_Snake]

I loved the original Bayonetta to death on Xbox360, but after spending over 100 hours in Bayo 2 and replaying the first three chapters of the first game on Wii U, it's obvious that Bayo 2 is a much better game than its predecessor. I just can't go back, Bayo 2 is the sequel that improved on many things over the first (no suprise QTE, better combat, more diverse weapons, better pacing) and it blows my mind how people don't see the improvements in Bayo 2. An advice for people who still didn't play neither of those games: play the first one first and take your time finishing it and unlocking its secrets, because I'm sure that most of you will not go back once you start the sequel.

 

[Adaren]

n472a made a 60 fps combo video.

 

[Yuterald]

I agree Bayonetta 2 lacks something, it feels incomplete, there are parts when it seems its trying to emulate the first but it doesnt quite get there.

I prefer the first for the chapter progression, the epic feel of the bosses, the music, the story, and it was more fresh, of course.

But, im the opossite when it comes to replaying , im finding much easier and fun to replay 2, i like the new and more varied weapons, the better animations,i prefer the human sized bosses, even if i miss the gigantic battles of the first, i dont want to replay them. the variety of enemies, and, why not, the more colorful artstyle.

Bayonetta 2 is better on gameplay and graphics/art direction,in that way Hashimoto did a very good job.

Also, no, Shimomura, does a great job on Bayonetta 2 too, its filled with great little touches and scenes, The Lumen Sage against Loki on the fountain, his battles against Bayonetta, Lokis introduction, the prologue on the plane, all the "fashion" poses, the Luka scenes were good too.its as good as the first imo, the problem i had is that the story is unfocused and the dialogue slighty worse,too much swearing compared to the first.

Maybe I'm being a bit too harsh on his work on Bayonetta 2. I think I need to already re-play the second game and pay closer attention to the scenes, ha! I'm in the middle of my umpteenth run of the original on Wii U and for some reason I just feel like they're so much better than the sequel. But yeah, the dialogue is super ass-town in the second game.

 

[popyea]

I think i'm getting slightly more used to some of the metagame. The block happy enemies place an enormous emphasis on using dodge offset to land remote weaves. It's not the sort of style you expect from the series, but is fun to do. I would love if there was a bit more of both worlds though, maybe by tweaking the conditions for putting enemies in a dizzy state, and then letting dizzy enemies be manipulated more freely. That way you have access to more combo potential if you can efficiently soften up the enemy.

 

[Fine Ham Abounds]

There's quite a gap between 2nd climax and 3rd, eh? 3rd was making me feel old, but 2nd is way too easy. It's like that irritating point in between belt loops or shoe sizes.