Bayonetta

This game is living up to the hype for me.

I'm not sure if the game deserves the 40/40 that Famitsu awarded it, but it's damn sure close to it. This game is 100% meant to have tons of replay value (note cut-scenes that revert back to real time seamlessly - you basically have to know exactly when things are going to happen or not get a platinum every level). You have to learn to recognize enemy attack patterns and dodge to activate Witch Time, taunt, and pump up your combo scores without ever getting hit. Bayonetta has a lot more gameplay depth than people give it credit for - it's not just all mashing and beating hordes of enemies up, especially on harder difficulties.

The story is decent. It's slightly discombobulated, but it makes sense in the end. Not the forte, I'll say, but the characters definitely make up for it. Bayonetta's sassy personality tickles my fancy and I really enjoyed the over-the-top ridiculousness of the entire game. It's really a bunch of un-abashed fun.

Cheers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdQAHbS9c44&feature=player_embedded

I agree. This game is blowing me away. The quick action, endless combos, beautiful scenery and kick ass music is making this one my favorite games, maybe ever. I just can't believe how impressed I am. And your right, tons of replay value. Right now I've been bouncing between bronze and gold medals in the levels, but I die so much in each stage that I keep getting bad scores at the end. W/e I'll get better

Oburi said:

I agree. This game is blowing me away. The quick action, endless combos, beautiful scenery and kick ass music is making this one my favorite games, maybe ever. I just can't believe how impressed I am. And your right, tons of replay value. Right now I've been bouncing between bronze and gold medals in the levels, but I die so much in each stage that I keep getting bad scores at the end. W/e I'll get better

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Yea don't worry bro, the first time through I died a bunch too. Mostly it's cause I don't recognize all the things that are going on and just get hit by random crap. Towards the end I stopped saving most of my halos for items and just starting buying loli-pops (Mega Yellow Moon is so cheats). On my next play through, I'm going to try to find as many Alfheim bonus stages as possible and replay till I can get as many platinums as possible. Also, after viewing the combo video I figured that I'd purchase a few techniques and items that'll help boost my combo scores - namely Bangle of Time, Moon of whatever, and the Afterburner kick that you use in the air.

Yea I've been spending all my money on techniques on my first play through. I've only been able to do maybe 2 or 3 of the challenges, some are really hard, some just take time. Hopefully I can knock them all out on my next play through.

This is the sort of game that makes me wonder if I should invest in a PS3 (I’m still toying around with my bronze age’ish PS2). The one thing that’s stopped me so far has been the lack of games that convinces me I HAVE to get a system upgrade. The promotion videos for Bayonetta looked splendid and with God of War III coming up soon it could be that the time is finally here. Maybe.

D-Scape said:

This is the sort of game that makes me wonder if I should invest in a PS3 (I’m still toying around with my bronze age’ish PS2). The one thing that’s stopped me so far has been the lack of games that convinces me I HAVE to get a system upgrade. The promotion videos for Bayonetta looked splendid and with God of War III coming up soon it could be that the time is finally here. Maybe.

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I dont know if you like FPS but there is a game called MAG that is coming out for the PS3 that will have huge battles that go up to 256 player games (128 vs 128). The people in beta say that the game is just awesome and that during those big battles, that there isnt that much lag.

I'm addicted to this game, there hasn't been a game that makes me loose track of time so badly. It's not deserving of the 40/40 from famitsu, just because one of the criteria is story, and it definitely does not have a 10/10 story(famitsu loosing more credibility with every major review), but the rest is great. Just finished all the Alfenheims (challenge rooms) and I thought that with the experience of passing the Alfeheims I would be ready for hard but man is hard....well hard. Usually games have terrible harder difficulties, all the enemies just take longer to kill and they swarm you with more and it just feels cheap, but in Bayonetta they throw later enemies to you a lot sooner, that and you take more damage, but the thing that has me taking more hits , is the fact that the timing of the regular angel attacks is different, much faster, i think i died 5 times in the prologue , so I suggest maxing out your life/witch power and finding all the weapons before trying.

Yea I'm at the end of the game on normal right now, I'm going to have to get max witch power and life before even attempting hard mode. I agree though, I'm addicted, I played this game all day. It's so over the top, I love it!

D-Scape said:

This is the sort of game that makes me wonder if I should invest in a PS3 (I’m still toying around with my bronze age’ish PS2). The one thing that’s stopped me so far has been the lack of games that convinces me I HAVE to get a system upgrade. The promotion videos for Bayonetta looked splendid and with God of War III coming up soon it could be that the time is finally here. Maybe.

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In case Gran Turismo 5 matters in your choice, its March 2010 release date has been pushed back to... Undetermined. Gran Turismo Forever?

Aazealh said:

In case Gran Turismo 5 matters in your choice, its March 2010 release date has been pushed back to... Undetermined. Gran Turismo Forever?

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man... where to start on Bayonetta. Like DMC (Devil May Cry) the gameplay is very fun and you can do a lot of crazy-awesome combos - like yesmilord's youtube link. So as far as game play goes I'd have to rank it right next to DMC for similar fun factor (I love the DMC series!) - since it is the same dude that made the series after all.

