Bayonetta (PS3/360)

[CMoon]

It seems completely playable to me. Unfortunately, the opening scene is the most problematic and the one all the reviewers honed in on. In other places, the game runs silky-smooth without a hiccup. All this business will be forgotten once people just start playing the damn game.

[agustusx]

Finally got this and I am enjoying it. As everyone has already mentioned its very over the top and silly entertainment. There are many things that happen that you want to see again just to make sure you saw it correctly.

Can't wait till I unlock some more weapons and such. I do wish the game had some sort of arena or endless combat mode where you could just keep beating on stuff non-stop. At least there isn't a bunch of finding keys and crap - there's no way that is as enjoyable as kicking an angel in the ass repetitively before decapitating them with a guillotine.

[EPS21]

It seems like all the other regions releases besides Japan's are region free. Are there dual-audio options in the US/Asia releases, or any other issues that should warrant getting the JP version over others?

[Cthulhu]

It seems like all the other regions releases besides Japan's are region free. Are there dual-audio options in the US/Asia releases, or any other issues that should warrant getting the JP version over others?

JP release has Japanese subs and English dialogue. I don't think there's any reason to buy it now.

Incidentally, the JP release being locked and the other versions, or at least the US version, being region free isn't uncommon for 360 games. Not really sure why they do this - if it were for price controls, it should be the other way (region free JP, locked other), as the Japanese releases are usually more expensive than those in other countries.

[EPS21]

Oh all the story and dialogue was voiced in English originally anyways? So I guess it doesn't matter at all then. Except for the cover art with dat ass of course.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Yeah, the JPN Bayonetta front cover artwork has that sexy ass alrighty...was it considered too risque for ESRB though not be featured unaltered Stateside? ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Kiken]

Oh all the story and dialogue was voiced in English originally anyways?

Yes. The game was immensely import-friendly.

[brentsg]

Man call me impatient but I hate long opening cinemas. I've turned it off twice already before playing. Once during the cinema, and once when they started spoonfeeding me on the buttons.

[CMoon]

Man call me impatient but I hate long opening cinemas. I've turned it off twice already before playing. Once during the cinema, and once when they started spoonfeeding me on the buttons.

The entire prologue level is subpar and could have been dropped from the game.

[Skykid]

Yeah, the JPN Bayonetta front cover artwork has that sexy ass alrighty...was it considered too risque for ESRB though not be featured unaltered Stateside? ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

Buy the Asian HK version and you get the ass and region free gaming.

[Warp_Rattler]

I don't really want to come in and poop on the parade, as lots of people seem to really be enjoying this game, but I really need to know if I'm the only person on the Intertubes totally turned off by Bayonetta's freakish character design. I'm not much of a third-person hack-and-slash fan anyways and the DMC series never quite clicked with me, but given the amount of positive press the gameplay has gotten I might have at least given the demo a shot had the character not been a combination of hideous supermodel aesthetics gone wrong and blatant fetish property appeal (ankle-breaking high heels, librarian glasses, beauty mark). Having various Western gaming media spend almost as much effort mentioning how 'hot' they find the titular character as on reporting about the game itself sealed the deal for me.

I'm honestly not trying to troll here, just curious if anyone else had my reaction or if I'm some sort of bizarre anomaly.

[system11]

I quite like the character but from some angles her proportions look very wrong.

[UnscathedFlyingObject]

I don't really want to come in and poop on the parade, as lots of people seem to really be enjoying this game, but I really need to know if I'm the only person on the Intertubes totally turned off by Bayonetta's freakish character design. I'm not much of a third-person hack-and-slash fan anyways and the DMC series never quite clicked with me, but given the amount of positive press the gameplay has gotten I might have at least given the demo a shot had the character not been a combination of hideous supermodel aesthetics gone wrong and blatant fetish property appeal (ankle-breaking high heels, librarian glasses, beauty mark). Having various Western gaming media spend almost as much effort mentioning how 'hot' they find the titular character as on reporting about the game itself sealed the deal for me.

I'm honestly not trying to troll here, just curious if anyone else had my reaction or if I'm some sort of bizarre anomaly.

I beat you to it like two months ago

Bayonetta is creepy.

[CMoon]

I'd say if you don't like DMC or God Hand, chances are this game won't do much for you. Also applies a bit to God of War, but that one has a little shallower game play and focus is more on moving the plot along, perhaps even story. If you aren't into that sort of thing, than this probably isn't going to be for you, period.

On the other hand, I personally think it is games like this that are the last bastion of 'arcade ideals' on modern consoles, but that still doesn't mean you're gonna like what it's doing.

[Cthulhu]

I'd say if you don't like DMC or God Hand, chances are this game won't do much for you. Also applies a bit to God of War, but that one has a little shallower game play and focus is more on moving the plot along, perhaps even story. If you aren't into that sort of thing, than this probably isn't going to be for you, period.

I'd like to think this game is good enough to reach out even if you're not a fan of the DMC series - although I guess I might be saying that because the only DMC that was really good was 1 (2 was pretty meh, 3 and 4 were decent but not amazing). Although it's well known here, God Hand is not a widely known game...

At any rate, I'm curious to see what sales will be.

[Damocles]

I rented it tonight and, so far, am digging it. The system seems solid and fairly deep. I do, however, have a few issues. The first is the damn camera. For a game so focused on dodging, it seems like it's always putting enemies behind the camera where I can't see attacks starting up. The second (bear in mind I'm only in Vigrid) is the useless running around. I understand the desire to tie the stages together, but running down streets and unlocking doors is pretty inane.

