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[Retro_]

The Jeanne fight afterwards is amazing on its own, it just made the level way too long because it's right after the space harrier section. I wouldn't say the space harrier section is well designed, it's definitely too long, the only method of attacking is mashing X doesn't help, and the fact the controls are inverse is pretty silly as well.

Ah, well I guess we'll have to agree to disagree then.

and for what it's worth, you could toggle off inverted Y-axis in the controls menu.(by going to controls, then selecting the missile icon and pressing triangle on the control display screen) It's not silly since that's how those games worked, but the option was there for people who don't like that.

and you could hold the shoot button to fire. Didn't have to mash

Just to clarify, after I brought all the LP's to Rodin he went to make the weapons. I didn't go to the shop until I was a few chapters into the game. I'm pretty sure the first item he built were shotguns which I was given, but my memory is a bit fuzzy. The next visit he built two weapons on my same trip. When he got back, I saw the weapons for sale and I wasn't given them. This had to be the sword and whip because the claws just became available. I remember them being for sale and not having enough money at the time and having to wait until the next level to get it. At the time I hadn't bought anything, so I clearly remember having to wait on buying them. I'm 99% sure I bought the whip. I don't remember how I ended up with the sword. If there is not an alternate to the whip or sword I don't know what else I could have spent $100K on. Perhaps it was the pistols or shotguns but I'm pretty sure he gave me the shotguns in his shop and that the pistols are the ones I started the game with.

Yeah the game just straight up doesn't work like that

So you must have been asleep or something. Or didn't check your inventory

Some comments that particularly baffle me are people saying that beating the game on normal shouldn't require buying any green healing lolipops, specialty items or even get hit while dodging and the game is on normal.

Don't listen to those people. Don't limit yourself in how to approach the game with the tools it gives you. That's how you learn, thinking for yourself.

Experiment with the accessories in the store, use items, whatever. Just figure out your own way. That's the beauty of these games. They don't "require" you to play any way. Combat is open enough for players to forge their own styles in the games. (allowing most players to complete the game basically, but also allowing more advanced players to be challenged by the scoring mechanics and medals)

Combos and dodging should be pretty easy, but everything just seems random as to whether or not my attacks and dodges work. I've never had this problem before and I've been playing games for a while. This begs the question of whether it's me or the game.

Well that's because you're only half playing the game. You're focusing too much on combos and thinking you can dodge whatever comes your way and not paying attention to what the enemies can actually do. Start paying attention to enemy behavior, enemy attacks, and enemy cues for what attacks they are going to use.(Every enemy has a visual and audio cue for every attack they do. Sound design in this game is pretty top notch in that regard)

It's pretty hard to react to everything. Especially things you don't know about. Once you actually learn what your opponent is capable of things become alot easier once you learn what to expect.

People do the same things in fighting games. Spend hours in training mode practicing combos, then get into a real match and have no idea how to land them. because they have no idea how to actually fight the other characters.

I just fought a giant Angel with tentacle arms on level 10 for about 20 minutes and finally turned the game off because all I could do was shoot at him. There was only one opportunity I had to strike him with my sword. Everything else was dodging his attacks, getting closer trying to lure him down and then running away. I don't get it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GwQZFAwrMw

Videos are always an invaluable resource for these kinds of games. Watch alot and assimilate bits and pieces into your playstyle and you'll get better pretty rapidly.

I haven't watched this video so I'm not sure if she uses some items you don't have or a technique that doesn't make sense to you, so if there's anything you don't understand feel free to ask questions

 

[MadOdorMachine]

the problem isnt the dodge.. its your timing in the dodge.

You should be activating WITCH TIME to prevent getting hit from others after you come out of the dodge.

Listen to the audio cues and pay attention to the telegraphed attacks from all opponents to master timing (ex. enemies with melee weapons light up before swinging or a horn noise can be heard for enemies with projectile weapons).

EDIT: ^^^^Beaten

I'm activating Witch Time all the time. Timing of the dodge isn't always the problem.

Let me ask you this. If you're attacking someone and let's just say you tap "Y" 5 times and your hands turn red and you're doing the turbo punch right before the Wicked Weave. Has anyone else had this interupted from enemy attack? This to me this just seems cheap, especially when you're coming out of Witch Time.

