Nemesis_
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REGARDING SPOILERS: Do NOT post any unmarked spoilers in this thread. All information in this OT was collated from official interviews and trailers and no leaks.
- Friday, 24th October 2014
- Friday, 24th October 2014
- Saturday, 25th October 2014
- Monday, 20th September 2014
- Developer - PlatinumGames / Nintendo SPD
- Publisher - Nintendo
- Director Yusuke Hashimoto (Resident Evil, Dino Crisis, God Hand, Vanquish)
- Producer Atsushi Inaba (Devil May Cry, Viewtiful Joe, God Hand, MadWorld, Vanquish), Akiko Kuroda (Bayonetta, Vanquish) & Hitoshi Yamagami (Wonderful 101)
- Supervisors SEGA & Hideki Kamiya
- Platforms - Wii U
- Resolution 720p at 60fps
- eShop Download Size - 14.6gb
RELEASE SKUs
Bayonetta 2 and Bayonetta 1 both come on separate discs, when purchased at retail
Bayonetta 2 and Bayonetta 1 both come on separate discs, when purchased at retail
-
Bayonetta 2 + Bayonetta 1
- Bayonetta 2
- First Print Edition (Bayonetta 2 + Bayonetta 1 + Artbook Packaging)
Light spoilers for Bayonetta are included below.
Bayonetta 2 is the sequel to the original game, which was published by SEGA and developed by PlatinumGames for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 in 2009. The title was originally discussed following the completion of the original game and then pitched to SEGA, however financial difficulties with the publisher forced them to reject the game's development. When PlatinumGames partnered with Nintendo to work on The Wonderful 101, Nintendo decided to finance and resurrect Bayonetta 2, acting as publisher for the title. SEGA will be taking on an advisory role in the game's development. The game is best suited to fans of Japanese character action games such as Devil May Cry, Viewtiful Joe and The Wonderful 101.
Bayonetta takes place within a world where there are 3 realms - Inferno, Paradiso and Purgatorio. There are two warring factions who control the elements of light and dark respectively. The practitioners of the dark arts are a coven of witches known as the Umbran Witches, whom Bayonetta is descended from. They make pacts with demons from Inferno in order to do their bidding during battle, as well as mastering techniques such as bullet arts and witch time. The Lumen Sages were practitioners of light whom held an alignment with the realm of Paradiso.
Both of the Bayonetta titles take place in a time following a great war, when the Umbran Witches overwhelmed the Lumen Sage forces, with only two of the Lumen surviving. Bayonetta is the child of an apparently "forbidden" relationship between a Lumen Sage and an Umbran Witch. Despite this, each clan is still in possession of one of the Eyes Of The World each. These mystical icons help provide each of the clans with the powers to balance the forces of light and dark throughout history. A large majority of the plot of the original Bayonetta game surrounds the search for one of the eyes by Bayonetta herself.
Bayonetta 2 takes place after the original game. When Bayonetta and Jeanne are fulfilling their obligations to the realm of Inferno, they are thrown into a state of danger when something goes wrong with the summoning of their demon, Gomorrah. He escapes Inferno, attacking Jeanne and sending her soul to Inferno in his place. Bayonetta's stocky assistant of sorts, Enzo, provides Bayonetta with information on the sacred mountain known as Fimbulventr. It's foretold that this is the only place on Earth that connects both Inferno and Paradiso with the human world. Bayonetta must journey here to plunge into the depths of Inferno and save Jeanne.
Bayonetta 2 is the sequel to the original game, which was published by SEGA and developed by PlatinumGames for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 in 2009. The title was originally discussed following the completion of the original game and then pitched to SEGA, however financial difficulties with the publisher forced them to reject the game's development. When PlatinumGames partnered with Nintendo to work on The Wonderful 101, Nintendo decided to finance and resurrect Bayonetta 2, acting as publisher for the title. SEGA will be taking on an advisory role in the game's development. The game is best suited to fans of Japanese character action games such as Devil May Cry, Viewtiful Joe and The Wonderful 101.
Bayonetta takes place within a world where there are 3 realms - Inferno, Paradiso and Purgatorio. There are two warring factions who control the elements of light and dark respectively. The practitioners of the dark arts are a coven of witches known as the Umbran Witches, whom Bayonetta is descended from. They make pacts with demons from Inferno in order to do their bidding during battle, as well as mastering techniques such as bullet arts and witch time. The Lumen Sages were practitioners of light whom held an alignment with the realm of Paradiso.
