Bayonetta in 2024 - is it Still Good?
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- Опубликовано: 14 янв 2024
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Whenever you think of the modern action game a few faces might immediately spring to mind. There’s the pizza-loving demon hunter, a cold and calculated ninja, and the ruthless god killer on a quest for vengeance. While this kind of action game was super prevalent back in the 2000s, around the 2010’s this style of game was sort of dying out as shooters dominated the market. If you think the oversaturation of open-world games is bad now, then you should’ve been around when it seemed as though every other game released was some gritty realistic first-person shooter with short campaigns and a tacked-on multiplayer mode. However, during those dark times, there was a beacon of hope. A company that was willing to go against the grain of current trends and craft something with deep mechanics, hard-as-nails gameplay, and a hell of a lot of personality.
Bayonetta was developed by Platinum Games and released all the way back in 2009 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The main mind behind this project is none other than Hideki Kamiya. While he’s garnered himself a rather infamous reputation in recent years, this guy has always been an industry legend. He directed games like the original Resident Evil 2, Viewtiful Joe, and of course, the original Devil May Cry. If the first DMC was the pioneer in the 3d action genre, then Bayonetta can be seen as a natural evolution of that original concept. These two games have a lot in common with each other, so much so that people like to view the Bayonetta games as sort of a sister series to Devil May Cry. Both are technical action games with a large emphasis on showing off your skills. While there is a lot that ultimately separates the two to create a distinct experience, it’s not hard to see that these two titles were cut from the same cloth. The Bayonetta series has currently spawned three main titles and one spinoff entry. This series has evolved a lot over the years, so much so that the original game stands out as an anomaly when stacked side by side with the sequels. As a result, this game isn’t talked about as much outside of the hardcore sphere. Which is a shame because Bayonetta 1, despite its faults, is a game that has a whole lot to offer. So in today’s video, we’re going to be looking at the original Bayonetta 15 years later.
Bayonetta 15 Years Later. Bayonetta is a legendary game and in this Bayonetta Review, Bayonetta Analysis, Bayonetta Critique, I'm going to be reviewing Bayonetta so we can find out What made Bayonetta so Great? In this Bayonetta Retrospective, we'll discuss what made Bayonetta so Great and why people still care so much about Bayonetta. This Bayonetta Review will be using the Bayonetta PC port and not the Bayonetta Switch port. Both versions are the same however so there is nothing exlcusive to the switch version. Whenever I talk about Bayonetta 2 will the switch versions matter but that's a story for another day. This is the first part of an ongoing Bayonetta Retrospective so let's find out What made Bayonetta so Great in 2024. Made by Nam's Compendium 
Игры
Like this video for a pure platinum medal
I wish this game taught me how to play it...
real
@@tomato5049
Experiment you poopoo head, use everything given to you. •w•
You ding dong.
I mean, I like the series purely because of Bayonetta herself. I just love her unfiltered confidence and boldness. Homegirl could make waiting in line at the dmv entertaining
That's why I got Bayonetta origins despite not liking that genre of game
Edit. It seems most people who have played Bayonetta are just focused on the combat, but the RUclips algorithm has shown it to the more story-cinematics oriented fans.
Bayonetta is an overrated character to an certain extent. She was great in the first game. But, in 2, she was badly written. And in 3, she was terrible. The combat in the 1st game is the best aspect of that game to me. Not the over sexualized female character you play as.
@@TheKareem1212 I choose to believe that bayo 3 didn't happen since the ending was horrible and betrayed her character. I know she's a bayo from a different timelime but that's no excuse
@@TheKareem1212 I think she's great in all 4 games and has never been over sexualised ❤️
@@jethiliusavalar6449 I think the ending was brilliant. I cried happy tears when Bayo 1 and 2 showed up even more than the ending of NieR Automata. I consider B3 and N:A my two favourite game endings ❤️
I've yet to meet someone who understands the Bayonetta 3 story, and dislikes the Bayonetta 3 ending at the same time. There are a lot of details to be analysed. ❤️
The ending of Bayonetta 1 is far more over the top, science defying, laws of physics defying, and insane ❤️
Personally,I quite liked the presentation of the lesser cutscenes.
Those still images with a film grain filter on top and having movie reel transitions from one shot to the next gave Bayonetta a unique style and charisma I haven't felt in any other game in that way.