Is there a way to get out of an enemies attack? Dodging isn't so much the problem. It's that whenever I get out of it, I get spammed with attacks that I can't evade. For instance int he move above.

 

[Anteater]

I'm activating Witch Time all the time. Timing of the dodge isn't always the problem.

Let me ask you this. If you're attacking someone and let's just say you tap "Y" 5 times and your hands turn red and you're doing the turbo punch right before the Wicked Weave. Has anyone else had this interupted from enemy attack? This to me this just seems cheap, especially when you're coming out of Witch Time.

Is there a way to get out of an enemies attack? Dodging isn't so much the problem. It's that whenever I get out of it, I get spammed with attacks that I can't evade. For instance int he move above.

Did you buy bats within? It should allow you to press dodge right when you get hit to get out of enemy's attacks/combos and also give you witch time from it.

 

[Mzo]

I'm activating Witch Time all the time. Timing of the dodge isn't always the problem.

Let me ask you this. If you're attacking someone and let's just say you tap "Y" 5 times and your hands turn red and you're doing the turbo punch right before the Wicked Weave. Has anyone else had this interupted from enemy attack? This to me this just seems cheap, especially when you're coming out of Witch Time.

Is there a way to get out of an enemies attack? Dodging isn't so much the problem. It's that whenever I get out of it, I get spammed with attacks that I can't evade. For instance int he move above.

You can dodge to interrupt any of your own attacks. If you're surrounded and don't have the time to get off YYYYY try something faster like YBY. You could also do YYYBB which sweeps around you and trips up the enemies.

The combat in this game is tuned super-tight. If you're getting hit, it's your fault. Polar opposite of cheap.

 

[Retro_]

I'm activating Witch Time all the time. Timing of the dodge isn't always the problem.

Let me ask you this. If you're attacking someone and let's just say you tap "Y" 5 times and your hands turn red and you're doing the turbo punch right before the Wicked Weave. Has anyone else had this interupted from enemy attack? This to me this just seems cheap, especially when you're coming out of Witch Time.

Is there a way to get out of an enemies attack? Dodging isn't so much the problem. It's that whenever I get out of it, I get spammed with attacks that I can't evade. For instance int he move above.

Some enemies have armor outside of witch time. So you can't just mash attack vs them and expect them to wait for you to be done before attacking. They will hit you out of moves.

So you have to realize this and be prepared to stop your offense short to get out of the way. It takes practice to get good at.

 

[Anteater]

If you have problems with long string combos, you could also just use high damage weapons like Durga (hold punch for the shock) until you're familiar with the timing and dodge offset.

 

[Continuity]

I'm activating Witch Time all the time. Timing of the dodge isn't always the problem.

Let me ask you this. If you're attacking someone and let's just say you tap "Y" 5 times and your hands turn red and you're doing the turbo punch right before the Wicked Weave. Has anyone else had this interupted from enemy attack? This to me this just seems cheap, especially when you're coming out of Witch Time.

Is there a way to get out of an enemies attack? Dodging isn't so much the problem. It's that whenever I get out of it, I get spammed with attacks that I can't evade. For instance int he move above.

If you're doing the turbo punch, you're obviously taking a risk by sacrificing mobility for damage, you know you can just cancel the attack animation into dodge if you spot an attack coming right?

Yes, sometimes you get hit coming out of witch time, prepare for it then. If I remember clearly, there are subtle visual ques that tell you you're running out of witch time, and if there isn't, you should have activated witch time enough times to know the rough duration of it, so don't run into a horde of enemy when you know you're running out of witch-time.

 

[MadOdorMachine]

All right. Thanks for the help guys, I'll just keep working on it. After watching some YouTube clips and your comments, it appears the enemy attack spams aren't uncommon so I just need to figure out how to get around it.

 

[dankir]

Posting again, you guys need to keep on listening to this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV3wFRy23cY

 

[GamerSoul]

I bought bats within very late in my playthrough and I regret it. It comes in handy if your timing is just a little off. I swear it's random when it happens.

