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[dmr87]

Long post

Nice of you to stop by, allways enjoy reading your posts when it comes to this genre of games.

Just got home from work, time to eat and then get my pants blown off by this game.

 

[Xaero Gravity]

Threads like this make me wish I could enjoy Bayonetta 2 as much as others do. Everything about the game completely turns me off.

Spoiler

Except for Bayonetta herself.

Hnnnnnnng

 

[mrmickfran]

This game is going to rival Okami for the "least commercially successful game of the year" award

 

[Astral Dog]

Threads like this make me wish I could enjoy Bayonetta 2 as much as others do. Everything about the game completely turns me off.

Spoiler

Except for Bayonetta herself.

Hnnnnnnng

Now, this is new

 

[ForsakenLotus]

It's an excellent game, and I'll be happy for any awards it wins because Platinum deserves recognition regardless of how poorly their game sells. I'd have to respectfully disagree though. Dragon Age: Inquisition is the GOTY for me. It's just so ambitious. From the story, characters, exploration, combat, crafting, etc. Their is just so much in Dragon Age and most of it is really good or great. Even the songs in the tavern are awesome.

I look at it as Platinum and Kamiya poured their soul into a character action game and it shows. BioWare poured their soul into a Weatern RPG. I think the WRPG is more impressive and more to my tastes; but again, I have no problems with those that choose Bayo 2.

 

[Goldenroad]

It's right up there for me too. I've only played a couple hours, on Saturday, but I'm gonna go back and play those couple hours over again before I really dig in. That's how good it is. The last game that I started and then had to go back and play through the start again, because of how good it was, was Bioshock Infinite, and that ended up at #2 on my GOTY list last year (I think). So we'll see. Like you I've also got FC4 and Dragon Age: I to dig into as well as LBP3, so we will see.

 

[Tempesta di Fuoco]

The Prologue is the greatest prologue in everything ever.

 

[Dahbomb]

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.

I am clearly talking about ground breaking and GOOD new mechanics not just new mechanics for the sake of putting something at the back of a box. That is what Bayo 2 lacked compared to the first one and the only real mechanic it had was nothing bround breaking or original.

Comparing action games to graphics card is lol worthy. It's never a 1 to 1 comparison between games even of the same series. Expecting more of the same is the kind of thing that kills this genre to begin with (not just this genre but other genre as well).

Dynasty Warriors 6 isn't that much of a better game than DW4 despite having more of the same but better. This iterative process of sequel making is the same thing that people accuse AAA games of but when it comes to more beloved games they get the pass for being more of the same.


When I think of GREAT sequels I think of DMC3, ZOE2, DA I, SF2, HL2, RE4. These games went beyond the standard "more of the same" and went out to make the originals seem outdated and almost unplayable. They weren't just satisfied with adding new moves, weapons, enemies but in some ways changed the way you play the games for the better. In comparison, Bayonetta 2 is a good but safe sequel.

It's not a big knock against it because it's just the first sequel in the series but a Bayo 3 that has the same changes would not be as well received not matter how much it polishes the formula.

 

[Coolbgdog12]

Yup. It's my Co-GOTY since smash wii u is my definitive goty.

 

[Yuterald]

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:





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.

I'm kind of right there with you, man. As much as I like Bayonetta 2, I definitely prefer the original for more or less the very same reasons you stated. Just to piggyback off of these impressions, I'll post some of my post-game thoughts from the OT as well, just to give another perspective on the game :POTENTIAL SPOILERS:

Yes, exactly. I think Hell was a total missed opportunity. The inside of the Insidious was such a let down too. Bayo 2 was just about perfect leading up the Ark chapter (which is basically the introduction to Hell). I thought the water city and the first couple of chapters was such an interesting setting. Also, Bayo 2 fucking blew its load all over the prologue. I wish the entire game carried that energy/level of ridiculousness.

Re-watching Shimomura's work in the original Bayonetta also made me realize that outside of a select few scenes in Bayo 2, his production/output in the original was SO much better. Like I said, he put down some crazy shit in Bayo 2's intro, but aside from a few Lumen Sage scenes, the cut scene direction in Bayo 2 doesn't even come close to the original. I just saw Luka's introduction scene from the original last night for the first time in some years and it was so well shot. There's also that scene where Bayonetta receives her pair of guns from Rodin (where she licks her lips at the sight of the weapons & and the wink of the eye reflection in Rodin's glasses); it's just so fucking classy and good.

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).