I like it better when it is implemented like in Bayo 3 where those still shots are used sparingly as an actual stylistic device, mixed in with occasional cutscenes that are animated but overlaid with the filter and clock frame motif, but mostly actual cutscenes.
While I don't necessarily loathe seeing the majority still Bayo 1 cutscenes, it would be simply untrue to say that they're being used deliberately (as it has been stated that they were used due to budget and/or time constraints).
But overall, I sort of agree with you and I'm happy that they used this stylisation more deliberately in Bayo 2 and 3 :)
I absolutely hated the Bayo 2 stills. WHY IS IT ONLY A QUARTER OF THE SCREEN. Just give us a full screen view of the scene damn it!
the sound effect that happens before witch time starts is like the best video game mechanic ever imo, that combined with bayonetta saying “GOTCHA” or “soo close” is like the game verbally rewarding ur risk taking.
Honestly, I think the company's goal was for people to have fun and lore came 2nd. They succeeded
For me is the opposite. Yes I love the game because is fun to play, but these characters are so interesting, I want to know more of them. Which is why I hated the 3rd game because the lore is trash, even for Bayonetta standards. I would be more than happy with a more toned down story that is actually well written.
@@Bane_AmestaI agree I had a lot of problems with the story and gameplay. Making there be infinite bayonettas make her less special and that god awful ending. Bayo 2 is a game I still play today. As a matter of fact I’m running through a pure platinum run with Rosa
I may not like all those hidden missions and not doing so hot with ranks, but the Angels of Paradiso are still my favorite enemy designs of any game ever.
They are certainly quite unique and inspired, especially for the genre. I quite like my Darksiders angels, but Bayonetta went very in-depth with their hierarchy, what they represent, and general designs.
I find them more interesting than the main character herself, to be honest.
They remind me of the Angels from Neon Genesis Evangelion 😅
I’m specifically talking about the ones from End Of Evangelion that tear apart Asuka’s EVA limb from limb😬
For me playing it as a 12 year gay boy in 2009, it was her sexual empowerment, amazing design, and great one liners. She literally gave me a confidence I didn’t know I could have. To be sure of yourself in an unsure world. Bayonetta is THAT girl
THAT part!
PERIOD
I'm curious why you clicked with a straight woman, as a gay boy. I don't understand why she appeals to gay males and would like to know. ❤
omg same here !! queer woman but i instantly clicked with her for this reason!!!
@@thun7707 I don't understand the connection between Cereza's personality and being queer. I'm straight and love her ❤️
I'd love to hear your thoughts on Bayo 2 and 3. I think a lot of people overlook the problems of 2 and the achievements of 3 by focusing too much on surface level stuff or by disregarding some mechanics without trying to go deeper into them and I think you could do the games justice.
Bayo 1 is one of my favorite games of all time, despite some of its annoying flaws. And yeah idgaf about pure plats, those Alfheim challenges and setpieces aren't fair at all lmao
I've seen a number of people mention issue with the Wicked Weave(?) in Bayonetta 2 over the years. I'm not a big fan of the series myself (i'm more about Darksiders and Soulstice, upcoming Genokids also looks interesting and i'd count No Straight Roads as well to a degree), but at one point i still wanted to see what the fuss for the series was about and there is a fair bit to discover, both on the good and bad. Didn't become as beloved as it was for no reason.
Would be very interested to see in-depth thoughts on stuff like combat mechanics, weapons, and enemy and boss designs across this series. Could prove useful or at least interesting advice for others who are trying to make games in this genre.
If i may ask, what are some of the flaws of Bayonetta 1 for you? I know that the QTE's aren't that well-liked and from what i remember there's structural problems with the chapters, if i'm not mistaken. (like there not being an easy way to replay a battle).
@@jurtheorc8117 Are you a game dev? If so i think you would like Matthewmatosis's coverage of the franchise. He has some of the best insight about Bayonetta in this platform and you will definitely learn one or two things (he is kind of a game dev too).
@@Teybort Not a game dev, but i have interest in this genre as a whole and i do want to pursue video game projects. I'm more of an ideas, stories and drawings guy than one who fully understands coding and programming though, so i want to broaden my understanding on the subject.