I'm activating Witch Time all the time. Timing of the dodge isn't always the problem.

Let me ask you this. If you're attacking someone and let's just say you tap "Y" 5 times and your hands turn red and you're doing the turbo punch right before the Wicked Weave. Has anyone else had this interupted from enemy attack? This to me this just seems cheap, especially when you're coming out of Witch Time.

Is there a way to get out of an enemies attack? Dodging isn't so much the problem. It's that whenever I get out of it, I get spammed with attacks that I can't evade. For instance int he move above.

This game was really tough at some parts for me, I mean I flat out sucked. I got mostly stone awards my first run lol, but that was the outcome of not undertsanding the timing of bosses and stuff. If I remember correctly, some enemies do not get stunned easily so even if your Witch time and you are still in the path of their attack you might still get hit. And some of their combos actually give you a small opening to escape also.

 

[Jezan]

Just to clarify, after I brought all the LP's to Rodin he went to make the weapons.....

Can you upload a video of you playing? We need to know what you are doing!

I'm activating Witch Time all the time. Timing of the dodge isn't always the problem.

Let me ask you this. If you're attacking someone and let's just say you tap "Y" 5 times and your hands turn red and you're doing the turbo punch right before the Wicked Weave. Has anyone else had this interupted from enemy attack? This to me this just seems cheap, especially when you're coming out of Witch Time.

Is there a way to get out of an enemies attack? Dodging isn't so much the problem. It's that whenever I get out of it, I get spammed with attacks that I can't evade. For instance int he move above.

You need to dodge again, the attack you are doing will be canceled, BUT this is where you are supposed to dodge-offset! Instead of releasing the punch button, keep it pressed and dodge the incoming enemy attack, when you finish dodging release the attack button and continue the combo.

 

[Retro_]

I bought bats within very late in my playthrough and I regret it. It comes in handy if your timing is just a little off. I swear it's random when it happens.

It's not. It's a similar timing to MoMK counter hit window(as soon as you get hit) but its benefits aren't as tangible as that.(I think the only difference is you recover faster than you would from a roll after triggering witch time. Not sure how much that matters in most situations)

It makes more sense in Jeanne playthroughs, as while she has unlimited rolling, she can only trigger Witch Time through bat within and MoMK counterhits.(Good luck with that PS3 players)

 

[FlashbladeGAF]

All right. Thanks for the help guys, I'll just keep working on it. After watching some YouTube clips and your comments, it appears the enemy attack spams aren't uncommon so I just need to figure out how to get around it.

cool

but yeah, like one poster suggested, for your particular problem of getting hit at the end of an attack, the best thing to do is to buy the skill that turns you into a swarm of bats(Bat Within) after getting hit, which when timed right, counters the actual hit with witch time allowing you to continue laying on the combos.

Also just messing around with other combos is the best thing to do. The more combos you actually know the easier it is to position yourself on the battle field.

If your surrounded by enemies do a sweeping move that attacks everyone around you, or do an attack that takes you and the enemy your focused on up into the air, allowing you to continue the combo in the sky, out of reach.

When looking at a combo just pay attention to where you end up and what the wicked weave does as well as the differences in each weapon equipped. You will find something that will fit your needs and if all else fails you will have your purchased skills(read up on them) to fall back on to counter anything that gets thru your offensive defense


Dodge offset where you can insert a dodge into the middle of a combo helps too, especially if your surrounded and want to get better positioning

 

[Curufinwe]

Practicing in an early Alfheim Portal is the best way to get to grips with the game.

Actually, I think playing with a guide that tells you where they all are is a good idea. Some of them are really easy to miss.

 

[MadOdorMachine]

cool

but yeah, like one poster suggested, for your particular problem of getting hit at the end of an attack, the best thing to do is to buy the skill that turns you into a swarm of bats(Bat Within) after getting hit, which when timed right, counters the actual hit with witch time allowing you to continue laying on the combos.

Also just messing around with other combos is the best thing to do. The more combos you actually know the easier it is to position yourself on the battle field.

If your surrounded by enemies do a sweeping move that attacks everyone around you, or do an attack that takes you and the enemy your focused on up into the air, allowing you to continue the combo in the sky, out of reach.