...and that's like a quarter of my thoughts on the game. Someone else kind of re-confirmed what I was already thinking while playing through Bayonetta 2 for the first time. It's the Nightshade of Bayonetta. Not that there's anything wrong with that, as Nightshade was a totally rad game. It's just no Shinobi. I really feel like a total boner being this super critical on the game, especially considering its development history. I mean, this game almost didn't exist, so it feels a little silly to put the game under a magnifying glass. On the flip side, Bayonetta is one of my favorite new IPs and it's definitely my favorite character based action game. Now that we're two games deep, I want to see MORE from it, but not the kind of "more" that we got with Bayonetta 2. There was just an ever present voice in my head saying "man, I would have done this so differently" for the majority of my time with Bayonetta 2.

 

[Crab Milk Mickey]

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.

First off: none of the additions in the initial quoted paragraph actually complimented the general combat flow. Does Bayonetta 2 lack these moments? Yes, but I'd rather take nothing at all and have it solely focus on its strengths rather than pre-occupy itself with shallow gimmicks that are nothing more than thinly-veiled busybody activities, all in the name of misguided variety. You cannot be serious that having to worry about an electrical current whilst babysitting a little brat (who can die to both enemies and the water) inside a narrow airplane passage was a worthwhile addition; it did not to the experience nor did it provide mechanical depth. Does it make you feel as powerful as you're told your character is? No. Is it something players actively look for in an action game? Hell no. It's a tedious handicap with no proper justification from a design standpoint. It got even worse on higher difficulties with how Platinum threw those shield & sword wielding angels at you while they were on fire, meaning you'd get staggered a lot if you weren't careful in an already claustrophobic environment where the camera has a nasty habit of tripping over itself. One of the worst chapters in the original game for me - the prior Jeanne fight being its sole redeeming factor - inside a very forgettable environment that could've been in any other game. Everything else in said paragraph is either a sloppily put-together throwaway idea or plain annoying with how artificial it felt that you were forced to change your approach. I was beyond glad that Bayonetta 2 cut all this fat and fixated itself on where it shined, namely the moment-to-moment combat. It reminded me of God Hand in a way, one of my all-time favorites.

Furthermore: having played Bayonetta 1 and 2 back-to-back... B1 really, really, really, really doesn't have a smoother framerate. Its dips occur more frequently on top of being far more severe, even when the action isn't crazy hectic. Bayonetta 1 has lousy performance no matter which way you slice it and 2 thankfully isn't even in the same ballpark. The SEGA fanservice in the original game was too stretched out and left a bad impression for what should've been a cool novelty, thus making the Nintendo fanservice superior to me personally since those extras are optional fluff that doesn't harm the campaign's pacing. I also didn't find Bayonetta 1 to be particularly imaginative for half of it: some great visual design for the larger bosses (too bad the fights themselves were lackluster) and locations like the one city where you meet Luka or the angelic area stood out, but then Platinum recycled these (only this time with a darker skybox!) or threw some generic scenery like a non-descript military complex / airport or skyscraper into the mix, leading up to boss encounters or otherwise. Those in-between filler locations were too simple and mundane for a game with a protagonist as crazy as Bayonetta, and there were multiple instances of this.

Aspects that I did miss going from Bayonetta 1 to Bayonetta 2: the superior aesthetics for the mission menu, the higher difficulty curve on Normal (even if it did resort to some cheap tricks), learning how to deal with x enemy being a more gradual experience and Bayonetta herself being more playful. Could've done without Cereza too, but I'd choose her over Loki any day as the lesser of two evils. That's... roughly about it for me.

Best game on the system by a long shot, but Mordor still in my heart for GOTY.

 

[Llyranor]

My GOTY as well, yep. Though, Bayonetta was probably my favorite game previously, and this surpasses it, so there.

 

[Neiteio]

I'll happily replay any part of Bayonetta 2, over and over and over again.

But man, there are entire swathes of Bayo 1 where I'll just be like, "Nope."

 

[Relaxed Muscle]

I feel Bayonetta 2 is the "Magnum opus" work of PG. Basically is everything the company learned about the genre since Kamiya directed Bayonetta 1 and perfected and polished in every aspect.

While W101 might feel like a deviation, like something new or different, (I feel like Kamiya works are basically a command direction where the company should head), Bayonetta 2 is the ultimate version of the masterpiece Kamiya created years ago with Bayonetta.

Whatever problems the first game had, have been fixed to at least certain degree.

- Boring minigames: Every new minigame on Bayonetta 2 is quality with the right amount of duration.

- Slower pacing: Bayonetta had more slower plataforming sections, which I enjoyed, but certainly they might feel like they break the rhythm of the action. Eliminating the boring shooting minigame at the end of every level is also a plus.