I think i watched a video of his where he explained about and showcased Bayonetta design elements some years ago, though my head wasn't fully in it. Some things went over my head. If i were to rewatch it i hope i can keep my head at it better in understanding the info and letting it sink in.
Thank you very much for taking the time to reach out and recommend something that may be of help!
completely agree and would love to see nami cover it too! while there’s some stuff in this video i think he was pretty personally harsh on, i myself don’t know how much better the style system is to perfect in DMC compared to bayo
i’m glad he really delve into this game’s mechanics like i feel many dont, so id be interested to see his opinions on the sequels
I think myself as a Bayonetta fan, but with that I do mean the first game, not the whole series: Bayo 1 was the game I got my first platinum trophy and finished 100%, but second one was a bit disappointment with mainstreamed and not-so-odd design choices. Third one I just didn't enjoy much at all.
Heck, I'd even say Bayonetta isn't even my favorite character in the series, but Jeanne (the Bayo 1 version of course).
I first played Bayonetta 1 when I was 10 years old and later that month Bayonetta 2 came out and I couldn’t be happier as a kid. It was my first “hardcore” video game as before all I played was Mario. Still my favorite video game ever amazing action game platinumed the whole game.
Something I find interesting is that dodge offset is also in Metal Gear Rising, and *dramatically* increases the viability of Raiden's longer combos, especially with the katana, yet I've literally never seen anyone in the many RUclips essays about MGR mention it.
unfortunately not many combo junkie gamers like nam here cover rising’s gameplay seriously like that outside of maybe foxcade
it’s also MGR’s only real tech to be found in that game
@@esteboi3858 There is Blade Mode canceling as well, but yeah, that's about it. Just something I hadn't thought about until Nam brought up Dodge Offset.
I played MGR:R as something of a Bayonetta veteran, but I could genuinely never tell if Raiden's combos mattered at all - they all flow incredibly smoothly and seem to deal similar amounts of damage - I would honestly just spam kicks. It doesn't help that parries are the strongest thing in his arsenal...
That's like reviewing Minecraft without talking about mining. ❤
5:34 you haven't gone deep enough down the rabbit hole of the story! ❤
Plus, the fact Cereza was only brought forward in time because of Balder sacrificing himself at the end of 2, and therefore gets sent back in time again with the confidence to never give up so she doesn't get sealed away by Jeanne, awakens the left eye in all Bayonettas in the multiverse, leading to the protection of the entire multiverse from Singularity in the third game. Aesir inadvertently saved the entire multiverse by possessing Balder to try and revive Jubileus.
It is supposed to be overwhelming. You're meant to play the game multiple times to understand it. The second I finished it, I started it again and watched every cutscene again, noticing dozens of things I missed, making more sense of the story. ❤
I remember my friend showing me how to do dodge offset. Pulling it off and finishing a combo and being rewarded with Witch Time felt super satisfying. It's wild many action games didn't think of doing something similar at the time. Didn't dig deep to the whole system, but Bayonetta 1 has seriously good combat.
Bayonetta was good cause it focused on combat that wasnt blocked out by onscreen effects, now the new one has you transform into godzilla and all your combos block your screen, its about flashy lights not flashy moves anymore.
as someone who has never played bayonetta before, and finished it just a week ago, bayonetta is now my favourite game, havent played the 2 and 3 yet, (still finding an emulator to play it on pc) but goddamn the humor mixed with silly stuff and adult humor was the best, also bayonetta's voice actress killed it, she did amazing
i think going for pure platinum trophies through every chapter in BOTH games permanently rewired my brain chemistry and gave me OCD. it's always the damage that gets me.
As someone who put down thousands of hours into this franchise, with 400 hours for Bayonetta 1 on Steam alone, I get where you are coming from with the frustration of going for Pure Platinums. The alfheims, the missable verses, the whole "make one mistake and your entire run is tarnished" kind of thing. These bits are the worst and while I've played the game enough times to see it all coming a mile away and get through it with no issues whatsoever, I know the pain of seeing all your hard work come crashing down at the very end. That's why we all just collectively use the "Quit to Title Screen and Hit Continue" trick, as it is the only way you can get another shot at a Pure Plat if you make a tiny mistake somewhere and don't want to start it all over again. That can all be rectified if PlatinumGames would simply allow a retry option in place of us "cheating" the system, which they'd eventually do for Bayonetta 3. Well, it's less a retry, and more a "death is a slap on the wrist" option, since deaths have no penalties in that game.