One thing I always found amusing in DMC was the AWFUL story and dialog, and by AWFUL I mean cheesy and stupid. I honestly didn't think it could get any worse until I played Bayonetta. The constant ass shots, her goofy poses and retarded dialog will have you wishing you never bought this game. I get it, it's really over the top and i can be all non-serious and can laugh at it too. All I'm saying is.. if I'm at the story part and my friends walk in I am going to INSTANTLY skip the scene so that I won't be embarrassed by listening to such nonsense. Which to skip a scene you have to press pause then click on skip scene THEN confirm it (pretty sure at least) - it's real annoying to do. They shoulda known people like me and just made it one button to instantly skip the scenes!

Anyways, I'm seriously not trying to bash the game. I'm just giving a fair warning to people out there at how cheesy and dumb the dialog is. Overall, I did enjoy the gameplay very much and would recommend!! If DMC's corniness didn't bother you then you won't get bothered by this or if so then by just a little bit.

I don't think the dialogue is dumb or cheesy at all. It's actually very appropriate.

For those people who are unfamiliar with Japanese culture (and I'm talking about the anime/otaku culture), several themes in here are all commonplace, especially the ridiculous amounts of fanservice. In fact, I'd say it's one of the driving appeals of the game for many and I personally find it quite funny and enjoyable. The lameness is quite different from the corniness in DMC, which is literally just corniness.

As for the cut-scenes that literally "cut out" instantly into real time, I was slightly annoyed until I came to terms with the fact that Bayonetta was definitely meant for tons of replay. Didn't bother me so much after that realization...along with many deaths lol.

yesmilord said:

The lameness is quite different from the corniness in DMC, which is literally just corniness.

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I agree with that.

Also, i love the fact that it's constantly changing levels on you and environments are moving and things break and you just keep fighting. It makes it very fun and interesting

yesmilord said:

Japanese culture (and I'm talking about the anime/otaku culture)

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Please don't reduce Japanese culture to extreme nerds.

yesmilord said:

several themes in here are all commonplace, especially the ridiculous amounts of fanservice. In fact, I'd say it's one of the driving appeals of the game for many and I personally find it quite funny and enjoyable.

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That doesn't conflict with what turkitage said though.

Yea you know I really didn't mind the story or the dialog. I mean seriously what do you expect? Maybe it's because I was expecting so much worse, but at least it had a story, and honestly I was into it, but it really began to flesh out at the end, which by the way was amazing. This is one of those games were a laser is shot that blows the moon to pieces ... and that was just an afterthought, like a 5 second action sequence. At the end If your ok with gameplay like that then don't bother bashing the cheesy lines. This isn't Devil May Cry, it's actually more fun.

Which to skip a scene you have to press pause then click on skip scene THEN confirm it (pretty sure at least) - it's real annoying to do. They shoulda known people like me and just made it one button to instantly skip the scenes!

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You really shouldn't do that man, it comes together at the end pretty nicely, and if you skip scenes then you'll be even more lost and confused by then end and you start complaining how the story didn't make any sense (yes I'm implying that it does sort of make sense at the end). I for one always watch all the cut scenes in a game if I plan on playing the whole thing, just like a movie or a book. And yea at the beginning of Bayonetta I was just in it for laughs and those lovely "ass shots" but towards the final chapters it gets pretty epic. Not saying it excuses the rest of the game for being so silly but, after finishing the game last night all I can say is that it was a blast to play and I hope they make many sequels, especially because Devil May Cry 4 , as much as I loved it, wasn't shit compared to this.

Aazealh said:

Please don't reduce Japanese culture to extreme nerds.

That doesn't conflict with what turkitage said though.

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I didn't "reduce" it, I pinpointed exactly which part of the culture I was referring to, hence the parenthesis.

Turkitage may see the comedy as complete nonsense, but standing from a position of my experiences, I don't feel that way at all. He's right about the dialog and story not being for everyone, because it isn't easy for people who aren't regularly exposed to it to enjoy.

yesmilord said:

Turkitage may see the comedy as complete nonsense, but standing from a position of my experiences, I don't feel that way at all. He's right about the dialog and story not being for everyone, because it isn't easy for people who aren't regularly exposed to it to enjoy.

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Its funny, when I went to gamestop to buy it the guy working there started talking to me about games and Mass Effect 2 and so on... seemed like we had similar taste in games. But as soon as I picked up Bayonetta and told him that I was there for that game he told strongly recommended that I buy something else. He was telling me that it was so terrible he returned it himself the next day. It's funny, he almost talked me out of it, but I went with my gut and I'm glad I did! It's really a great, refreshing little gem of a game, but your right, it's not for everyone. There isn't to much technically wrong with the Bayonetta, it's more personal preference.

Oburi said:

Its funny, when I went to gamestop to buy it the guy working there started talking to me about games and Mass Effect 2 and so on... seemed like we had similar taste in games. But as soon as I picked up Bayonetta and told him that I was there for that game he told strongly recommended that I buy something else. He was telling me that it was so terrible he returned it himself the next day. It's funny, he almost talked me out of it, but I went with my gut and I'm glad I did! It's really a great, refreshing little gem of a game, but your right, it's not for everyone. There isn't to much technically wrong with the Bayonetta, it's more personal preference.

