[Three of Nineteen]

I just finished Bayonetta on 360 earlier today and my what a cool trip that was on normal difficulty.
Mindblowingly epic in scale, irreverant, stylish, insanely cool character design, tons of Sega easter eggs (OutRun, Afterburner, Space Harrier, Fantasy Zone), towering bosses...
It has been a good while since I played a game that was that much sheer unadultered FUN as this one. The review scores and the 40/40 in Famitsu are well deserved.

Did anybody else get it?

[ZP..]

I did, and the only reason I haven't mentioned it is because I didn't know where to start with regards to telling people how awesome I found the game to be. That, and it would have taken away precious time from playing it. Had this been released last year, it would have been my game of the year by a huge margin. In fact I don't think I've felt this way about a game since 2003 (Panzer Dragoon Orta's release).

Here's some random thoughts:

Jeanne is awesome, and I'd rather have her as the main character than Bayonetta herself. Which is saying something because Bayonetta is pretty kick-arse as it is. Rodin ("I always wanted to be a bald space marine") and Enzo are great too. I wish they would have continued to appear throughout the game, but they pretty much vanish after Luka turns up.

I feel as though I've still only scratched the surface of the combat system, due in part to still not having tried all the weapons, but also because the scope for variety in play styles is immense even if you stick to one set of equipment. Looking at vids on Youtube, I'm always thinking 'oh, I haven't tried playing like that yet'.

Loved the arcade-inspired stages. Would like to say more, but it would be spoilers and people really should pick this up and experience the joy of these for themselves.

Bit sad that I got so many Stone rankings. The ranking system is really harsh on you for item use and continues, but then throws lots of items and checkpoints at you anyway! Screw the rankings!

When I felt I was getting near the end, I couldn't tear myself away to go to bed, and ended up playing until about 8am and had very sore finger joints for the next couple of days.

Anyway, the below image is rather naughty, but I think it does a good job of representing what the best sections of the game feel like. I wonder who the artist is?

Perhaps NSFW

Alas I feel that putting a ridiculously proportioned woman on the cover of a game is bit of a no-no for sales. Tomb Raider gets away with it for being a long-running franchise of pretty consistent quality, initiated when there was nothing similar. But doing this is seen as a cheap way to attract attention these days, and it's a bit embarrassing to put on a games shelf. Yet this game would still be incredible even if the main character was a fat bloke in crusty food-stained pyjamas.

Edit: Platinum Games just announced a new game called Vanquish! And I put the picture behind a link.

http://platinumgames.../29/vanquish-2/

This post has been edited by ZP..: 29 January 2010 - 12:16 AM

[Three of Nineteen]

My main roadblock to getting better rankings seems to be that I tend to miss a LOT of verses during a chapter. For many chapters I will have missed as much as 30% of the verses. That can't be good for the overall ranking...

This post has been edited by Three of Nineteen: 29 January 2010 - 01:25 AM

[ZP..]

I'm missing lots of verses as well. Looks like it'll take quite a lot of effort for me to get better rankings, although being able to afford more equipment should help a bit.

I wonder if any of the US-based GRers bought it. I heard that sales there have been pretty disappointing. I guess it's all about Mass Effect 2 now, but for me ME2 can wait.

[Three of Nineteen]

It placed in the top 5 UK sales two weeks in a row iirc, so can't have been all bad over here...

[Jellex]

I bought Bayonetta, but I haven't been able to get in to it. I finished the first chapter a few days ago and haven't had a strong desire to play it since. It seems like there's a really fresh and original game here, so I'm not sure why it's not commanding more of my attention.

I tend to love games filled with nonsense and over the top action. I feel like I'm on the verge of really liking Bayonetta, but there's some kind of invisible mental barrier that I can't get past. I think it's the combat gameplay. I don’t have a good understanding of how to best link all the different advanced moves. Nor do I understand how to identify times when it is advantageous to do so.

I would highly appreciate it if you guys could provide some tips or link to some good vids that showcase competent players.

[ZP..]