Great video overall! Happy to see others speak highly on the game's combat. I'd love to make a video discussing about the game's technical aspect on the combat myself since I've spent years dedicating myself to discovering all the little cool techs you can pull off in the first game.
I Pure Platinum'd Bayonetta on the hardest difficulty with only the handguns, one arm tied behind my back while my wife's boyfriend called me mean names, it's simply a skill issue 😎
Jokes aside though I think this game could see a massive improvement by having its rankings just center around a point system, that way it can give leeway in specific aspects like time and damage by having you make up the difference in other aspects, like combos or damage dealt, still allowing for that test of skill but not spitting at you when you aren't the perfect player.
And of course making it so you don't get butt-fucked by things outside of combat would also be pretty kino lol.
Great vid chief!
I would agree with you if the game didn't let you to quit out to the main menu and try a verse again if you mess up the pure platinum. That way getting pure platinum chapter ranks doesn't require constant perfection but is still quite difficult. The QTEs are horrendous, though.
I haven't played Bayonetta nor have i watched the video yet, so i don't know quite how the ranking system in Bayonetta works, but late 2022 saw a game by name of Soulstice getting released that is in this same genre. A dev quote stated that they want to become like a European or Italian PlatinumGames and there's a good bit of inspiration from other games in the genre, including Bayonetta with its style of ranking.
Every battle only ever ranks you on three things:
- Damage taken
- How much time it took
- Combo Score.
There's an extensive bestiary and encyclopedia that you can open up in the pause menu with sections on the individual enemies, weapons, locations, characters, and also score modifiers for if you want to replay a battle (which can be done quite easily by restarting from a checkpoint, even after you finished the battle) and do it stylishly
Stuff as simple as using the flagellation whip as a grappling hook helps cranking up the combo score.
An update that released about nine months later also added a customizable training room.
Just over twenty different enemies, really good bosses, and doesn't have quick time events either. Well, one, but it only ever appears if you activate the Rapture Form --essentially the Devil Trigger-- when under a certain health treshold.
The game does interesting things with combining a Style Meter with a Special Meter too.
Soulstice is a game with its own issues, such as pacing and camera at times, but it's a very solid new entry into the character action genre.
There are actually multiple videos of people pure platinuming the entire game with only the handguns Ebony & Ivory. ❤
Your wife’s boyfriend?! Don’t you just mean YOU?
@@wayverleesoulsongNo, that would be his wife’s husband
The shotguns are good because they briefly stun enemies. Use them for grace and glory.
I remember seeing somewhere probably an interview that in bayonetta 1 the battles and scenes they wanted to happen were thought of first and the story was written for those things to happen and I love that 😂
Pretty in-depth analysis. You're right that the mechanics are supreme. Dodge offsets are one of the most important elements ever conceived in this genre. They pretty much solve all the innate problems of the action genre. There are some questionable encounters, and lackluster boss fights which kind of betray the main philosophy, but Bayonetta is a lot closer to a true masterpiece than most mainstream games labeled as such. The strive for perfect platinum is not dishonorable when you consider how watered down Platinum's games got after this game.
shoutout to the infamous ps3 port, i am suprised you didn't mention it lol
Loved this retrospect
Keep it up!! Waiting for the review/revisiting to Bayonetta 2!!❤
Great video, Nam!
This reminded me of why I never finished Bayonetta. It felt like DMC with a sprinkling of Dragon's Lair.
The character and world-building concepts alone are enough to still consider myself a fan; I only own 2 Amibo, and she's one of them (the other is the Diablo 3 Loot Goblin).
I played through both Bayonetta 1 and 2 and for someone who hates thirstrap games or anything of the sort i had a ton of fun with thise games, the gameplay is just so satisfying to me
The insta death you spoke about drove me nuts. It happens at two points where it is infuriating. (The other being when you're fighting in a moving stage and your thrown into the air and have a QT to avoid a fire ball).
