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Bayonetta 2 Review Thread - Metacritic: one billion-hit combo, buy it kids

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O

Orcastar

Member
Finland's biggest gaming magazine Pelit (the only Finnish outlet whose scores count towards Metacritic averages) gave Bayo 2 a score of 90 and said that it's the second best Bayonetta game ever released. Their main gripe was that the second half of the game doesn't quite hold up to the first half and doesn't soar to the ridiculous heights of the first game.
 
V

Vampirolol

Member
DrLazy said:
Just played the demo.

Not for me. This is coming from someone who is NOT a huge fan of single-character-action games. But I thought I'd give the demo a shot based on the high reviews.

Here's my perspective: The gameplay is so frantic I rarely had much of any idea if I was doing something well or not. With the bosses I had trouble distinguishing attacks from the cinematics. I was given dozens of combos but with no explanation or introduction on the advantages or disadvantages that any particular combo has for any particular enemy or situation. I ended up button mashing to try out different combinations. I KNOW I could learn the combos and that they'd have advantages for juggling opponents etc., but that depth felt pretty hidden on my first play-through. I guess I prefer doling out combos bit by bit to allow me to learn as I go.
Click to expand...
I don't think that the game is going to start with all those combos without any explanation but maybe I'm wrong. The W101 demo had many many things unexplained but then the game took the right amount of time to introduce the player to every new mechanic.
 
E

Effect

Member
If I recall correctly from what I've seen you start the game with a set of basic combos. You buy access to more of the better and more advance ones as time goes on. You pick which ones you want based on what they can do instead of getting access to everything. There is also a screen where you can practice combos as well before using them in battle. The demo has such a screen in the very beginning so you can get accustomed to the controls and combos. As said Wonderful 101 was similar in this setup from what I played of the demo. I really need to get around to finally buying that game.
 
J

Jaded Alyx

Member
DrLazy said:
I loved the deliberate fighting mechanics of something like Viewtiful Joe, where every enemy had identifiable patterns to defeat.
Click to expand...

The enemies in the demo clearly have this too. They make it very obvious (most of the time) when they are about to attack (so you can dodge. You are dodging, right?)
 
K

KooopaKid

Banned
DrLazy said:
Just played the demo.

Not for me. This is coming from someone who is NOT a huge fan of single-character-action games. But I thought I'd give the demo a shot based on the high reviews.

Here's my perspective: The gameplay is so frantic I rarely had much of any idea if I was doing something well or not. With the bosses I had trouble distinguishing attacks from the cinematics. I was given dozens of combos but with no explanation or introduction on the advantages or disadvantages that any particular combo has for any particular enemy or situation. I ended up button mashing to try out different combinations. I KNOW I could learn the combos and that they'd have advantages for juggling opponents etc., but that depth felt pretty hidden on my first play-through. I guess I prefer doling out combos bit by bit to allow me to learn as I go.

The character design is bizarre. This is a woman with guns on her shoes that uses her hair as a weapon. It's so wacky that it loses any sense of grounding in reality. I didn't feel bad-ass for killing a big boss because everything from the start was so crazy that I didn't feel any sense of escalation. Its all huge, all the time.

I loved the deliberate fighting mechanics of something like Viewtiful Joe, where every enemy had identifiable patterns to defeat.
Click to expand...

Bayonetta is a bit like Viewtiful Joe 3D. Instead of pressing up or down to dodge, you press the right trigger and instead of the small skull icons to indicate enemy attacks, enemies give a visual and aural cue.
 
K

K' Dash

Member
KooopaKid said:
Bayonetta is a bit like Viewtiful Joe 3D. Instead of pressing up or down to dodge, you press the right trigger and instead of the small skull icons to indicate enemy attacks, enemies give a visual and aural cue.
Click to expand...

I always thought of Bayo as a Viewtiful Joe spiritual successor, you can find many similarities between them.

I love them both so much.
 
B

Brandon F

Well congratulations! You got yourself caught!
DrLazy said:
Just played the demo.

Not for me. This is coming from someone who is NOT a huge fan of single-character-action games. But I thought I'd give the demo a shot based on the high reviews.