Both of the Bayonetta titles take place in a time following a great war, when the Umbran Witches overwhelmed the Lumen Sage forces, with only two of the Lumen surviving. Bayonetta is the child of an apparently "forbidden" relationship between a Lumen Sage and an Umbran Witch. Despite this, each clan is still in possession of one of the Eyes Of The World each. These mystical icons help provide each of the clans with the powers to balance the forces of light and dark throughout history. A large majority of the plot of the original Bayonetta game surrounds the search for one of the eyes by Bayonetta herself.
Bayonetta 2 takes place after the original game. When Bayonetta and Jeanne are fulfilling their obligations to the realm of Inferno, they are thrown into a state of danger when something goes wrong with the summoning of their demon, Gomorrah. He escapes Inferno, attacking Jeanne and sending her soul to Inferno in his place. Bayonetta's stocky assistant of sorts, Enzo, provides Bayonetta with information on the sacred mountain known as Fimbulventr. It's foretold that this is the only place on Earth that connects both Inferno and Paradiso with the human world. Bayonetta must journey here to plunge into the depths of Inferno and save Jeanne.
- Bayonetta | Playable. A coquettish Umbran Witch who is thrust into a state of danger after an Inferno ceremony gone wrong. She is a master of bullet arts.
- Jeanne | A French born Umbran Witch and Bayonetta's former rival. Her soul is dragged to Inferno, prompting the events of the second game.
- Enzo | An oafish information broker who Bayonetta regularly liaises with. He provides information to Bayonetta regarding Jeanne's possible whereabouts.
- Rodin | A weapons dealer and renowned bartender, he creates and outfits Bayonetta with her many weapons.
- Luka | An investigative journalist who previously thought Bayonetta to be a murderer. He now works with her to help discover what's going on.
- Loki | Playable. A young boy suffering from memory loss living in Purgatorio. His goals align with Bayonetta, but he's unsure as to why. He fights with enchanted cards.
- Masked Lumen | A mysterious Lumen Sage looking to wipe out the remaining Umbran Witches. He battles Loki throughout the story, but his interest and motivations remain unknown.
- The Overseer | The true creator of the human realm and the god of chaos, whom entrusted the Umbran Witches and Lumen Sages with the Eyes of the World. He is superior to Jubileus.
Umbran Climax is a brand new technique Bayonetta will have access to in Bayonetta 2. It allows Bayonetta to summon Wicked Weaves with every attack for a short duration, rather than just using them to punctuate combos. The ability can only be activated by pressing L and only when the magic gauge is full. When in Umbran Climax, Bayonetta will glow purple and her hair will become long and flowing. Her health will regenerate while in the climax. You can view a very brief video demonstration of the technique on YouTube.
Obviously, when in Umbran Climax, all of Bayonetta's attacks will be more powerful and have greater reach as they will all be Wicked Weaves. Instead of the usual Wicked Weave attacks ending the combos, instead there will be an Infernal Weave attack while in Umbran Climax. Infernal Weaves will fully manifest a demon from Inferno to deliver a final attack. Seven infernal demons have been spotted being used as Infernal Weaves, including Madama Butterfly, Malphas and Hekatoncheir from the first game. Infernal Weave attacks will be dependent on which weapons are equipped - with different combinations creating different results.
Tag Climax is a brand new multiplayer mode in Bayonetta 2, playable online with another friend. In the mode, players team up with a friend to battle enemies through a variety of locations from the single player game. Bayonetta 2 will allow players to Tag Climax with friends, randomly matched players or even a CPU partner.
The mode doesn't dumb the gameplay down at all for players, with all weapons and abilities in the single player being available to players in Tag Climax mode. Players share a HUD rather than having separate ones. Techniques such as Witch Time, which slow down time, will trigger for both players whenever a successful dodge is performed by one of them. As with most other co-operative games, players who die will be held in a "downed" position by hands from Inferno, requiring reviving from the other player. The player with the most halos (the in-game currency) will be highlighted in this mode as well.
At the beginning of each Tag Climax match, players will select which stage to play through Verse Cards, which will presumably be unlocked or purchased through normal gameplay. After choosing a stage to play, both players will wager their halos against one another - with the player who obtains a better rank taking the entire kitty for themselves. Any halos accrued during Tag Climax can be taken back to the main game to purchase new abilities for Bayonetta, and the higher the difficulty, the higher the rewards.
The developers have stated that there will be multiple playable characters in Tag Climax, but so far only Bayonetta, Jeanne and Rodin have been shown to be playable. Rodin, in particular, has different weapons and abilities - but can't use Witch Time.