For people new to the game(or people who never really experimented with the accessories) I’d recommend going for the Moon of Mahaa-Kalaa(parry accessory) as soon as you can afford to. Parries usually aren’t that hard to time plus if you can land a perfect parry you activate witch time. The advantage to a perfect parry witch time is that it lasts longer than a dodge activated one, which has its benefits for obvious reasons. Perfect parries also activate witch time on attacks that wouldn’t have activated through dodging/bat within. On top of all that you get magic back(up to 3 orbs) and health( the amount damage the attack would have done+100 off top). I’d argue that that this accessory opens up the combat a lot more and greatly helps in pure plat runs.
I love the fire claws explosions and the accessory that leaves behind bombs can be useful in infinite climax.
You mean the durgas? I love those weapons as well especially the accessory that comes with it.
I had the same platinum problem with The Wonderfull 101. Fantastic game, but go the extra mile to unlock some hidden chaeacters is such a pain...
Great video homie.
I actually just started playing this game for the first time today and have been having a ton of fun. Wanted to see how some others felt about it via release reviews and retrospective style reviews and this one pretty much nailed my sentiment for the game so far without spoilers :)
Simply Dad made a devil may cry video, Nam's Compendium makes a Bayonetta Video. Now this is epic
Your complaints about the ranking system are very understandable. I personally don’t have as much of a problem with it in 1, despite how annoying it is to Pure Platinum some levels, mostly the gimmicky ones. (BTW, most verses you can exit out of the game mid fight if you get hit and when you relaunch it you’ll be put just a little before that verse.)
Now, aside from getting ranked on sections that aren’t tied to the main gameplay like that excruciatingly long space carrier bit, I find the verse ranking in Bayonetta 1 decently fair. Even the not getting hit requirement can be mitigated with the butterflies.
HOWEVER, Bayo 3 and especially 2 are so so SO much more frustrating in this regard, which makes me want to replay them less that 1.
3 introduced being able to replay levels from specific verses and being able to individually update verse scores, which is a huge improvement, but then gave a gimmick verse every other level, which just got irritating over time. Meanwhile, 2’s grading is just ass. The combo score required for a platinum is often too high and the timer is ruthless. It forces you to enter a verse and clear everything in 10 seconds with the strongest attack you have and it’s so frustratingly unfun, coupled with the enemies having more HP on average. 2 has probably the largest weapon variety of the 3 games and you can’t use any of it because to get a pure plat on a verse you need to literally enter the battle and explode. (Only time I’ve enjoyed the game was after I unlocked Rosa.)
Soulstice from late 2022 employs a very similar grading system to Bayonetta 1, but there's not a single gimmick level. Closest to "gimmick" levels are the boss fights, which are all fought as individual chapters, and Chapter... 21 i believe it was, which takes place on an elevator.
There's hidden encounters and challenges too. The challenges of which can be replayed on their own from the main menu once you've found them the first time.
Also the two chases in Chapter 23 or something. Both of them are more so just a timer of 10 and 8 minutes. Not people's most beloved part of it and a final jump missed can cause for ten, twelve or so seconds of lost time, but i thought it was alright enough/not too bad.
Helps that there's invisible walls, so there's never actually risk of falling into a pit.
Game's got its rough and divisive spots, but it does have a *lot* to offer. Now that i know that Bayonetta has a thing where a bit of magic gets lost if you get hit, i see a stronger resemblance in the Soulstice devs' design decision with their own "Magic meter" which doubles as a Style Meter of sorts.
Tone is also more in line with Darksiders than Bayo.
Soulstice well worth looking into. Like i said, it has a lot on offer and potential for even more, so i hope to make more people aware of it to give it a chance, and hopefully that support will help the dev studio for the future.
Exactly… it’s so frustrating
I was a year in the game until I learned about dodge offset, it was the game changer.
the very short answer is yes. yes it absolutely is. ❣
i need to re play this game, great video God bless!
I love all three games. Bayonetta 2 is a perfect game imo, but the 3rd entry is also a top 15 favorite of mine.