Here's my perspective: The gameplay is so frantic I rarely had much of any idea if I was doing something well or not. With the bosses I had trouble distinguishing attacks from the cinematics. I was given dozens of combos but with no explanation or introduction on the advantages or disadvantages that any particular combo has for any particular enemy or situation. I ended up button mashing to try out different combinations. I KNOW I could learn the combos and that they'd have advantages for juggling opponents etc., but that depth felt pretty hidden on my first play-through. I guess I prefer doling out combos bit by bit to allow me to learn as I go.

The character design is bizarre. This is a woman with guns on her shoes that uses her hair as a weapon. It's so wacky that it loses any sense of grounding in reality. I didn't feel bad-ass for killing a big boss because everything from the start was so crazy that I didn't feel any sense of escalation. Its all huge, all the time.

I loved the deliberate fighting mechanics of something like Viewtiful Joe, where every enemy had identifiable patterns to defeat.
Click to expand...

This was my impression of Bayo 1 years ago. Took almost an entire play on Normal before everything clicked.

Problem is that I presumed there were certain combos or weapons that fit each enemy-type like a glove. That I should be memorizing that load screen move-list chart as if it were Tekken or SF and adapting them towards negotiating a complex puzzle web where the solution involved pidgeon-holing specific chains and equipment to each monster.

That approach consistently demystified, confused, and irritated me to the point of near seething frustration(it's not quite how this game works). It took an incredible feat of motivation to keep composure and push on with an optimistic outlook. I had to break my expectation that the game actually functions in a manner similar to how videogames long have trained us to presume that each individual piece has a specific utility.

That movelist is expansive, but exists mostly to maintain accessibility and constant flow given how expansive the equippable weapon options become. With an insane level of customization, the puzzle to solve is not fitting the right move to the right enemy, but experimenting in the total freedom to essentially conquer the battlefield with style and grace in a near immeasurable fashion. The game rewards experimentation and hardly ever punishes the player for playing the game how they choose. (You don't need the sword for this boss, or the whip for that, or the guns for that...it's all good!)

The first hurdle truly is conditioning your eyes to follow the enemies and suss out their attack cues and tells. Probably the trickiest part of the process for newcomers as it is so simple to keep a close watch on Bayonetta doing all sorts of ridiculous nonsense as you flail out fireworks and death blindly with no real sense as to what is occurring on screen. Stuff is happening, my eyeballs are overloaded, the enemy designs are weird, I can't even tell what appendage is smacking me or what part is a weakpoint, and AHHHHHH!

Overcoming that is truly half the battle, and the 'real' discovery occurs as your comfort level at managing the battlefield and understanding the myriad of tells and options afforded for countering each comes into picture. But yes, it may take nearly an entire first playthrough as it did for me. I felt like I was tripping over my shoelaces when I finished the game on normal, licking a bruised ego at my unearned victory with so many consolation prize rankings. (And for many others it will come more quickly) But adapting will happen. I couldn't tell you at all what combinations of buttons I was actively using at most moments, but it really didn't matter. Only the most ardent combo fiends will actively meorize that stuff. You will get a proper sense as to when witch-weaves occur on command(regardless of what combination is used before they activate). You will be witch-weaving and dominating the enemies with the grace of a goddess, and it will become reactive muscle memory over pre-planned execution.
 
S

Sayter

Member
DrLazy said:
Just played the demo.

Not for me. This is coming from someone who is NOT a huge fan of single-character-action games. But I thought I'd give the demo a shot based on the high reviews.

Here's my perspective: The gameplay is so frantic I rarely had much of any idea if I was doing something well or not. With the bosses I had trouble distinguishing attacks from the cinematics. I was given dozens of combos but with no explanation or introduction on the advantages or disadvantages that any particular combo has for any particular enemy or situation. I ended up button mashing to try out different combinations. I KNOW I could learn the combos and that they'd have advantages for juggling opponents etc., but that depth felt pretty hidden on my first play-through. I guess I prefer doling out combos bit by bit to allow me to learn as I go.

The character design is bizarre. This is a woman with guns on her shoes that uses her hair as a weapon. It's so wacky that it loses any sense of grounding in reality. I didn't feel bad-ass for killing a big boss because everything from the start was so crazy that I didn't feel any sense of escalation. Its all huge, all the time.

I loved the deliberate fighting mechanics of something like Viewtiful Joe, where every enemy had identifiable patterns to defeat.
Click to expand...

This is exactly why I love Bayonetta. It starts off big and crazy and gets bigger crazier from there.
 
Xenoflare

Xenoflare

Member
Her sword kick attack is like Raiden in MGR.