Jellex, on 29 January 2010 - 07:33 PM, said:

I would highly appreciate it if you guys could provide some tips or link to some good vids that showcase competent players.

I've still much to learn. Just after Chapter 1 seems like an odd place to already be expecting to understand linking advanced moves.

Initially, linking moves for big combos isn't really as important as learning when to time dodging an attack. Just hammer punch and kick as if you're doing PPPK combos in Virtua Fighter. But be wary of every on-screen opponent, and watch out for when enemies start to make a motion to attack (stuff like leaning back while raising an arm). Then use the dodge button. You can often keep combos going by just shooting when you're not close to any enemies, and enemies off-screen usually aren't aggressive. But really, it shouldn't be necessary to think about advanced moves on a first play-through. I know some people like to go for the best ranks before proceeding further, but it would be better to try this when your magic bar is maxed out, you've bought all the techniques and you've tried more of the weapons.

[Three of Nineteen]

There are a lot of combo vids on youtube already and it is quite crazy. This one for example: combo vid
But like ZP said, until you have at least some special moves and weapons you can't do too much. I used the katana with the claws on my feet for most of the game when I was close range; the guns are pretty sucky as the fist weapons imo.

This post has been edited by Three of Nineteen: 29 January 2010 - 03:07 PM

[Los Grak]

I was touting this game when the demo was released. You guys are late.

Too bad I haven't had the resources to purchase it yet.

[batman]

Real quick. Bayonetta makes any Devil May Cry game look stupid (graphically and gameplay). and Devil May Cry 4 was pretty damn good.

the gameplay in Bayonetta is Straight HARDCORE!!! Bayonetta is the 2010 Ninja Gaiden 2 for Xbox360. this is not a casual gamers game. TIMING, Exact combos and upgrades!!! are the keys to this game. and if you can't figure out the first two...you will not get the third

i haven't talked about the game because....

1. It kept me that busy
2. I was that amazed about the gameplay then graphics
3. the game is too hardcore.

Once i finish Mass Effect 2. i'm going to kill alot crap in Bayonetta

[dahssun]

I'm playing it in these days and Ive been amazed by the depth of the fighting system. I've just discovered my katana and whip, and the gameplay changed completely. It's so smooth and customizable it even puts GOW to rest in peace.

I'm collecting a lot of stone medals too, as the Verses are still not clear enough to me... Maybe I need to read the manual.

[Sharky]

So far my favourite game this gen.
When I picked it up I played for 11 hours straight, which is not something I do very often these days...

I've never played such a fluid and fun action game, it makes me feel like any action is possible and I'm not restircted at all. Went back to play DMC3 after I finishd Bayonetta and it just didn't feel right at all.

Also, hello again.

[andy]

Three of Nineteen, on 28 January 2010 - 06:29 PM, said:

tons of Sega easter eggs (OutRun, Afterburner, Space Harrier, Fantasy Zone)

any others?

[Sharky]

andy, on 01 February 2010 - 02:50 PM, said:

any others?

Sega related or in general? Sega ones I remember

Spoiler

-they mention Eggman (Robotnik)
-After Burner Kick (move)
-Akira from Virtua Fighters move (forget the name)

There are plenty more but I don't remember of the top of my head.


Other secrets you may not know:

1 Bayonetta obviously has a sweet tooth - she's rarely ever seen without her trademark lollipops. However, this is more than just a character trait. Whenever you see her sucking on a lollipop in one of the cutscenes, press and hold the button which corresponds to its colour. If she's eating a green candy, you'll earn a green herb. A red candy will net you a bloody rose. Blue offers a magic bonus and yellow awards a Yellow Moon.


2 There's an undocumented extended practice mode in the game. Whenever you're on one of the loading screens, you can turn on 'unlimited practice' by pressing the Back button. This lets you try out your moves and combos to your heart's content. Press the Back button again when you want to resume play.


3 This is a bit of a strange one, but Platinum Games is quite proud of a beetle, hidden away in the Prologue level. The insect can be found resting on a tree at the deep left-hand side of the screen. If you move Bayonetta close enough to it, it will fly away. It doesn't do anything more than that, but it's a fun little detail that can be easily missed.