NICE VIDEO BRO S2
Yes. It is timelessly good. One of the greatest stylish action games of all time.
hey nam, bayo 1 is one of my favorite games so seeing you covering it and really giving it the time of day with its mechanics and story is something i really respect. and how you talk about the game and play it speaks to someone who’s spent a few many hours in that game
i’m glad someone finally kinda went into the story and realized how much worldbuilding there actually weirdly is in that first game! there’s a lot of ideas and some might work for others, what i wish you went into more concerning the story was bayonetta herself because in this first game i think she’s unironically a pretty well rounded written character with a good arc realizing she doesn’t have to be alone in this world and discovering her past again. bayonetta carries her own first game which is something you pointed out and i think many can agree with
your criticisms of the gameplay and style meter are very fair but if i’m being honest the in depth exploration of the style meter is something i think the average gamer playing this game is something they wouldn’t care about nearly as much as people like us do. i think it would’ve been better if you spent some time talking about the enemies of the game and their ups and downs of variety since that’s a topic i see many people go into when discussing this game and it’s a big element of the game that matters more to the average than the style meter
solid video otherwise! despite the harshness in some areas but as much as i love it i realize bayo 1 can be rough
I'd be up for more in-depth looks at individual enemies and their ups and downs as well. Even at intricate detail, regarding movesets, behaviours, how they react etc.
I'm saying this as someone who actually isn't that big of a fan of Bayonetta-- heck, i find the Angels of Paradiso and surrounding lore more interesting than the main character and super over-the-top presentation. But the game didn't gain a loving following for nothing, so i'm curious to see more in-depth dissections and analyses of individual elements of the combat.
That, and one of my favourite character action games in recent years, Soulstice (from late 2022) has some influences from Bayonetta and other games in the genre (Ranking system and a "magic" charge going away if you get hit).
Similar to your comment's closing statement, while i know it can be rough i dearly love it, and it has a lot to offer.
So i hope it will gain more attention, feedback (both praise and criticism) and support, and that the devs can make the most of the potential they carry for the future.
This dude got a sponsor/ad that wasnt some garbage commodity or raid shadow speds. Holy shit. Color me impressed...
Ooooh so that's what Dodge Offset does! I feel so stupid now 😂 you've opened up a whole new way to play
This video was really good, I was all ears for the full duration of it. I just started getting into the action genre after playing only souls games for a while, and it's a blast and such a nice change of pace. Bayonetta was the first I played and I loved it, but I agree fully with your critiques of the grading system (also FUCK those quick time events). But overall it was a great game and this was a great video!
If i may ask, what other games in the character action/hack-and-slash/spectacle fighter are you interested in?
(you'll find that people can get divided on whatever term is right?
There's a lot to choose from, all with their own ups, downs, and other aspects that may appeal more to certain people than other people. From the two codifiers of the genre with Devil May Cry and God of War, to stuff like Darksiders and Heavenly Sword, to more recent newcomers like Soulstice and Hi-Fi Rush to the pretty obscure like Knight's Contract and Marlow Briggs & The Mask of Death.
@@jurtheorc8117 Currently I'm halfway through Devil May Cry. In my backlog I have the god of war series (excluding 2018 and Ragnarok), the rest of the DMC games, Metal Gear Rising, Heavenly Sword, Dante's Inferno, Castevania: Lord of Shadow (idk if that one counts) and of course the rest of the Bayonetta series. I might also look into Ninja Gaiden once I'm a more advanced player since I heard it's really hard.
@@jurtheorc8117 I'm also looking forward to Stellar Blade once it comes out, and I'll keep in mind the games you suggested so thank you for replying to my comment!
@@meru2695 Yo *dude* that's already quite an extensive list! Sweet going, and wish you a lot of fun on all of them as well as your experiences in the genre as a whole!
A note on Heavenly Sword: As a PS3 debut release, it has some segments involving steering a projectile with the SIXAXIS motion feature. Be sure to turn that off in the pause menu.
Those segments don't really do the game any favours, but it's an alright game with *great* performances and a good story to it.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 1 and 2 definitely count in my book. Though a lot of people would probably say it's more Lord of Shadows than Castlevania.
They're both pretty long and LoS2 is generally more disliked than 1, but it builds a lot upon the combat of 1 and does have a lot to love as well.
Good call regarding Ninja Gaiden. I haven't actually ever played any of those games myself but they didn't get their reputation for nothing. There's also a good deal of differences between *versions* of Ninja Gaiden-- for all three games. (original releases vs later releases).
Stellar Blade i'm not familiar with, may have to look that one up. Thank you for the recommendation back!
But recommendations don't end there :P You may have heard of Hi-Fi Rush, and there's two upcoming games in the genre called Genokids and Enenra. Gori: Cuddly Carnage i *slightly* count.