When looking at a combo just pay attention to where you end up and what the wicked weave does as well as the differences in each weapon equipped. You will find something that will fit your needs and if all else fails you will have your purchased skills(read up on them) to fall back on to counter anything that gets thru your offensive defense


Dodge offset where you can insert a dodge into the middle of a combo helps too, especially if your surrounded and want to get better positioning

I just bought the bat upgrade and got thru chapter 10. I haven't had a chance to see if it helps with my problem yet. I guess the best way to describe it is getting stunned and then having a constant barrage of attacks that there's no way of defending against.

One really good example are those flying boats. I don't know if this is a glitch for my game or if it happens to everyone, but the first time you ever fight the flying boats, if you skip the cutscene you are immediately getting hit by their missiles and you've instantly lost 1/3 of your health. As I said, I don't know how to stop these spams once they start. The only option is avoid ever getting hit unless the bat upgrade helps. That particular example only happened to me when I would skip the cutscene though - otherwise the dodge will work and allow you to get on the boat.

I know about dodge offset, I just haven't got it down yet. I'm still trying to learn the basics.

 

[Miker]

I just bought the bat upgrade and got thru chapter 10. I haven't had a chance to see if it helps with my problem yet. I guess the best way to describe it is getting stunned and then having a constant barrage of attacks that there's no way of defending against.

One really good example are those flying boats. I don't know if this is a glitch for my game or if it happens to everyone, but the first time you ever fight the flying boats, if you skip the cutscene you are immediately getting hit by their missiles and you've instantly lost 1/3 of your health. As I said, I don't know how to stop these spams once they start. The only option is avoid ever getting hit unless the bat upgrade helps. That particular example only happened to me when I would skip the cutscene though - otherwise the dodge will work and allow you to get on the boat.

I know about dodge offset, I just haven't got it down yet. I'm still trying to learn the basics.

I think every single enemy/boss intro shows them attacking right as the cutscene ends, and that carries on to gameplay. Basically, it's almost never a bad idea to dodge right after a cutscene ends or after skipping a cutscene.

 

[GamerSoul]

It's not. It's a similar timing to MoMK counter hit window(as soon as you get hit) but its benefits aren't as tangible as that.(I think the only difference is you recover faster than you would from a roll after triggering witch time. Not sure how much that matters in most situations)

It makes more sense in Jeanne playthroughs, as while she has unlimited rolling, she can only trigger Witch Time through bat within and MoMK counterhits.(Good luck with that PS3 players)

What I really meant is that I never purposely try to activate it Bat's Within. So it works as an extra "chance" to avoid getting hit for me when my reaction is not too good.

I just bought the bat upgrade and got thru chapter 10. I haven't had a chance to see if it helps with my problem yet. I guess the best way to describe it is getting stunned and then having a constant barrage of attacks that there's no way of defending against.

One really good example are those flying boats. I don't know if this is a glitch for my game or if it happens to everyone, but the first time you ever fight the flying boats, if you skip the cutscene you are immediately getting hit by their missiles and you've instantly lost 1/3 of your health. As I said, I don't know how to stop these spams once they start. The only option is avoid ever getting hit unless the bat upgrade helps. That particular example only happened to me when I would skip the cutscene though - otherwise the dodge will work and allow you to get on the boat.

I know about dodge offset, I just haven't got it down yet. I'm still trying to learn the basics.

I got wrecked pretty bad at that part too so I feel your pain. You can't escape once you get hit by the first one so you have no choice but to dodge.

 

[hao chi]

I'm activating Witch Time all the time. Timing of the dodge isn't always the problem.

Let me ask you this. If you're attacking someone and let's just say you tap "Y" 5 times and your hands turn red and you're doing the turbo punch right before the Wicked Weave. Has anyone else had this interupted from enemy attack? This to me this just seems cheap, especially when you're coming out of Witch Time.

Is there a way to get out of an enemies attack? Dodging isn't so much the problem. It's that whenever I get out of it, I get spammed with attacks that I can't evade. For instance int he move above.