Nice.

Too bad I'm not going to buy a WiiU just for this, as much as I adore PG and Bayo, I really don't need anymore consoles and my backlog is gigantic.
 
S

sfried

Member
Xenoflare said:
Her sword kick attack is like Raiden in MGR.

Nice.

Too bad I'm not going to buy a WiiU just for this, as much as I adore PG and Bayo, I really don't need anymore consoles and my backlog is gigantic.
Click to expand...
Get it down the road, when it could possibly be cheaper.
 
A

Akuun

Looking for meaning in GAF
Brandon F said:
The first hurdle truly is conditioning your eyes to follow the enemies and suss out their attack cues and tells. Probably the trickiest part of the process for newcomers as it is so simple to keep a close watch on Bayonetta doing all sorts of ridiculous nonsense as you flail out fireworks and death blindly with no real sense as to what is occurring on screen. Stuff is happening, my eyeballs are overloaded, the enemy designs are weird, I can't even tell what appendage is smacking me or what part is a weakpoint, and AHHHHHH!

Overcoming that is truly half the battle, and the 'real' discovery occurs as your comfort level at managing the battlefield and understanding the myriad of tells and options afforded for countering each comes into picture. But yes, it may take nearly an entire first playthrough as it did for me. I felt like I was tripping over my shoelaces when I finished the game on normal
Click to expand...
This is why I think MGR is a much more accessible game than Bayonetta. It's a similar level of craziness, but MGR's tells are FAR more obvious and come much slower, and often with less enemies on-screen. Weapons have a very telling glow or glint before they do a big attack, and it helps you figure out the parrying system much more quickly than you do with Bayonetta, where sometimes you have to eat attacks multiple times before you even notice that there are tells at all.

I picked up the parrying mechanic by the first boss of MGR. But like you, I was almost done my first playthrough of Bayonetta before I even felt remotely comfortable with the combat system. There are still enemies that totally wreck my shit in that game.
 
S

Seik

Banned
Akuun said:
This is why I think MGR is a much more accessible game than Bayonetta. It's a similar level of craziness, but MGR's tells are FAR more obvious and come much slower, and often with less enemies on-screen. Weapons have a very telling glow or glint before they do a big attack, and it helps you figure out the parrying system much more quickly than you do with Bayonetta, where sometimes you have to eat attacks multiple times before you even notice that there are tells at all.

I picked up the parrying mechanic by the first boss of MGR. But like you, I was almost done my first playthrough of Bayonetta before I even felt remotely comfortable with the combat system. There are still enemies that totally wreck my shit in that game.
Click to expand...

Tbh, no one's built on the same frame.

It took me a while before realizing how to effectively parry in MGR, while Bayo tells you how to dodge right on the go after the opening cutscene. :p

In fact, IIRC I don't think there's any tutorial that helps you to parry in MGR (Maybe in the VR missions?), I remember learning it by reading on GAF after doing the first mission.
 
G

Glitchesarecool

Member
DrLazy said:
The character design is bizarre. This is a woman with guns on her shoes that uses her hair as a weapon. It's so wacky that it loses any sense of grounding in reality.
Click to expand...

You can also fly and you're fighting a demonic dragon at the end of the level. Platinum tends to throw reality out the window.
 
J

JayEH

Junior Member
Never thought I would say this but...Bayonetta 2 might have a chance to win GOTY on a lot of sites.

Hopefully these reviews will also boost awareness for the game but then again it's on the Wii U...sigh.
 
T

TheFLYINGManga_Ka

Member
ozfunghi said:
Really liked this one, lol:


60
Over the top yet unimaginative. At least the fights are dynamic and the game itself can be a breath of fresh air, considering what else is available on the Wii U.
Click to expand...
Obvious Wii U/Nintendo hater!

Unimaginative remark is laughable. What can be more imaginative than a beautiful woman fighting with her hair?
 
Revenile

Revenile

Member
I think the amount of salt in the gamespot comments section could adequately salt an olympic sized pool of popcorn at this rate, they've started fighting over what a 10/10 means now. I haven't had this much fun reading reactions to a game in two years... Actually Bayonetta 2 has given me so much amusement just from reactions of people. XD
 
T

TheGreatMightyPoo

Banned
Revenile said:
I think the amount of salt in the gamespot comments section could adequately salt an olympic sized pool of popcorn at this rate, they've started fighting over what a 10/10 means now. I haven't had this much fun reading reactions to a game in two years... Actually Bayonetta 2 has given me so much amusement just from reactions of people. XD
Click to expand...

