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A few chapters in and Bayonetta 2 is already my GOTY

TWILT

Banned
Yeah, it's pretty damn fantastic. I liked the first Bayonetta, but it always had these things that really annoyed me, and dragged down the experience for me. Bayonetta 2 fixes all those problems and then some, and is in 2nd place (next to only Smash 4) for my GOTY.
 

Amir0x

Banned
This 10000x.

Nintendo has practically spoiled all Wii U owners this year with some of the best games in their respective genres, and Bayonetta 2 is one of those.

I'm having a hard time picking time to play between Smash and Bayonetta 2.

this is how good Bayonetta 2 is

Bayonetta 2 combo's other games into oblivion with such overkill that this motherfucker tossed other devs through like twelve buildings and then used their corpses as a surf board to fly into space and slam them into the hard surface of the moon before making a giant fucking fist made out of Bayonetta's ass hair and crushing the remaining elements of the body down to the atomic level

and then as the few protons and electrons swirled around in the remaining crater she adds "and oh yeah we're just throwing in the best version of Bayonetta 1 too, which is by itself better than most of the games you've ever made devs. We'll be leaving now, I'm sure you have horse armor to charge extra for."

...you're really making it hard for me to not own a Wii U right now.

Pikmin 3, Super Mario 3D World and Wonderful 101 are also spectacular! I didn't play Tropical Freeze but if you like DKC games I hear it's basically the best.

Lots of good indies too. It's totally worth it man!
 
Definitely a 2014 GotY contender. Several friends who didn't like Bayonetta (wtf, right?!) bought Bayonetta 2 after playing the demo & they have loved every moment of the game. They are even starting to replay it to buy the accessories and everything. An absolute amazing game.

I had to make a list of 5 GotY nominees last week & Bayonetta 2 was my #1 vote. Deserves to be recognized for the gem that it is.

I think that some people only play through the first game once and base their opinion on that, which is a huge mistake as the game is meant to be played again with all weapons and accessories unlocked. I haven't started the second yet, but I hope it holds up the same way when it comes to subsequent playthroughs!
 

Fandangox

Member
It is pretty good, its only downsides I'd say its that its a bit shorter than Bayonetta 1 and W101 and that it has least unlockables compared to those two as well. Pretty good, solid game, the rival-sized boss fights were really great to play.
 
Oh?

I thought the first one was a decent rental at best but this is interesting. It's that much better?

It's better but I simply can't see how someone who didn't really like the first one could fall in love with the second. Unless they *really* hated the instakill QTEs in the first game, maybe.
Having played Bayonetta 1 and 2 back-to-back, I hated some parts of the first game that didn't even revolve around the sudden quick-time events. Those you eventually get used to once you're aware of their existence, however cheap their appearance may have been. The campaign's final quarter in particular was terrible on a general level: framerate constantly turning to shit, bland and cramped-up areas to make the already-finnicky camera totally unreliable, that awfully executed on-rails section and the final boss for all its spectacle simply not containing any fun patterns. The general combat flaw in 1 was great when the game focused on small-scale encounters, but there were too many things getting in the way of it all for me to truly enjoy Bayonetta 1 and I told myself that I'd never replay it again after having beaten it on Hard difficulty.

Now imagine my surprise when I concluded that Bayonetta 2 became my GOTY by a wide margin, no contest. The sequel cuts out all of the above fat while eliminating the majority of the aforementioned problems, while also offering higher enemy diversity and just being an all-around better designed game that (comparatively speaking) doesn't pre-occupy itself with pointless distractions. I've gone through three playthroughs in quick succession (whilst considering a 4th one in the near future), I'm looking forward to the optional content I hadn't wrapped up before and I was genuinely shocked just how good B2 was, with B1 leaving a bad aftertaste.

Not to say Bayonetta 2 is flawless, but for me the difference was like night and day.
 

danmaku

Member
It's so good that every time I complete a chapter I want to go back and replay it immediately instead of going on. It makes the first one look bad in comparison, and the first one shits on almost every other action game.
 
It's pretty a-mazing. One of the few games where after I beat it, I immediately started playing it again. Encounters are still so fresh. Great soundtrack. Righteous enemy design. Awesome bosses.

Damn, it's 3:30AM and I want to go turn on B2, again.
 
I finally put away Bayonetta today and I want to get into Bayonetta 2 -- I loved the demo -- but I feel like I should give it some time to cleanse the palate a bit. I'm not sure how long I want to wait, though.
I literally played both for the first time one after another over the past 3 days, no break between games. Just do it. It's literally night and day how much of an improvement it is and it is immediately noticeable and awesome when you switch the disks.