It's presently unknown if any weapons will be returning from the original Bayonetta, as almost all the weapons shown off thus far have been brand new renditions. A major feature of Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2 is that players can equip weapons on either Bayonetta's hands or even her feet, leading to a wide range of combinations and moves to be available to the player. Some weapons are exclusive to hands, or exclusive to legs, however.
The weapons listed below are by no means a complete nor exhaustive list, rather, they are the weapons which have been revealed in pre-release media so far. Only seven weapons have been shown, while the original game had nine/ten (not counting unlockables).
- Love Is Blue are Bayonetta's new handguns, replacing Scarborough Fair. They string together combos much faster than their predecessors. Equippable on both hands and feet.
- Rakshasa appears to replace Shuraba from the first game. They are curved indian swords which share an affinity with a bat demon from Inferno. Equippable on both hands and feet.
- Undine acts as a replacement to Durga from the original game. They provide a heavier hitting arm cannon/melee weapon that can also launch fire or ice to burn or freeze enemies. It can summon elemental Hydra. Equippable on both hands and feet.
- Alruna are a pair of whips that replace Kulshedra from the first game. They can grab enemies, slam them into the ground and allow full 360 degree attacks. They can summon demonic frogs with spiked tongues. Equippable on both hands and feet.
- Kafka is a bow that fires poisonous arrows that can chip away enemy health and slow enemies. Arrows can be charged to cause more damage. During Umbran Climax, arrows are replaced with huge demonic dragonflies. Equippable on hands only.
- Chernabog is a scythe with three detachable blades. Chernabog has much wider reach than Rakshasa. It is able to release and fire it's blades at enemies when charged fully, and replaces Wicked Weaves with said blades. Equippable on hands only.
These features will be carried over to Bayonetta (the original game) too. Players who aren't as proficient in character action games can now choose either Very Easy or Easy mode in order to ease themselves into the game's fast paced action gameplay. They are explained pretty well in this unofficial video tutorial.
Very Easy mode is controlled entirely with the GamePad, it's touchscreen and the stylus. Holding the stylus over an enemy on the GamePad will cause Bayonetta to automatically attack that enemy. Swiping to the left or right will trigger a dodge attack and all quick time events will require taps on the screen rather than button presses. The game does have a bit more of an "autopilot" nature in this mode, but it provides a good introduction to the gameplay for those less seasoned in these kinds of games.
Easy mode has been revamped to allow full control over Bayonetta, but allows players to activate more complex combo inputs with the touch of the screen. Of course, both these modes are optional and are not required to be played by all players.
Hand picked by Hideki Kamiya, these costumes will be available in Bayonetta 1 and 2, barring Star Mercenary, which is exclusive to 2.
- Mushroom Kingdom Princess is based on Princess Peach. When wearing the costume, Bayonetta's Wicked Weaves are replaced with Bowser. Halos are replaced with coins and the corresponding Mario sound effect when picked up.
- Sarasa Land Princess is based on Princess Daisy. Functions similarly to Princess Peach but coloured to resemble Princess Daisy.
- Hero of Hyrule is based on Zelda's very own Link. In Bayonetta 1, the Shuraba is replaced with the Master Sword. In Bayonetta 2, it is an independent weapon. Halos are replaced with Rupees, and various chimes will play from the Zelda series in the game. Bayonetta can also parry without an accessory when wearing the Hero of Hyrule outfit.
- Galactic Bounty Hunter is based on Samus Aran. Bayonetta can use Samus' arm cannon as projectile weapons. The charge beam, screw attack, morph ball and morph bombs are also usable exclusively in Bayonetta 2.
- Star Mercenary is based on Fox McCloud. When wearing it, Bayonetta's pistols are replaced with mini Arwings which can charge and shoot energy beams. Lock-ons similar to Star Fox appear on enemies. Each gun also features a charm of each character.
Beast Within is a series of transformational techniques that provide Bayonetta with increased mobility. Most of them are focused to provide assistance to the player in terms of exploration and platforming rather than in combat, although some transformations have defensive capabilities. Bayonetta, Loki and Jeanne all have their own variations of Beast Within.
- Panther Form allows Bayonetta to run very quickly and make larger jumps than usual. She can slash at enemies while in this mode.
- Crow Form allows Bayonetta to fly across larger gaps or avoid ground based attacks. She can summon feathers to attack while in this mode.
- Bat Form allows Bayonetta to dodge attacks at the last second and instantly activate Witch Time. It is the only Beast Within that is purely defensive.
- Snake Form is new and exclusive to Bayonetta 2, and allows Bayonetta to glide through underwater locales as a cobra with ease.