Oooh, and for a 2D venture, can heavily recommend The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile. A pretty short game with two characters, who both essentially follow the same campaign but have different arsenals. It's the only game where you get to use a giant syringe and giant scissors as weapons.
Funnily enough, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown seems like a good candidate for pretty in-depth character action type combat even though it's mainly a Metroidvania.
Again, wish you fun on all the games and your experience within the genre, and thank you in turn for replying as well!
@@jurtheorc8117 No problem man, thank you for the suggestions and tips! I'll keep those in mind (I'm especially interested in using scissors and syringes as weapons!)
I'm sorry if I missed it, but did you ever play on higher difficulties? Seems weird to not mention how many fights change on hard or that there's no free Witch Time on Infinite Climax.
Love the video! Your criticisms of Bayo 1's reminded me how much I liked Platinum's other games, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and Wonderful 101.
However, I'd have to agree with the "fun diversions" in chase sequences or random schmup sections more interrupted what I wanted to play, the slick combat.
Even a casual playthrough for those games, that didn't hunt for pure platinums, made the overall experience more shaky than it really felt. Mashing a button in a spaceship and falling too much in chase sequences is not fun.
It was to the point it feels like someone at Platinum saw DMC1's random schmup and swimming sections, thought it was a good idea, and wanted to add more random stuff, rather than focus on playing with the combat.
I just recently played through all the Bayonettas except the first one where im at the last level but farming some items since golden enemies there are a b- to fight.
I must say it's awesome and now it's also easier to get by: first part works on the steam deck, second part is on Wii u (also runs on the deck) and switch (doesn't run as good on the deck). Third part is switch only but is sold for a lower price. So i'd say yes go for it.
And they made some quality of life improvements for the second and third parts which made playing it just flowing better without making it easier.
Like falling off somewhere in the first part counted as a death which sucked. But it doesn't in 2 + 3.
i did NOT expect that sponsorship
Bayonetta is a fantastic game and the cutscenes are wild and fun.
I really appreciate that someone else hit on a lot of the stuff that I got so many Dislikes for, in my video on the game a few years ago, lol. It's a game with a great foundation, but it just LOVES to undermine that foundation every step of the way.
One thing you didn't really touch on in particular, that also bothered me (which ties into the ranking system issues) is the quicktime events. They can be unforgivingly brutal to do perfectly, and having them come up constantly, with inconsistent prompts (seriously... pay attention to every time a quicktime event asks you to jump, and how many different button combos it gives to you for that same action), and sometimes lead to instant death while other times they don't... it's just really frustrating.
Then you combine that with the fact that they're the central design conceit of Torture Attacks, and I just wish the ports to modern systems allowed you to turn QTE's off, or change them to button holds, or something. I would be completely fine putting up with the rest of the game's very rough edges, because I like the unique core mechanical identity of the combat. I even went out of my way for my video to get the Platinum Trophy (the... PSN Plat, lol). But the quicktime events always push me far away from installing it again. Doubly so because at this point... I'm not interested in losing ANOTHER controller to drift, because games like this expect me to twirl my sticks in circles so quickly that it starts a fire, lol.
I'm curious if the PC version has a mod to remove the QTE's, but at the same time, I'm just not sure I care considering the fact that they had the opportunity to rectify the issue multiple times, and never have. Even just for the fact that it's an accessibility nightmare.
Man what a sponsored ad. I actually don't mind this ad. Great video btw!
Umm, perhaps it’s because I’ve been playing Bayonetta 1 for a few years now, but I disagree with the sentiment for the scoring system.
I think it’s actually a lot more generous compared to something like the Wonderful 101. Hell, it’s something that even the sequels don’t get right either.
Bayo 2 has the strictest time requirement out of the 3 because Umbran Climax as an ability trivializes almost all the enemies.
Bayo 3 on the other hand has a large emphasis on Demon Slave and incorporating them into the combat, which is why the timing requirement is kind of strict.
However, that game is still relatively new, so there’s bound to be new techs discovered down the line which makes PPing more bearable and easier.
In fact, what I do know is that mastering Demon Slave and using Torture Attacks is very important. If you know how to use Demons correctly and when to fight as Cereza, PPs become less of a problem. I just think the reason why this games ranking system is dogged on is because people try to PP it like its B1 instead of treating it like its B3.