They way 2 gets going immediately makes it feel like that's how it's supposed to be, too.
 

IvorB

Member
Sounds pretty cool. Wish I could give it a bash. I don't believe the combat can be better than Ninja Gaiden though.
 
Now imagine my surprise when I concluded that Bayonetta 2 became my GOTY by a wide margin, no contest. The sequel cuts out all of the above fat while eliminating the majority of the aforementioned problems, while also offering higher enemy diversity and just being an all-around better designed game that (comparatively speaking) doesn't pre-occupy itself with pointless distractions.

[...]

Not to say Bayonetta 2 is flawless, but for me the difference was like night and day.

Yeah, the sequel is so much better. I was constantly wishing for more fighting and less bullshit in B1, and B2 does exactly that. It has been an absolute joy to play. In addition to the other points, attack cues are much easier to read and the combat feels more manageable. Or maybe I just got better during the first game; most of that was stone awards, but in B2 I've been getting shinier medals until I got my ass kicked by some bosses a couple of times in chapters 9 and 10.
 

NEO0MJ

Member
Pikmin 3, Super Mario 3D World and Wonderful 101 are also spectacular! I didn't play Tropical Freeze but if you like DKC games I hear it's basically the best.

Lots of good indies too. It's totally worth it man!

How could you have not played Tropical Freeze :eek:
 

danmaku

Member
Sounds pretty cool. Wish I could give it a bash. I don't believe the combat can be better than Ninja Gaiden though.

It's not "better" because it's different. NG focuses on efficiency, Bayonetta (and DMC) focuses on style. The enemies are not nearly as aggressive and dangerous as in NG because the difficulty comes from high scores, not just surviving.
 

IvorB

Member
It's not "better" because it's different. NG focuses on efficiency, Bayonetta (and DMC) focuses on style. The enemies are not nearly as aggressive and dangerous as in NG because the difficulty comes from high scores, not just surviving.

Yeah that's what I figured. I should have said "better for me". I like the precision and efficiency of NG and also the aggressive enemies all attacking at once.
 

Feindflug

Member
Easily the best game I've played all year, my thoughts from the last thread:

I also believe that Bayonetta 2 has the best pacing in the genre, even if someone disagrees that it's the best in the genre (the genre has some masterpieces after all like NGB/2, DMC1/3, God Hand or even the first game e.t.c.) I'd say that it's really hard to argue that the pacing isn't exceptional...the game flows amazingly well, has no fillers and every scenario that tries to mix things up a bit doesn't drag and it's actually fun, which in return results in top-notch replayability.

Bayonetta 2 is indeed an amazing game and my GOTY as well.
 
I love Bayonetta 2 and it's my GOTY by far, but I think overall it wasn't quite as memorable as the first (especially toward the end). Like, Bayo 1 had so much dumb and utterly insane shit that didn't make an ounce of sense ("Welcome to ~myyyyy Fantasy Zone"), and I just loved it for that. If I think about it less emotionally, Bayo 2 is obviously the more refined game (even in terms of pacing and boss battles), but I dunno... it's hard to pick between the two.

Again, though, easily the best game on Wii U and my favorite title this year. If you're not playing this game, you're missing out.
 

Ninja Dom

Member
I haven't started Bayonetta 2 yet as I'm still doing my second play through of Bayonetta on Wii U.

But tell me one thing please.

Are the instant death QTE's still in this?
 
I haven't started Bayonetta 2 yet as I'm still doing my second play through of Bayonetta on Wii U.

But tell me one thing please.

Are the instant death QTE's still in this?

Nope. You are also right, OP. Played this game and had a shit eating grin the entire playthrough, fantastic game.
 

impact

Banned
It's better but I simply can't see how someone who didn't really like the first one could fall in love with the second. Unless they *really* hated the instakill QTEs in the first game, maybe.

People rate games higher when they're exclusive. This shouldn't be news to you.

That said Bayo 2 is definitely better than the first and definitely GOTY.
 
AmirOx, you should write reviews lol
After reading your posts in this thread, I feel the urge to buy the game a third time (Special Edition on launch and last week I walked into a store with 8 First Print Editions on the shelve!).
 

Bydobob

Member
Playing this and DA:I at the moment. Polar opposites in terms of combat but enjoying both immensely. I don't see the big leap from Bayo 1 that people are claiming, but given the quality of the first game that's hardly a slight.