The PPPPP combo is very long and can be risky. However, if you've learned to Dodge Offset already, you can roll away to (hopefully) safety and press K to activate another Wicked Weave attack. That has a wind up as well, so depending on the situation it's also pretty risky. Over time you'll get a feel for when you can get that type of attack off and when it's best to leave a combo unfinished.

Or as already mentioned, you can just stick to safer combos. PKP was mentioned, and PPKKK has two fairly safe Wicked Weaves. Just press select in a loading screen to start practice mode and you can try out all the combos and see which ones seem most useful.

 

[Hawkian]

This game has the best two-part tutorial ever (for some reason it's labeled Normal Mode and Hard Mode)

 

[FlashbladeGAF]

I just bought the bat upgrade and got thru chapter 10. I haven't had a chance to see if it helps with my problem yet. I guess the best way to describe it is getting stunned and then having a constant barrage of attacks that there's no way of defending against.

One really good example are those flying boats. I don't know if this is a glitch for my game or if it happens to everyone, but the first time you ever fight the flying boats, if you skip the cutscene you are immediately getting hit by their missiles and you've instantly lost 1/3 of your health. As I said, I don't know how to stop these spams once they start. The only option is avoid ever getting hit unless the bat upgrade helps. That particular example only happened to me when I would skip the cutscene though - otherwise the dodge will work and allow you to get on the boat.

I know about dodge offset, I just haven't got it down yet. I'm still trying to learn the basics.

LOL yeah that got me too. I am by no means great at this game, so I do get rap*d myself by the enemy even when I'm on a roll

The genius thing about the bat within move is it's triggered by pressing the same button as the dodge(if I remember correctly) so even if you miss time your dodge for witch time, if you (pay attention thru the chaos) and try hitting the dodge again as you get hit, at least 40-50% of the time you will activate the bat within

But yeah the one thing about Bayo's cutscenes is they kept you on your toes with all the QTEs and I think every boss tries to cheap hit you at the beginning. It may seem like a cheap move but if you manage to witch time it, that cheap move shows itself to be a free couple of hits in disguise. Most of their attacks are hard to witch time so them giving you a chance at the beginning of the match should be taken advantage of.

 

[demidar]

I love this game but there are three things I absolutely hate about it.

1) Attacks immediately coming at the end of cutscenes. If you're replaying and skipping the cutscenes and you forget to dodge you'll have to start all over again (if you're going for high scores).
2) QTEs. QTEs themselves aren't bad, it's just that there's no logical reason for there to be QTEs in this game, compared to something like Asura's Wrath where each QTE has actual context.
3) The Space Harrier section being right before the third Jeanne fight. If you're playing on the highest difficulty and want to have some fun fighting against an excellent boss, you'll have to trudge through the Space Harrier sequence. Not that it's bad mind you, I just don't want it attached to the boss fight.

 

[Retro_]

All of the Jeanne fights are buried within levels that you have to play through to get to

Arguably the last one is the least time consuming to get back to because it only has Space Harrier before it

 

[Jintor]

i agree with demidar

i also think it's really cool that jp will occasionally just chime in

also: fuck flying boats. PPPKK with rocket-feet to take down 3/4 of their health in one go, then a PKP to finish them, then on to the next.

 

[Llyranor]

least time consuming to get back to because it only has Space Harrier before it

But I also found it to be the worst part of the game (leading up to the best part of the game). Such a weird contrast.

 

[demidar]

But I also found it to be the worst part of the game (leading up to the best part of the game). Such a weird contrast.

Yeah it makes it even more jarring. I'm hoping they will fix this in Bayo 2, a boss rush mode perhaps.

 

[hao chi]

All of the Jeanne fights are buried within levels that you have to play through to get to

Arguably the last one is the least time consuming to get back to because it only has Space Harrier before it

Well, other than the Chapter 2 fight with her. But that fight is pretty short and you can't use anything other than Scarborough Fair.

 

[VanillaCakeIsBurning]

This game has the best two-part tutorial ever (for some reason it's labeled Normal Mode and Hard Mode)

I learned this when I went at it again for round 2.

I may end up getting a Wii U just for Bayonetta 2.