There's also another things, like the Alfheims/Muspelheim, which were much longer on Bayo 1 making replays of the leves way more tedious. Better boss fights, even more incredible setpieces which are also fun to play, having Beast Within from the start and more and more little things, that makes to play Bayonetta 2 even a higher pleasure than Bayonetta, which was already one of the best games last gen and one of the best action games ever.

Also very few games lets you play which such a fun and awesome female lead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SXMUOJlM3M

Watch this and cry, because Bayonetta 2 is probably one of the last action games that features such incredible female lead, full of content and such polished gameplay.

Cry of sadness, cry of happiness and keep enjoying the game for the years to come.

 

[Neiteio]

Also very few games lets you play which such a fun and awesome female lead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SXMUOJlM3M

Watch this and cry, because Bayonetta 2 is probably one of the last action games that features such incredible female lead, full of content and such polished gameplay.

Cry of sadness, cry of happiness and keep enjoying the game for the years to come.

Every hair on my body stood on end during that sequence you linked. Goosebumps all over. Such a beautiful way to end the game.

 

[Scum]

Bought a Xbox 360 just Bayonetta 1 and can't believe they topped it with Bayonetta 2. Fucking brilliant game. Chapters 13 - 15 was absolutely godly.

Dat Moon River

 

[Neff]

First off: none of the additions in the initial quoted paragraph actually complimented the general combat flow.

I respect your opinion of course, but I wholly disagree with it. The changing conditions ask me to adapt a core fighting style, consider spacing, prioritise opponents differently, and it keeps things interesting, which I like. Bayo 1 'flows' just fine.

Furthermore: having played Bayonetta 1 and 2 back-to-back... B1 really, really, really, really doesn't have a smoother framerate.

I'm very particular about framerates, and I can absolutely state with confidence that Bayo 2 rarely if ever gets as high as Bayo 1 does. This is one of my biggest complaints about the sequel, and one of the biggest disappointments about a title I was extremely looking forward to. I wouldn't make it unless I had very good reason to. It's generally faster paced and has less slowdown (in fact I don't think B2 slows down at all to its credit). But smoother? No.

 

[Majestad]

Best game of the year, and likely to remembered as a true classic in the future.

 

[Laconic]

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.

This.

This 1000%.

Thank you for taking the time to write this out. This is exactly what I experienced, too.

 

[Crab Milk Mickey]

I respect your opinion of course, but I wholly disagree with it. The changing conditions ask me to adapt a core fighting style, consider spacing, prioritise opponents differently, and it keeps things interesting, which I like. Bayo 1 'flows' just fine.

If executed properly, those moments would've indeed put the player in a position to naturally adapt one's core fighting style and come up with a different strategy. The Wonderful 101 is my second favorite Platinum title for that very reason because it does this better than any action game I've played to date. Out of the moments you listed in Bayonetta 1 however, none of those had that impact for me because of how amateuristic those were from a design standpoint. The one with the boulder descending from above whilst opening chests? All that did for me was look for a sweet spot where it simply wouldn't fall down anymore (which took me all but a whopping two minutes) and wait for the enemy to despawn so that it'd teleport next to me, rather than experimenting with my fighting options. Exciting. The infinitely spawning oncoming traffic on Route 666 with triple Gracious and Glorious on Hard difficulty (and upwards)? The enemies forced me to change my approach (namely utilizing parries and dodge offset more), which is a good thing, but I hypothetically could've processed this in my head anywhere else in the game. The environmental hazard added nothing to this learning experience. It was a painful gimmick where the solution to this problem was (much like the boulder scenario) very inelegant; instead of pondering over the tools available to me, the path to least resistance resulted into nothing more but closely sticking to the outer edges, which in turn resulted into the camera becoming an obstacle. Babysitting Cereza - including the one time where you're foolishly not even allowed to hit enemies - is needless busybody work in the name of "variety." Throwing cars at the Beloved was uncharacteristically shallow and still somehow succeeded in feeling as if it went on for too long, despite it only lasting like two minutes.

The flying serpent enemies and Kinships were also my least favorite enemies; divising new ways to combat them wasn't very satisfying because they were simple in nature, had sudden exceptions to previously established rules in lieu of more expansive attack patterns to keep them 'interesting' (like waiting for a counter prompt whilst the former is in mid-air) and they were more prone to hitting you off-screen unlike the grounded enemy types. The Joys on the other hand were far more entertaining and challenging in the right way with regards to dealing with ranged assaults and those dogs to me are another good example of keeping you on your toes and seamlessly adjusting your style (without interrupting the flow) once you're familiarized with 'em. Those axe-wielding angels who could morph into something bigger also had a unique trait that I found quite enjoyable, and the Golem boss was one of the few bigger bosses I honestly liked facing (save for his snake form hitting you awfully quick) with how it mixed things up. I personally still find 2's (as well as W101's) equivalent better and I left out a few other B1 enemies I regard highly, but I digress.