We'll see how it goes in the next five days.

[CMoon]

The second (bear in mind I'm only in Vigrid) is the useless running around. I understand the desire to tie the stages together, but running down streets and unlocking doors is pretty inane.

Actually much less running around (especially backtracking) than in the DMC games. Much less in the way of puzzle solving or find the key. It is mostly linear--go from point A to B and fight lots of enemies along the way.

[MX7]

This came out in the UK today, and I can confirm the PAL disc runs on a Japanese Xbox 360

I can't wait to spend some time with this game. I haven't got a triple A mainstream game on release day since the Playstation era

[kengou]

I've been playing it for a few hours now (PS3 version - which is just fine aside from some long loading times) and it is just totally off-the-wall nuts! Loving it!

Also, I'm really not a fan of Devil May Cry, although I loved God Hand. I think Bayonetta has more in common with God Hand with DMC in terms of the overall gameplay flow and insane style. Lots of split-second dodging and big combos, although she's certainly more mobile than the God Hand protagonist.

And yeah she has freakish character design. I'd hate to see anybody avoid this game ONLY due to that, because the gameplay is terrific.

[Cthulhu]

Actually much less running around (especially backtracking) than in the DMC games. Much less in the way of puzzle solving or find the key. It is mostly linear--go from point A to B and fight lots of enemies along the way.

There are quite a few events - mostly challenges - that you have to do some backtracking to do, but they're not necessary unless you want to be more of a completionist. Some of them are -REALLY- hard.

[CMoon]

Actually much less running around (especially backtracking) than in the DMC games. Much less in the way of puzzle solving or find the key. It is mostly linear--go from point A to B and fight lots of enemies along the way.

There are quite a few events - mostly challenges - that you have to do some backtracking to do, but they're not necessary unless you want to be more of a completionist. Some of them are -REALLY- hard.

Right, but note I said in reference to DMC. DMC3 in particular had you running all over the place, backtracking everywhere. I know there's some if you want to complete the alfheim challenges, but that's not even close to what we've seen in previous titles that were supposedly pure beat-em-ups.

[CMoon]

Also, I'm really not a fan of Devil May Cry, although I loved God Hand. I think Bayonetta has more in common with God Hand with DMC in terms of the overall gameplay flow and insane style. Lots of split-second dodging and big combos, although she's certainly more mobile than the God Hand protagonist.

This is the kind of thing I've been hoping to hear people say. I think in overall presentation, it LOOKS like DMC. The kind of power-ups you get, and in so many other ways, it superficially has the DMC feel. But then there's gameplay--and yes, I think the combat is a lot deeper than DMC. Of course, witch time hasn't been in any previous games short of viewtiful joe; so you might see this is a combination of a lot of ideas, all trying to look like DMC because that's the one franchise that has actually been popular.

[UnscathedFlyingObject]

DMC3 had the Quicksilver style which allows you to slow down time, so DMC has already done it.

[CMoon]

DMC3 had the Quicksilver style which allows you to slow down time, so DMC has already done it.

Right, but it wasn't really integrated into the gameplay so deeply or effectively. Actually, as I recall it was so costly to use that most gamers avoided it. I'd actually forgotten about it solely for that reason.

[UnscathedFlyingObject]

Light blue is also blue, of course.

[CMoon]

Even light blue is blue, of course.

Sorry, I forgot to get down on my knees and humbly apologize for my oversight.

The general take I'm getting from friends and other gamers playing the game is that this is integrating the whole 'bullet time' idea in a new way that is far more integral to game play than say VJ or DMC3. It is probably closer to the way scraping actually powered you up in Castle of Shikigami. Sure, scraping had been in games before, but probably never as well integrated as Shikigami or Psyvariar (where it actually made up the core gameplay.)

Have you actually played the game?

[UnscathedFlyingObject]

Hey, the concept is the same.

Gears of War might do cover mechanic better than kil.switch, but that doesn't make kill.switch less originator of the mechanic and nobody says that kill.switch doesn't have a cover mechanic. I pointed out that DMC also has the slow down mechanic and I was right. No point in debating that.

[system11]

I got it yesterday, finished today. What a fucking awesome game. However, I'd have docked a point from the reviews for one reason.

There's a tutorial level, a good idea. There's a moves list while loading, another good idea. However, the game really doesn't tell you much in the way of how to fight past a couple of moves and the dodge button. The things like timing on combos, enemy launching etc aren't covered, and neither are any of the extra weapons. End result is I found myself having not learned what I needed to, and falling back on button mashing most of the way through the game. Mashing gets you killed fast in some places, I estimate I burned around 70 continues, at least half of them to sections with those bloody claw enemies.

Having said that, the graphics are the best I've ever seen in a game, no contest, and I love the music and the action when I'm not mashing.

[CMoon]

I suspect your supposed to be going back to the early levels and messing around with new weapons. If you are clever, you can also go back to the gates of hell and infinitely practice against the dummy angel by 'trying out' different moves.

I've really slowed down my progress because I found myself in the same situation as you, mostly button mashing. On the other hand, PKP, PPPKKK and a few other combos pretty much stay the same (or similar) regardless of what weapon you are using.

[ArmoredCore]

i thikn the combat looks deeper but its tons easier to pull off than DMC4's dante. dante in dmc4 combos are as crazy as dmc games get, weapon switching into tons of combos is pretty hard in dmc4. dmc3 dante was pretty deep in combos too but not as hard to pull off crazy long combos like dmc4.