Torture Attacks allow Bayonetta to finish off her enemies in a stylish and over the top manner. When her magic gauge is full (from completing several combos uninterrupted), players an press both punch and kick simultaneously to summon a torture device of sorts. This is followed by a quick time event in which button presses or stick rotations will maximise damage and points earned from a defeated enemy. Torture Attacks are powerful, and can defeat many of the Hierarchy of Laguna in a single hit or deal massive damage to stronger ones. Certain enemies in the game cannot be "tortured" either, especially larger ones.
Depending on the enemy, torture attacks vary quite a bit. Bayonetta may summon an Iron Maiden, a Guillotine, a Chainsaw or even drop Tombstones on enemies. There were roughly eight different kinds of torture attacks in the original Bayonetta, and Bayonetta 2 introduces at least four more torture devices to employ in battle, including a treadmill and a wall of spinning blades.
Wicked Weaves are special attacks unique to Umbran Witches that allow them to call forth demons from Inferno that they have previously made pacts with. Wicked Weaves get their name because they use the Umbran Witches' hair as conduits to bring forth the demon. Wicked Weaves are more powerful depending on how late into a combo they are summoned - so finishing a long combo will create a more devastating Wicked Weave than finishing a short one.
Bayonetta herself has made a pact with the demoness named Madama Butterfly, and her fists and legs are commonly called forth for Bayonetta's Wicked Weaves. In Bayonetta 2, Bayonetta's Wicked Weaves are much more violent and faster paced, with the addition of Infernal Weaves being brought forth through the use of the new Umbran Climax technique. A Wicked Weave's action and/or form is generally determined by the weapon equipped when they are summoned.
Wicked Weaves generally take the form of punches and foot stomps, but many of the may include headbutts, backhand slaps and clawing swipes and scratches. In the special edition of Bayonetta, when equipped with the Peach or Daisy outfit, Madama Butterfly is replaced by King Bowser himself.
Witch Time is one of the most ancient of Umbran Witch techniques that allows the practitioner to slow down time to a fraction of it's normal pace. Bayonetta and Jeanne have both mastered the ability, although they activate it differently. Lumen Sages have a similar ability known as "Light Speed".
Witch Time allows the witch to harness her own spirit energy, allowing her to harness an entire moment's passage of time from their own perspective. When activated, it sends out a ripple of energy and provides a 50% point bonus towards the player's score with any attacks pulled off during the passage of Witch Time. When activated, it also opens up exploration of new areas as Bayonetta can run across water while in Witch Time. While it gives Bayonetta an obvious advantage in combat, it also allows certain projectiles and weapons to be turned against her enemies too.
In the original Bayonetta, there are five different way to activate Witch Time. Most are the result of a successful defensive manoeuvrings, such as a dodge/evasion or a parry. Some items are equippable that may either aid Witch Time casting and bolster it's effects or suppress it in favour of other attributes. It appears to behave largely similar to the original game in Bayonetta 2.
While toted as new in previous promotional material, Muspelheim will offer a similar function to Alfheim from the first game. Muspelheim is more or less the Inferno version of Alfheim, and represents a different realm / dimension where Bayonetta can complete certain challenges in exchange for rewards. Usually, the locations to Muspelheim / Alfheim are hidden, but their completion is necessary should players wish to get the highest attainable rank.
Challenges may include defeating enemies with a limited numbers of kicks and punches, defeating enemies only using Wicked Weaves, or even defeating enemies without touching the ground. Completion of these challenges usually rewards players with an item or accessory, and returns them to the normal realm. Muspelheim and Alfheim are essentially Bayonetta's own version of Secret Missions from Devil May Cry.
Dodge Offset is one of the more advanced techniques in Bayonetta but it's also one of the most important ones and isn't taught in the game's tutorial. It is a passive ability that is automatically unlocked in the game and is never able to be toggled off. It allows players to dodge during a combo and continue the combo after the dodge, rather than losing it and sacrificing points.
Dodge Offset is performed by holding down the attack button while dodging, and then continuing the combo by releasing that button and pressing another after the dodge has been completed. As long as the attack button is held down, the player can interrupt an incomplete attack with a dodge and still continue with the combo. Using this technique, multiple dodges can be performed after the other as long as the attack button is held down during said dodges.
Bayonetta Wiki (and myself) recommend practicing this technique with Scarborough Fair in the original game, as when the attack buttons are held, Bayonetta will fire the guns after to hit and still fire them after the dodge - providing visual confirmation that a dodge offset is successfully being performed.