I'm very particular about framerates, and I can absolutely state with confidence that Bayo 2 rarely if ever gets as high as Bayo 1 does. This is one of my biggest complaints about the sequel, and one of the biggest disappointments about a title I was extremely looking forward to. I wouldn't make it unless I had very good reason to. It's generally faster paced and has less slowdown (in fact I don't think B2 slows down at all to its credit). But smoother? No.

Bayonetta 1 didn't maintain its absolute highs for very long either for the majority of the game, save for the Alfheim arenas. Bayonetta 2 stays at a relatively consistent level (read: by Platinum console standards) no matter how hectic your surroundings may be whilst never dropping as low. That to me is wildly superior than a game like Bayonetta 1 that ranges anywhere from 60 fps to borderline 10 fps without a moment's notice, even when it doesn't make sense like inside that airplane. At first I thought it may have been the Wii U port specifically, but the Xbox 360 version is just as bad from all the videos that I saw. It makes for unresponsive controls at important times and a very jarring transition; flaws or immersion breakers that never occured for me in Bayonetta 2.

Mind you, I'm also generally quite particular about framerates, so it could be I'm just more unforgiving about it depending on the genre or have different preferences altogether.

 

[Delt31]

Sorry guys but this game is probably the most overhyped game of this decade. Action is amazing BUT the story is SO STUPID and NONSENSICAL and so immature that it takes away from the game. It literally is a tech demo b/c it's so void of anything besides that.

btw - beat the entire game....

 

[The Lamp]

Sorry guys but this game is probably the most overhyped game of this decade. Action is amazing BUT the story is SO STUPID and NONSENSICAL and so immature that it takes away from the game. It literally is a tech demo b/c it's so void of anything besides that.

btw - beat the entire game....

I agree. The story is ridiculous, even if it does work in the context of its isolated universe and game.

But just skip the cutscenes and play the game then. The meat is the combat.

 

[Delt31]

I agree. The story is ridiculous, even if it does work in the context of its isolated universe and game.

But just skip the cutscenes and play the game then. The meat is the combat.

agreed which is how I got through the game otherwise I would have stopped.

 

[The Lamp]

agreed which is how I got through the game otherwise I would have stopped.

Yeah, I mean, everybody skips or leaves alone Mario game cutscenes and those games are often GOTY so I think it's perfectly fine if a game recognizes story is just a backdrop for it to allow amazing gameplay scenarios.

 

[Kid Ska]

Sorry guys but this game is probably the most overhyped game of this decade. Action is amazing BUT the story is SO STUPID and NONSENSICAL and so immature that it takes away from the game. It literally is a tech demo b/c it's so void of anything besides that.

btw - beat the entire game....

Yeah uuuuhhh no one's playing this for the story man

 

[Not Spaceghost]

My GOTY by miles as well, bayo 2 scratched an itch i've had for a long time. I tried scratching it by going back to bayo 1, DMC4, DMC3, NGB, and even Godhand but I just wasn't getting what I wanted because I had already played those games to death. Bayo 2 managed to be refreshing as hell while being instantly familiar.

My one gripe with Bayo 2 though is just how the whole game felt a lot easier, even on non stop climax the game just felt easier. I went back and played Bayo 1 again after blasting through Bayo 2 and Bayo 1 is really just a shit load harsher. Between the 1 Hit KO QTEs, the amount of encounters where witch time is disabled, the way harder alfheims and how much harder it is to hit stun enemies, Bayo 1 makes for a much more challenging experience...even though the 1 hit KO qte's are total BS.

I think the key difference is that Bayo 1 punishes the player by outright killing them tanking their overall score, while Bayo 2 punishes the player by ruining their score in that specific encounter.

Either way I think I would rather pick up and play bayo 2 any day of the week, the game is absolutely delightful to play and it's probably one of the best games I have ever played period.

 

[danmaku]

Bayonetta 1 didn't maintain its absolute highs for very long either for the majority of the game, save for the Alfheim arenas. Bayonetta 2 stays at a relatively consistent level (read: by Platinum console standards) no matter how hectic your surroundings may be whilst never dropping as low. That to me is wildly superior than a game like Bayonetta 1 that ranges anywhere from 60 fps to borderline 10 fps without a moment's notice, even when it doesn't make sense like inside that airplane. At first I thought it may have been the Wii U port specifically, but the Xbox 360 version is just as bad from all the videos that I saw. It makes for unresponsive controls at important times and a very jarring transition; flaws or immersion breakers that never occured for me in Bayonetta 2.