It's beautiful.

And I don't mean that some are upset as it would be very disappointing if I couldn't play the sequel to one of the best/my favorite games of last generation.

What's a great time is that some don't deserve to play the game because of how childish and irrational they are showing their true colors to be.

When the game was revealed, my first and only thought was "now that's a pretty kickass deal", it wasn't "ahahahahaha, Sony and Microsoft owners".

But some of the phoniness and crying makes me glad that some won't be able to play it.

For those that are disappointed but level-headed about it however, I feel for them and hope they somehow get to play it(understandable that many won't invest in a system mainly for one game).

That Gamespot comments section is magical, now the focus is on how they aren't interested because the story is lacking.

It's pure comedic gold.
 
Revenile

Revenile

Member
TheGreatMightyPoo said:
It's beautiful.

And I don't mean that some are upset as it would be very disappointing if I couldn't play the sequel to one of the best/my favorite games of last generation.

What's a great time is that some don't deserve to play the game because of how childish and irrational they are showing their true colors to be.

When the game was revealed, my first and only thought was "now that's a pretty kickass deal", it wasn't "ahahahahaha, Sony and Microsoft owners".

But some of the phoniness and crying makes me glad that some won't be able to play it.

For those that are disappointed but level-headed about it however, I feel for them and hope they somehow get to play it(understandable that many won't invest in a system mainly for one game).

That Gamespot comments section is magical, now the focus is on how they aren't interested because the story is lacking.

It's pure comedic gold.
Click to expand...

It's not just that, it's the fact some people legitly think a Nintendo console game cannot rate that high. And it's not like none of these people CAN'T play it, they just have to buy a Wii U, which if there's nothing else that interests them, I feel sorry for them on, but that's how it is. I had to buy a ps3 to play MGS4 for instance. I had to buy a vita to play P4G, and if I didn't already have it, I'd buy a WiiU for Bayonetta, because it may be 'buying the system for one game' right now, but think about the future possibilities.
 
T

TheGreatMightyPoo

Banned
Revenile said:
It's not just that, it's the fact some people legitly think a Nintendo console game cannot rate that high.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's bizarre too, Nintendo's games this year have scored better than any other company's it seems and more importantly to your comment, Nintendo has some of the highest rated games of all time.

The other consoles do as well but last time I looked at Gamerankings, 5 of the top 10 rated games of all time were Nintendo games.
 
F

Fimbulvetr

Member
DrLazy said:
With the bosses I had trouble distinguishing attacks from the cinematics.
Click to expand...
????

How?

Akuun said:
This is why I think MGR is a much more accessible game than Bayonetta. It's a similar level of craziness, but MGR's tells are FAR more obvious and come much slower, and often with less enemies on-screen. Weapons have a very telling glow or glint before they do a big attack, and it helps you figure out the parrying system much more quickly than you do with Bayonetta, where sometimes you have to eat attacks multiple times before you even notice that there are tells at all.
Click to expand...
Not to be mean, but I'm really not sure how anybody is missing these tells.

Any more blatantly obvious and we'd be in Arkham Series territory.
 
L

lord_of_flood

Member
M

Mr. Bamboo

Member
ozfunghi said:
Really liked this one, lol:


60
Over the top yet unimaginative. At least the fights are dynamic and the game itself can be a breath of fresh air, considering what else is available on the Wii U.
Click to expand...

It is a strange remark, considering they gave 10's to both 3D World and Hyrule Warriors.

edit: quick check has shown me this has already been discussed XD. Uhhhhh...... 9 DAYS/Woo!!!!
 
P

Principate

Saint Titanfall
Fimbulvetr said:
????

How?

Not to be mean, but I'm really not sure how anybody is missing these tells.

Any more blatantly obvious and we'd be in Arkham Series territory.
Click to expand...

Yeah the tells themselves are pretty obvious. My greatest issue when I played it with no prior experience with the genre was basically my combo repetition, I could avoid and land blows fair enough but at first could only land them in the easiest manner, if I got fancy my ass kicked. Of course as you get used to it and start customising you play style through moves and accessories, you could do fancier and fancier shit.
 
B

Benzychenz

Member
Fimbulvetr said:
????

How?