4 Long-time SEGA fans will probably already have noticed that remixed music from some of the company's classic arcade games appears in certain areas. If you hear one of these tunes, experiment with holding down different buttons for a couple of seconds. If you find the right button for the song, it will change into the classic version!

Unlockable: Classic Afterburner and Space Harrier Music
You can listen to remixes of Afterburner and Space Harrier tunes in Chapter 8 Verse 3 and Chapter 14, but to hear the original tracks, hold down both LEFT BUMPER and LEFT TRIGGER (360) or L1 and L2 (PS3) just before these scenes (as the cutscene ends).


5 There's a sneaky hidden bonus on Chapter 1. You'll earn a 10,000 Halo bonus if you're riding on top of the subway train just as it's entering the tunnel. That's currency you can spend at Rodin's shop later on in the game.


6 The language spoken by the Angels is Enochian. It was created by UK scholars in the 16th century and was proposed as an addition by the game's US translator.

[Jellex]

ZP.., on 29 January 2010 - 02:10 PM, said:

Just after Chapter 1 seems like an odd place to already be expecting to understand linking advanced moves.

"Advanced moves" was a bad choice of words. I'm just talking about switching back and forth between Y+B combos, ranged attacks and that break dancing move. I've been in a number of battles where I've tried to play "the right way" and either died or didn't score as well as I thought I should have. On a second try I'll mash the buttons for the whole fight and end up with a platinum medal with the no damage bonus I've done this at least three times on normal difficulty. A bit discouraging.

The break dancing move where you spin the left thumb stick and Bayonetta goes crazy with her gun boots - are there any specific levels or scenarios where this move is actually useful? It doesn't seem very powerful, at least not with the guns I was using in chapter 2.

Thanks for the other tips. Seems like a good idea to not worry about too much the first play through. I'm going to ignore the combos and the score, keep playing and see if things don't start coming together as I progress through the story.

Sharky, on 01 February 2010 - 04:47 PM, said:

1 Bayonetta obviously has a sweet tooth - she's rarely ever seen without her trademark lollipops. However, this is more than just a character trait. Whenever you see her sucking on a lollipop in one of the cutscenes, press and hold the button which corresponds to its colour. If she's eating a green candy, you'll earn a green herb. A red candy will net you a bloody rose. Blue offers a magic bonus and yellow awards a Yellow Moon.

Nice tip - gonna try this next time I play.

[thengodisseven]

I have no idea of what I'm doing. Got the game a few days ago and the one day I played it, I kept watching the airplane buy it into a building and the game was over.

[Team Andromeda]

Loving the game , even though its vastly overrated imo, its no Ninja Gaiden 1& II or O.TO.GI III , but it’s better than DMC 1 , 2 ,3 and 4 though
There’s just too many breaks in the action for me , and I hate the lack of a deicated button for the block moves. That said, the last few levels to this game , are even better than Level 7 in Ninja Gadien II (and that’s saying something ) I’m almost ashamed to say it too, but Bayonetta is the best looking game character around , she is HOT


Now bring on After Burner Climax (oh my)

[ZP..]

Jellex, on 02 February 2010 - 12:55 AM, said:

The break dancing move where you spin the left thumb stick and Bayonetta goes crazy with her gun boots - are there any specific levels or scenarios where this move is actually useful? It doesn't seem very powerful, at least not with the guns I was using in chapter 2.

The break dance technique was the first one I bought, and it certainly looks cool and seemed quite effective against weaker enemies at the start of the game, but it also ended up being the only move that I turned off! There were times when I'd trigger it accidentally and it got me into trouble, particularly if what I really wanted to do was turn into a panther, and against many of the bosses that can be fatal.

But you're talking about the last move taught in the tutorial aren't you? I haven't really found a use for that one!

Team Andromeda, on 02 February 2010 - 08:21 AM, said:

I’m almost ashamed to say it too, but Bayonetta is the best looking game character around , she is HOT

I still like Jeanne more.

This post has been edited by ZP..: 02 February 2010 - 01:09 AM