Far too many great releases this year to pronounce it GOTY for me, but it's a contender.
 

Amir0x

Banned
How could you have not played Tropical Freeze :eek:

Never really loved a DKC game yet, always some significant problem in these games for me. It's possible Tropical Freeze might be the exception but of course it's kind of hard to wind myself up to waste my money yet another time on a DKC game, ya know? :p

Everyone says it's great but I never played it so I just don't know.
 

Dahbomb

Member
Bayonetta 2 is the best sequel to an action game series in the history of the genre going all the way back to DMC1. The only other series that has had such a good sequel was God of War 2.

Unless you include DMC3 as a sequel but it's the 3rd part in the series and the 2nd game in the series was ass. NG2 was a great action game but IMO not as good as NGB. ZOE2 is probably the best actual sequel to an action game but when you factor in that the first game wasn't that good it's not as great of an accomplishment.

Bayo 2 improves upons the faults of the first game and then turns everything good from Bayo 1 to 11 which was already a top tier action They even added a Vergil-esque boss fight complete with the parry/stagger mechanic to make sure that folks like me love the game.

The weapon selection is amazing. Dual swords? You got em. Scythe? We got that. Chainsaws? We got those. The enemy selection is great with the boss selection also excellent. The set pieces are wonderful, the level design staggering at times and the action pacing is top notch. Plus the extra content in this game is legit (won't spoil it here but one thing made me do the wrestling head nod.gif).


My only real problem with the game was that not a lot of new mechanics were added. Umbran Climax is OK but it's really just a powered up state that is standard to many action games. Compared to Bayo 1 which added a ton of new mechanics to the genre, Bayo 2 disappoints in that regard. But what it does have has been grinded to near perfection. The pacing has been.improved which is a big reason why this game feels so good throughout.


It's unadulterated action game of the highest caliber and free of the meddling stuff that dragged down the original. I give it a 9.5 which lands it firmly among the best action series of all time.


People were already PMing me because of the other GOTY thread where I said DA I would win GOTY. People have to realize that I had fucking MGR as my GOTY because I love the genre that much so Bayo 2 is my GOTY by default however my tastes are not like others especially with the tastes of the mainstream industry. I enjoyed TloU but it was not my personal GOTY yet I knew that game would win GOTY because it has elements that people want in a game these days. DA I is that game for this year and despite being a AAA game it actually appeases the hardcore RPG fans (huge world, long as hell campaign, lots of dialogue/lore/texts to sift through) which makes it a very safe GOTY pick.

So while Bayo 2 might be my GOTY, I would not be shocked nor would I be unhappy if something like DA I wins GOTY. However, Bayo 2 has the Action genre on hard lock on this year, it's really not even close.
 

Amir0x

Banned
Bought it twice, so I did my part, but I still prefer the first game hugely.

now this is something I really have trouble understanding

the sequel has way better enemy variety and depth, way better bosses, way better levels. Way better combat depth

I have trouble imagining how one could arrive at Bayo 1 being better, especially if you liked both :<
 

IKizzLE

Member
Bayonetta 2 was the most fun I had all year with any game I played on ps4 and Wiiu. It also surpassed both bayonetta and ninja gaiden black as my favorite character action game of all time. I honestly can't see any developer surpassing this game ever, especially with this specific genre getting less entries. Going to go down in history as a classic.
 

Dahbomb

Member
Because Bayo 2 didn't add as many new mechanics to the genre as Bayo 1 did. When Bayo 1 came out it was shocking both mechanically and in it's presentation. That type of action gaming shock wasn't had since DMC3. Bayo 2 by comparison is just a sublime sequel and when you do a direct comparison it is a better game than Bayo 1... but again it's due to the ground work laid out by Bayo 1.

So I can see how someone would prefer the original.
 

Amir0x

Banned
Because Bayo 2 didn't add as many new mechanics to the genre as Bayo 1 did. When Bayo 1 came out it was shocking both mechanically and in it's presentation. That type of action gaming shock wasn't had since DMC3. Bayo 2 by comparison is just a sublime sequel and when you do a direct comparison it is a better game than Bayo 1... but again it's due to the ground work laid out by Bayo 1.

the number of new mechanics added into a game is not in of itself an indication of some special quality. Refinement is more important, because half of those new features might be crap, or they might be good.
 

drotahorror

Member
I'd like to beat Bayo 1 first but I'm to the point where I quit/lost interest in the 360 version. I'm actually a bit further, chapter X but knowing there's like 16 chapters and a epilogue is making me stop playing again. I really want to check out Bayo 2 though.
 