 

[Fimbulvetr]

I didn't go to the shop until I was a few chapters into the game.

…why? Why would you do this?

This essentially means you played the game for multiple chapters without a Stinger(as in the DMC move) equivalent or even Air Dodge. And you did this intentionally?

If there is not an alternate to the whip or sword I don't know what else I could have spent $100K on. Perhaps it was the pistols or shotguns but I'm pretty sure he gave me the shotguns in his shop and that the pistols are the ones I started the game with.

You just answered your own question; the Shotguns have Alts.

There have been several times when I'm in the middle of a dodge and I get hit anyway.

That isn’t possible.

There's also times when I'm getting spammed with attacks and there's no way to get evade them - dodging won't work and there's no counter attacks that I know about.

Chain Dodge(dodging consecutively, up to five times), Beast Within(to reposition), Bat Within, Jump(like with DMC, Jumping cancels out other animations), Dodge Jump(hit Dodge the very second you jump, it covers way more distance than the regular dodge), Moon of Mahaa-Kalaa(it’s an accessory, please test it out and actually see how it works before spending Halos on it), Witch Twist.

That’s seven options for getting out of your situation. You have access to two of them at the very start of the game, a third you have the opportunity to get the very first time you visit Rodin’s shop(Air Dodge is the cheapest thing there at only 1000 Halos), you’ve already obtained the fourth, and 9 Chapters in you are definitely in a position to get the rest of ‘em.

There was only one opportunity I had to strike him with my sword. Everything else was dodging his attacks, getting closer trying to lure him down and then running away.

Pro-tip: Wicked Weaves are long ranged attacks. If you can lock onto something, chances are a Wicked Weave can hit it.

there are times when I have lost 1/3 of my life from what I feel are cheap hits that there's no way to break out of.

Bayonetta is one of the most fair action games ever, to the point where they neutered Normal Mode enemy AI to gang up on you less often.

Let me ask you this. If you're attacking someone and let's just say you tap "Y" 5 times and your hands turn red and you're doing the turbo punch right before the Wicked Weave. Has anyone else had this interupted from enemy attack?

Of course it is interruptible. Why wouldn’t it be when you can just Dodge Cancel out of it?

You could also use any other combo. All of them have a shorter time before the payoff.

This to me this just seems cheap, especially when you're coming out of Witch Time.

There is an, admittedly subtle(though the game does show you it exists during the witch time tutorial), indicator telling you when Witch Time will end.

Even then it shouldn’t be an issue, unless the enemy was in the middle of an attack animation that was being slowed down by Witch Time and you literally walked into it right as Witch Time ran out.

I think every boss tries to cheap hit you at the beginning.

They don’t.

Only normal enemies do it, and even then it’s only when they’re introduced for the first time.

 

[MadOdorMachine]

Well, I finally got around to beating this game this morning and figured I'd share final thoughts. My overall experience with the game was good, but I feel there are some critical areas that PG dropped the ball on that will detract most gamers away. For that topic, I'm not even going to touch on the premise of the world or story and just focus on the gameplay. This might sound like I'm pointing out the games faults, but I'm just trying to point out areas that I think would make the game better.

1. Pacing - The cut scenes and tablets you find around the world are redundant and it slows the pace of the game down to a crawl if you decide to read them all as they're unlocked. I think the tablets could be used more effectively which I'll get to later.

2. Item Management - In the beginning levels of the game I didn't really no what to expect. I didn't know what I would be given during the game and what needed to be bought. There are some items that are $100K and some that are only $3K. Maybe not for most players, but my first reaction was to save any money I earned to buy something big later down the road. As a result, I feel the game does the exact opposite of what PG intended which is experimentation. I feel the experimentation isn't encouraged until you get much further in the game.

Next is concocting the lolipops. When collecting the three main elements in the world, you're never told about using them for lolipops. It's something you just find out about it in the sub-menu. Some might look at this as a minor oversight, but I think it's a strike against the game because it happens with so many other abilities that you can get in the game as well.

The next problem is lolipops in and of themselves. The only way to get them is through the bonus levels, Ronin's shop or concoctions. It makes it seem like these items are rare, so I feel you aren't really encouraged to use them. It would be nice if these items were actually obtainable in the world. I'll get into this again later as well.