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Your error was in NOT treating all Gamestop employees like fucking idiots that don't know what they're talking about in the first place.

Oburi said:

Its funny, when I went to gamestop to buy it the guy working there started talking to me about games and Mass Effect 2 and so on... seemed like we had similar taste in games. But as soon as I picked up Bayonetta and told him that I was there for that game he told strongly recommended that I buy something else. He was telling me that it was so terrible he returned it himself the next day. It's funny, he almost talked me out of it, but I went with my gut and I'm glad I did! It's really a great, refreshing little gem of a game, but your right, it's not for everyone. There isn't to much technically wrong with the Bayonetta, it's more personal preference.

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Totally.

I must strongly reinforce the notion of "over the top fanservice" that is very popular in Japan as the source of the bad taste that is being put in many an American's mouth. I suspected that many people would be uncomfortable seeing this stuff (as I was when I first started watching it in anime), till you realize that it's just a natural part of Japanese entertainment. It's full-on, unabashed fun.

Walter said:

Your error was in NOT treating all Gamestop employees like fucking idiots that don't know what they're talking about in the first place.

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haha, well I gave him the benefit of the doubt (still purchased Bayonetta regardless)because he said he was at the end of Lost Odyssey and had loved dynasty warriors since the good old days, so I thought this kid might know a little something about a Japanese game. Looks like i'll be going in there Wally style next time

yesmilord said:

I didn't "reduce" it, I pinpointed exactly which part of the culture I was referring to, hence the parenthesis.

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Sorry, I do think the way you worded your sentence was reductive. And I challenge calling fan service part of a culture. At least I don't remember seeing it mentioned on MEXT's website.

yesmilord said:

Turkitage may see the comedy as complete nonsense, but standing from a position of my experiences, I don't feel that way at all.

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You mean your experience watching animated series that contain heavy fan service?

yesmilord said:

I must strongly reinforce the notion of "over the top fanservice" that is very popular in Japan as the source of the bad taste that is being put in many an American's mouth.

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You know fan service is not that popular in mainstream Japan, right? It's not a nationwide cultural phenomenon. It's gratuitous by definition, caters to a certain crowd and isn't particularly glorious. In fact I'd say the presence of fan service in a series tends to diminish its cultural and/or intellectual value. Also, just so you know, Bayonetta isn't a stellar hit in Japan despite all the advertisement or Famitsu's 40/40, and like its predecessors (the DMC series) it will perform much better in the Western market than in its country of origin.

yesmilord said:

He's right about the dialog and story not being for everyone, which isn't easy for people who aren't regularly exposed to it to enjoy.

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yesmilord said:

I suspected that many people would be uncomfortable seeing this stuff (as I was when I first started watching it in anime), till you realize that it's just a natural part of Japanese entertainment.

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This really sounds like you believe someone has to be a fine connoisseur of the arts to enjoy what is objectively lowbrow humor and cheap eye-candy. Not that there's anything wrong with you enjoying it, but it's not why the game is excellent and it's not why people are buying it (compare the numbers to those of One Chanbara, for example). Kamiya himself never hid the fact that the scenario wasn't the game's strong point.

And just so it's clear I have nothing against the game myself, though I haven't bought it. I think it deserves the praise it's getting.

turkitage said:

Which to skip a scene you have to press pause then click on skip scene THEN confirm it (pretty sure at least) - it's real annoying to do. They shoulda known people like me and just made it one button to instantly skip the scenes!

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To skip a cut-scene , hold the right and left triggers (or R2 and L2) then press Back (or select) this should skip the cut-scene much faster.

While there's obviously 'fan service' in Bayonetta it does little for me (personally). If I wanted fapping material I'd visit a porn site.

Now as for gameplay, it is there. Although at times I feel like a dirty button masher. When you begin to learn enemies attack patterns it becomes easier to dish out damage.

The story is LAME. I really don't like it in the least (again, that's just me). I hate picking up those books and reading the useless info they seem to contain. It's hard for me to care about the main character in this game. It's like they went out of their way to make her a twat. WAY more time could've been spent TRYING to come up with a half decent plot.

During the cinematics, their lips don't move. Don't tell me it's style either. It's laziness. And if it IS the style they were going for then it's a piss poor 'Style'.

But my major complaint is that you must save at particular save points. I find that to be sort of archaic. Let me save directly after a hard boss fight. No. I have to replay entire levels over. I mean there are instances when you have limited time to play a game.

Overall, it's fun and far fetched, but I wouldn't say it's an absolute must play.

P.S. The music. *shudders* Oh god, the music.....

Proj2501 said:

Stuff

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Wise words from a wise man.

Proj2501 said:

But my major complaint is that you must save at particular save points. I find that to be sort of archaic. Let me save directly after a hard boss fight. No. I have to replay entire levels over. I mean there are instances when you have limited time to play a game.

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I don't understand? It has an autosave feature, I died a few times but I never had to start a whole level all over again. I thought that part was pretty good. When you die you only get thrown back a little and i never had replay a boss I already defeated.