IKizzLE

Member
now this is something I really have trouble understanding

the sequel has way better enemy variety and depth, way better bosses, way better levels. Way better combat depth

I have trouble imagining how one could arrive at Bayo 1 being better, especially if you liked both :<
This is actually a common sentiment from people in the OT. I'm pretty sure it mostly comes from bayonettas change in attitude, and the lack of huge bosses where your forced to play a certain way (prefer human size bosses myself). And maybe people just thought bayo 1 was more of a fresh experience.

The comparison between which is best is similar to galaxy 1 and 2.
 

Dahbomb

Member
the number of new mechanics added into a game is not in of itself an indication of some special quality. Refinement is more important, because half of those new features might be crap, or they might be good.
It's an indication of ambition which allows a game to step from excellent to benchmark setter.

Bayo 1 set a new benchmark for the genre, Bayo 2 polished that bench. There is no new mechanic in Bayo 2 that is as ground breaking as Dodge Offset and that is only one of the big mechanics that Bayo 1 added to the genre. If Capcom makes a DMC5 game that surpasses Bayo 1 mechanically then by default it will have surpassed Bayo 2 as well.

If all a game series did was refine over and over again then you get games like TTT2 and franchise fatigue.
 

Neff

Member
now this is something I really have trouble understanding

the sequel has way better enemy variety and depth, way better bosses, way better levels. Way better combat depth

I have trouble imagining how one could arrive at Bayo 1 being better, especially if you liked both :<

I don't think the second game has significantly better depth. It certainly doesn't have better bosses or levels imo.

From my earlier posts:

neff said:
Dislike might not be the right word for my view of Bayonetta 2, it's a solid action title and I enjoyed it a lot. My issue with it is that it's basically the same game, only with less content, fewer surprises, less variety, fewer secrets and less spectacle. It's like they took too many steps back when 'refining' the game, and lost some of its heart and impact. I also dislike the fact that Bayonetta's attacks do so little damage in comparison to the first game (and nerfing Moon of Mahaa-Kalaa is a crime), meaning that some batttles -particularly against the big guys and bosses- tend to get repetitive. MGR felt fresh and new. DMC4, despite obviously sharing its DNA with DMC3, felt fresh and new. Bayonetta 2 feels stale, at least when stacked against its prequel. Its very reason to exist seems to be simply to spend more time with Bayonetta again. That's not a bad thing, because I dig her a lot, but I was expecting B2 to at least be an equal of the first, and maybe even better given the potential technical refinements and ideas PG would have had since the first game. I had very high expectations, and I don't feel Bayonetta 2 lived up to them.

neff said:
Within the space of a few chapters in Bayo 1, in addition to the core combat, there's things like fighting foes while having to stay above the waterline in a sinking plane (and protecting Cereza at the same time), collecting pieces of keys while attempting to avoid being flattened by a giant ball, throwing cars to slow down a pursuing love-smitten Beloved, running down a long slide while triggering Witch Times to avoid being flattened by the same giant ball, killing water enemies to fill a lake high enough to walk across- there really isn't much of this kind of thing in the sequel. We got to fight underwater, fly, and that was pretty much it. Surprise events and twists on the regular environment/conditions was something I missed a lot in 2.

I play Bayonetta 2, and having beaten it several times now, an impossible-to-ignore urge to play the first game instead manifests quickly. I prefer the higher damage, the higher framerate (I won't single out a few stuttery parts when the first game runs at a higher rate than its sequel for the majority of play), the Sega fanservice, and far broader scope of imagination, invention and fun found in Bayo 1. It feels like a fully fleshed out game, and a unique experience. Bayo 2 feels like it's still stuck in Bayo 1's design document after having thrown too many pages away, and also straight-jacketed by a blinkered reverence for 'combat purity'. These games are deep, but they're not that deep.
 

Prologue

Member
It's closer to DMC. Even if you usually don't like them you really should give this a chance. What didn't you like about DMC/NG?



Never say never. Though it does seem unlikely for some years just because most devs who could outdo them won't have a chance to do so because most pubs are unwilling to fund stylish action games now.

Just don't like the button mashing/combo scene, but I'll definitely pick up the title when I get a wii u. Too much praise >.<
 

freakzilla3000

Junior Member
I concur with you. Bayo 2 has to be GOTY for this year with all the broken games and titles you can't even play online....