Mind you, I'm also generally quite particular about framerates, so it could be I'm just more unforgiving about it depending on the genre or have different preferences altogether.

I played B1 and B2 back to back and B2 is much better in terms of framerate. It's not as smooth, but at least it's fairly consistent and I remember only a couple of obvious slowdowns in my first playthrough. B1 on the other hand has lots of slowdowns and sometimes it gets really fucking slow. The 360 version teared like crazy but at least didn't slow down, and if I had to pick my poison, give me tearing. I hate playing underwater.

 

[Artex]

I can't bring myself to play this game. Maybe if the gameplay is that good they could make a game in the future that doesn't have a character I'd be embarrassed to be caught playing as.

 

[Adaren]

I can't bring myself to play this game. Maybe if the gameplay is that good they could make a game in the future that doesn't have a character I'd be embarrassed to be caught playing as.

This might not assuage all of your considers, but I consider Bayonetta to be a shining example of a positively portrayed female character. She's bold and fun, but I doubt very many people who have played the games

Spoiler

and half-paid attention to the plot/characterization/tone

consider her sexist.

My GOTY by miles as well, bayo 2 scratched an itch i've had for a long time. I tried scratching it by going back to bayo 1, DMC4, DMC3, NGB, and even Godhand but I just wasn't getting what I wanted because I had already played those games to death. Bayo 2 managed to be refreshing as hell while being instantly familiar.

My one gripe with Bayo 2 though is just how the whole game felt a lot easier, even on non stop climax the game just felt easier. I went back and played Bayo 1 again after blasting through Bayo 2 and Bayo 1 is really just a shit load harsher. Between the 1 Hit KO QTEs, the amount of encounters where witch time is disabled, the way harder alfheims and how much harder it is to hit stun enemies, Bayo 1 makes for a much more challenging experience...even though the 1 hit KO qte's are total BS.

I think the key difference is that Bayo 1 punishes the player by outright killing them tanking their overall score, while Bayo 2 punishes the player by ruining their score in that specific encounter.

Either way I think I would rather pick up and play bayo 2 any day of the week, the game is absolutely delightful to play and it's probably one of the best games I have ever played period.

Personally, I'm finding no-item Pure Platinums massively harder than the equivalent in Bayonetta 1. Enemies might not kill you as quickly, but getting through them without taking a hit is insane. I can Pure Platinum Jeanne fights without much trouble, but doing the equivalent against the Lumen Sage is absurd.

Even ignoring damage, "Time" is much tighter against most enemies; it's no longer a free Platinum like Bayonetta 1. "Combo" is more consistent, but there are less ways to cheese it as well. To get a Platinum Combo, it's both sufficient and necessary to never drop your combo throughout the entire Verse.

The Magic meter is much slower to charge, which nerfs Pulley's Butterfly (accentuated by the tighter Time requirements).

Then again, it might just be that I'm much more experienced at Bayonetta 1.

EDIT: I still agree with you that the game isn't nearly as punishing on the first time through. It doesn't just kill you randomly and tank your score. I think that's a good thing, personally! I'm just disagreeing with the notion that Bayonetta 2 is significantly easier when going for Pure Platinums.

 

[Tuck]

Not done it yet, but yeah its my GOTY, easy. Even better than the first, aside from the fact that its easier.

 

[Not Spaceghost]

EDIT: I still agree with you that the game isn't nearly as punishing on the first time through. It doesn't just kill you randomly and tank your score. I think that's a good thing, personally! I'm just disagreeing with the notion that Bayonetta 2 is significantly easier when going for Pure Platinums.

Yeah I will agree with this, Bayo 2 is just as if not more challenging at a high level of play (like hunting for pure plats), while being way more accessible for an average level of play.

Bayo 1 deaths never really feel like it's your fault you know? It's always something that feels like it came out of no where.

I remember in bayo 1 going for a plat in chapter 5 or 6, whichever one it is where you fight Jeanne for the second time and get panther within, and being totally flawless, except I missed a jump on my way up to the final area and instead of it doing damage and resetting me it killed me. I wasn't even in a ranked verse at the moment but it still totally tanked my score and prevented me from getting a plat.

That shit is rage fuel, meanwhile my 3rd climax plat run in Bayo 2 had no such moments and was generally a total thrill from start to finish.