Not to be mean, but I'm really not sure how anybody is missing these tells.

Any more blatantly obvious and we'd be in Arkham Series territory.
Click to expand...

I didn't notice any tells when the centaur looking things did a backwards kick at me. I know there was one, it just wasn't crazy obvious and I didn't notice it.

I agree that the tells are definitely more distinct in MGR.
 
F

Fimbulvetr

Member
Benzychenz said:
I didn't notice any tells when the centaur looking things did a backwards kick at me. I know there was one, it just wasn't crazy obvious and I didn't notice it.

I agree that the tells are definitely more distinct in MGR.
Click to expand...

If you're attacking an Accolade from behind and it suddenly stops being stun locked, that's your cue to get ready.
 
Astral Dog

Astral Dog

Member
Revenile said:
It's not just that, it's the fact some people legitly think a Nintendo console game cannot rate that high. And it's not like none of these people CAN'T play it, they just have to buy a Wii U, which if there's nothing else that interests them, I feel sorry for them on, but that's how it is. I had to buy a ps3 to play MGS4 for instance. I had to buy a vita to play P4G, and if I didn't already have it, I'd buy a WiiU for Bayonetta, because it may be 'buying the system for one game' right now, but think about the future possibilities.
Click to expand...

Having read the comments section of Youtube (I know, it was not nice) on many Bayonetta 2 videos since three months ago and commenting, its something like this: Many people come to a positive( rarely there is one, many just make fun of Nintendo) video that talks about the game and just start bashing it, calling it stupid or kiddy, always talking about the Wii U, Nintendo, the "gamming community",the sales, the popularity,the graphics comparing it to western shooters or other games that dont have anything to do with Bayonetta,mostly is that, or some port begging, now, the impression i got is that most "hardcore" gamers dont really care for it, they prefer to compare the popularity of their game of choice,they judge the quality of Bayonetta 2,a game that most core gamers arent going to play, for many reasons,a sequel to a game that wasnt really popular and many did not even played, considering that most of the reasons they give to dismiss the game dont really have anything to do with it, and more with Nintendo or the system.
Now, that was just the impression i got.
 
B

BlazS01

Banned
Dang...I'm in a life or death decision right now...

Buying Wii U for bayo2(+future zelda D:) or buy PS4 for bloodborne o;

Mmmmmmm...

Wii U has lot of other good games but bloodborne is just too good to miss it :C what to do GAF.
 
B

Bombless

Member
BlazS01 said:
Dang...I'm in a life or death decision right now...

Buying Wii U for bayo2(+future zelda D:) or buy PS4 for bloodborne o;

Mmmmmmm...

Wii U has lot of other good games but bloodborne is just too good to miss it :C what to do GAF.
Click to expand...

I just bought a WiiU. Got Mario Kart, W101, Hyrule Warriors and will get Bayonetta. Cheaper than PS4 + Bloodborne too!
 
M

Mlatador

Banned
BlazS01 said:
Dang...I'm in a life or death decision right now...

Buying Wii U for bayo2(+future zelda D:) or buy PS4 for bloodborne o;

Mmmmmmm...

Wii U has lot of other good games but bloodborne is just too good to miss it :C what to do GAF.
Click to expand...

So far it seems like you want Bayo 2 + Zelda U + a bunch of other great Wii U games (you need DKC:TF) vs. PS4 and bloodborne. Go with the option that let's you play more games.
 
linko9

linko9

Member
BlazS01 said:
Dang...I'm in a life or death decision right now...

Buying Wii U for bayo2(+future zelda D:) or buy PS4 for bloodborne o;

Mmmmmmm...

Wii U has lot of other good games but bloodborne is just too good to miss it :C what to do GAF.
Click to expand...

Obviously you buy a Wii U now, and by the time bloodborne comes out, you'll have convinced yourself that you can totally spare the extra $460, and you'll end up with both. Win win.
 
B

BumRush

Member
BlazS01 said:
Dang...I'm in a life or death decision right now...

Buying Wii U for bayo2(+future zelda D:) or buy PS4 for bloodborne o;

Mmmmmmm...

Wii U has lot of other good games but bloodborne is just too good to miss it :C what to do GAF.
Click to expand...

whynotboth.gif

I'm partial to the PS4 because my favorite franchises reside there but I will be EVENTUALLY getting a wiiu for Bayo / Zelda / XCX
 
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