Yeah- One of the best games ever.
 

imae

Member
Yes, Bayonetta 2 is definitely the most enjoyable gaming experience I've had all year, and I do prefer the sequel to the original.

I did find the story writing in Bayonetta 1 more thoughtful, the game universe had a lot of charm thanks the more intricate and clever interactions between characters. I prefer the soundtrack of the first game too... but not by much.

Everything else, I prefer in the sequel - the art direction, combat (fluidity and variety, the parrying and focus on witch time etc), enemy design, the weapon balance, the more open(less corridors and small rooms!) level design, no more slightly redundant feeling QTE's or arcade mini-game sections, and all the little improvements etc.
I also find Bayonetta 2 more fun to replay. Although the final boss in the first game is more grand and memorable as a first time experience, I still find the final boss of the sequel more enjoyable to go back to. I feel the same way about the bosses in general between the two games. The Masked Lumen fights are probably my favourite of any game.

I can definitely understand why many can prefer the first game, some of it's intricacies make the mechanics more interesting to learn in the early stages of the experience as you are learning the ropes, but for me the sequel is a game that stays focused on it's strongest elements and offers a more consistent experience while still remaining very challenging and interesting.


Just don't like the button mashing/combo scene, but I'll definitely pick up the title when I get a wii u. Too much praise >.<

The secret is not to button mash :>. Seriously, I think you'll have more fun and become better at these kind of games in general if you take a little time to practice and just time your buttons right.
 
I tried the 360 version of Bayo 1 quite a while ago. Didn't like it...well guess I never gave it a fair chance. Tried the WiiU demo of Bayo 2 when it launched and tried it a few times. Suddenly....the combat clicked. Now I see what all the 'fuss' was about. The hype was real...this game is damn awesome and it might be my GOTY although I suck playing it...but nevertheless...having great fun!
 

Nibel

Member
Yeah, it's my current GOTY.

I could spend hours in the loading screen training arena alone. I will go in-depth when the GAF GOTY voting thread launches.
 

Amir0x

Banned
It's an indication of ambition which allows a game to step from excellent to benchmark setter.

Bayo 1 set a new benchmark for the genre, Bayo 2 polished that bench. There is no new mechanic in Bayo 2 that is as ground breaking as Dodge Offset and that is only one of the big mechanics that Bayo 1 added to the genre. If Capcom makes a DMC5 game that surpasses Bayo 1 mechanically then by default it will have surpassed Bayo 2 as well.

If all a game series did was refine over and over again then you get games like TTT2 and franchise fatigue.

Again, new features in of itself mean -nothing-. It's a neutral qualifier. Because a new feature can be bad, it can be good. It's the evaluation of those features that matter.

A new high benchmark means that it is the 'new best.' For example, a yearly release of a new graphics card sets a new 'benchmark' even if all of the technology contained therein is just a refinement of what came the year before.

Nobody says 'that graphics card that came out the year before, that's the benchmark and then the new card is just polishing that benchmark.'

Bayonetta 2 refines and improves virtually every element of Bayonetta 1, by definition making it the new benchmark. It's one of the new high watermarks of the action game genre, full stop.
 

ghibli99

Member
Agreed -- I felt the same way before I was even done with Chapter 1. I honestly can't see how anyone could say Bayonetta 1 was a better game, and do so objectively. It just isn't. It's great, and we owe it a LOT for raising the bar, but it's been beat hard by its own sequel, which when you think about it, should make fans of the franchise insanely happy. :)
 

Marjar

Banned
While I was a little disappointed that it wasn't as bombastic and crazy as some of Platinum's other recent games like Wonderful 101, the technical improvements over the first game make it far, far better.

It may be my favorite game from Platinum thus far.
 

javadoze

Member
I don't have the game yet and have only played Bayonetta 1, but what exactly is it about the sequel that is GOTY 10/10 5/5 Game of Forever material that people are somewhat vague about in reviews and impressions?
 
Probably my GOTY as well. I'm enjoying Dragon Age Inquisition a whole lot too but Bayonetta 2 was just... I don't know, it feels like it never slows down, it's just fucking awesome all the way through and when you stop you're satisfied, it felt just right. Then you replay it... but that first ride is something else.
 

Squishy3

Member
Wonderful 101 was my GOTY last year, Bayo 2 is my GOTY this year, and Scalebound will be my GOTY in whatever year it releases in. :p
 
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