3. Controls - Although the controls are managable overall, there are some choices made that I really don't understand. A big one is mapping the "lock-on" to RB/R1 and switching your weapons to LT/L2. By doing this, they essentially made locking onto a specific enemy useless because it's very difficult to dodge and lock-on at the same time. I feel like the game would be more enjoyable and it would open up a lot more options had the mapped the lock-on to LT/L2.

4. Gameplay - Before I delve into this topic, I should note that I played this on 360 with the game installed on the HDD. As a result, exploring different combos weren't really an option during the loading screens.

I think there's a lot of area for improvement here. Eventually, you get the combos down that suit your playstyle best, but it's a shame it takes so long. By the time I felt like I had a grasp on how to play the game, it was nearly over. I think this detracts from the game and will be a turn off for the average gamer. One area I think they could have explained more of what's available to the player is in Alfheim. As it currently stands, I like the freedom they give you to do what you want, but I feel they fail at presenting the case to you.

Another area I feel could have been handled a lot better is the use of magic. None of the items you can concoct or buy in Ronin's shop are available in the level. As a result, you're never really shown what they can do. You're left up to discovering it on your own. I don't think it was a good decision to leave so much up to the player to discover in a menu, especially when there's so much to select from and so little money to use. It would have been nice to at least see something about these other abilities worked into the levels. One way they could have done this is by using the tablets.

5. Mini Games - I thought the use of mini-games were good, but they could just use some more polish. I thought the best one was the Space Harrier level.

6. Other - I think the platforming could definitely be tightened up some. A lot of times it was hard to judge where I would land. I think it would mix up the gameplay some if they added more to it. The addition of puzzles would be nice too.

Final thoughts - Bayonetta took a long time to grow on me. There were times when I felt like playing through it wasn't worth time with the pacing problems and so much trial and error when figuring out how exactly to play. That is unfortunate because once you get past it and learn all of these things, it's a lot of fun. It's just a shame it takes so long because I don't think the average gamer will have the patience for it.

I also think the graphics were great for the most part although there were problems with screen tearing and occasional slow down. I would have liked to have been able to explore the worlds more and take in the sights.

 

[RPG Wizard]

...did no one tell you about cutscene lollipops?

During any cutscene where Bayonetta has a lollipop, press and hold one of the face buttons, and you'll get the effect of the corresponding lollipop when the cutscene ends. (I don't quite remember the timing on this, but I know that one of the first bosses could be beaten down amazingly quickly by using the free attack boost lollipop.)

Doesn't count against you for ranking, doesn't cost anything, and is an intended benefit. You can even skip the cutscene once the game has registered you utilizing one.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

3. Controls - Although the controls are managable overall, there are some choices made that I really don't understand. A big one is mapping the "lock-on" to RB/R1 and switching your weapons to LT/L2. By doing this, they essentially made locking onto a specific enemy useless because it's very difficult to dodge and lock-on at the same time. I feel like the game would be more enjoyable and it would open up a lot more options had the mapped the lock-on to LT/L2.

You almost shouldn't ever be locking on to enemies. I've played the game for near 100 hours and have only used the lock on button for moves that require the lock on button. The game does a fantastic job of auto locking attacks, and the mechanics are fluid enough to correct it mid-combat if it manages to go the wrong way (which nearly never happens)

As for everything else, I don't know what to say. The game clicked instantly with me after like 10 minutes with the demo. I never felt like it was "trial and error," and lollipops were barely a thing for me after unlocking some of the more useful techniques. As for you getting a grasp on the game only as it was ending, that's BY DESIGN. Normal difficulty is very much a 15 hour tutorial, in that the real Bayonetta doesn't start until you're more familiar with the mechanics, have bumped the difficulty up a notch, and have more weapons. This is not a "one and done" kind of game.

 

[Jezan]

...did no one tell you about cutscene lollipops?

During any cutscene where Bayonetta has a lollipop, press and hold one of the face buttons, and you'll get the effect of the corresponding lollipop when the cutscene ends. (I don't quite remember the timing on this, but I know that one of the first bosses could be beaten down amazingly quickly by using the free attack boost lollipop.)

Doesn't count against you for ranking, doesn't cost anything, and is an intended benefit. You can even skip the cutscene once the game has registered you utilizing one.

I didn't know that :O

Oh you are right!
From Bayonetta wiki:

During a cutscene where Bayonetta will have a lollipop, pressing down the button corrosponding with the lollipop's color the moment she removes it from her mouth will grant the effect of one of the lollipop immediately after the cutscene ends. This only gives the effect of the lollipop, it is not obtained in the player's inventory, and it only works on scenes that cut directly to a fight afterwards. This bonus lollipop effect doesn't count as a used item and will not effect your final score on a mission.

 

[Continuity]

...did no one tell you about cutscene lollipops?

During any cutscene where Bayonetta has a lollipop, press and hold one of the face buttons, and you'll get the effect of the corresponding lollipop when the cutscene ends. (I don't quite remember the timing on this, but I know that one of the first bosses could be beaten down amazingly quickly by using the free attack boost lollipop.)

Doesn't count against you for ranking, doesn't cost anything, and is an intended benefit. You can even skip the cutscene once the game has registered you utilizing one.

Played this game for 100+ hours, and just knew about this(if it's true).

I fucking love this game.

 

[FlashbladeGAF]

Played this game for 100+ hours, and just knew about this(if it's true).

I fucking love this game.

the game that keeps on giving.

EDIT: without even releasing DLC


ahh the good ol days!

 

[Jintor]

4. Gameplay - Before I delve into this topic, I should note that I played this on 360 with the game installed on the HDD. As a result, exploring different combos weren't really an option during the loading screens.

Hit select to enter practice mode during load screens.

 

[Retro_]

Glad you were able to enjoy the game overall

It's a nice change of pace to read someone's opinion who usually doesn't play this type of game.

3. Controls - Although the controls are managable overall, there are some choices made that I really don't understand. A big one is mapping the "lock-on" to RB/R1 and switching your weapons to LT/L2. By doing this, they essentially made locking onto a specific enemy useless because it's very difficult to dodge and lock-on at the same time. I feel like the game would be more enjoyable and it would open up a lot more options had the mapped the lock-on to LT/L2.

Yeah I agree with this.

I also didn't like the shoot function taking up a face button as it's an action that doesn't serve much of a purpose.(I always have Scarborough fair or Bazillions on one of my loadouts for the utility of keeping your combo with their offset and hold functions, which is pretty much the only use of the shoot button)

Really hoping PG games going forward start supporting control mapping.

The next problem is lolipops in and of themselves. The only way to get them is through the bonus levels, Ronin's shop or concoctions. It makes it seem like these items are rare, so I feel you aren't really encouraged to use them. It would be nice if these items were actually obtainable in the world. I'll get into this again later as well.

Well.....you are discouraged from using them. but not in the way you're suggesting.

They count as partial deaths on the result screen. The ultimate goal is to not rely on them as they take away from score.

 

[Effigenius]

Listening to Joystiq's podcast today about Bayonetta 2 made me realize I really need to play this game. Am I correct in remembering the 360 version is the superior version? It's funny because it's also only $9.99 at gamestop, while the PS3 version is $14.99, but I'll get whichever is the better version probably tomorrow when I pick up the Last of Us.

 

[Booshka]

Listening to Joystiq's podcast today about Bayonetta 2 made me realize I really need to play this game. Am I correct in remembering the 360 version is the superior version? It's funny because it's also only $9.99 at gamestop, while the PS3 version is $14.99, but I'll get whichever is the better version probably tomorrow when I pick up the Last of Us.

360 Version is the superior version. I have it but only played a bit of it. I liked it a lot, but somehow never gave it the time it deserves. I will rectify that this summer.

 

[nailbombxx]

Yes, the 360 is the superior version and the game is designed to be played with the 360 controller so it is perfectly calibrated to it.

On the topic of lock on, it is unnescessary most of the time, but it is useful in certain situations.

 

[Effigenius]

Awesome, thanks for the response! Picking up tomorrow...