Bayonetta video from my SMT guy??? Yay!
Bayonetta truly is a great game and so far it's the only game I've ever beat on every single difficulty because the combat is so fun. Especially on Umbra Climax difficulty dodge offset is truly important since witch time is disabled.
just got this a few weeks ago on series s on $10 special and it's brilliant. graphics is not as outdated as I would have thought and it's hell of a lot of fun. they just don't make them like they used to. thinking about buying a switch just to play the sequels.
Ahhhh Bayo content~ I stumbled on this series by chance. Came up on a copy and thought the cover art was cool and it was on sale and went....yeah I wanna try this. And I absolutely loved it and haven't stopped playing to this day. Bayonetta 1, while I'm not the greatest at it, left such a impression on me. The combat was challenging but becoming better at it always gave me a rush, the story while nonsensical was a fun ride for me to follow, Bayonetta herself was a badass witch who could kick ass while looking beautiful as hell, and overall I couldn't put the game down. But the thing that gets me the most when revisting the first bayo game is the quick time events. Like yo that shit on the first playthrough was straight up unfair, or if you happen to forget one when coming back to it. And they're all insta-kills if you don't react fast enough meaning any run can be totally trashed because the game's ranking system punishes deaths and item usage so harshly. Any of the random set pieces like the missile chase scene, the motorcycle level (ngl that ones a blast), and everything else I can role with but it's the quick time that always gets me.
Anyways great video, amazing work as usual
Something that bears mentioning is that a lot of mechanics that went on to be used in Bayonetta Platinum games had already tried out in Mad World.
In that game, Jack Cayman already had similar moves, from his heavy and light attack combos, to his own "torture attacks", to unique interactions with the world and enemies. You can even find the logo of Rodin's bar in the first chapter of the game on a subway wall.
I think that game should also be given some recognition as its not only Platinum's debut game, but also the one that paved the way for the Platinum style of gameplay and world, but was forgotten as it was a Wii exclusive with no PC or console ports, unlike Bayonetta or Platinum's other games.
sweet to see some love for Madworld out here.
I think when you talked about balder being dropped on the game out of no where, you missed out that he has dialogue to bayonetta throughout the entire game through a voice in her head which she doesnt know where it comes from. so really he is introduced since near the very beginning and comes up a few times before hes introduced as a actual character.
also you know that if youre about to die or if you get hit, you can just exit to the menu and then press continue and it will just restart from the beginning of the verse you were last in? you have a chance to fix taking damage or if youre about to fall off...
I can confirm I played this game over 50 times and I had no idea dogde offset existed until today.
I just bought this game earlier today, off of the memories that this game made of the… wonderful plot
28 minutes in and the only truly bad thing is "if you like minmaxing your rank this game can be very frustrating"
im just here to vibe and do combos god damn it im sold
2:00 Playing the series, starting with Bayonetta 1 now
It hasn't happened yet but I feel left out since Kamiya has yet to block me on X. I would wear it as badge of honor.
I didn't appreciate or understand Bayonetta when I was younger since I grew up with shooters. But now I think it is an amazing character action game. While there is a story the most appealing aspect of the game is the characters and the gameplay. Hearing that pure platinum jingle is so satisfying. It's a game I always strive to do better.
I sure hope so i just got it with humble bundle
The enjoyment of the ranking system and desire to master the game really work in tandem with the higher difficulties, especially the highest. It's unusual that you went for pure platinums before finishing the highest difficulty. If you play the difficulties in order, the game keeps up with you as you learn, giving you more to improve on. If you finish but still want to really master it, you go back and try pure plat now that you've now learned the ins and outs of every chapter.
I can't blame you too much since the game never guides you through this, and the set pieces are there. But you clearly put a lot of effort into giving the deeper side of the game a shot, so you owe it to yourself to do it the right way!
A fairly recent game in this genre by name of Soulstice employs a very similar ranking system. A game with its owns ups, downs, interesting things, and a lot to offer. Generally a solid time with potential for more, so i want to spread word of it.
Not this video teaching me that you can spin enemies around with the whip 😭. How do you do that anyway? Do you like, grapple them, then spin around the stick?
Sweaty nerd here. I found it very fun to pure platinum Bayo but you're absolutely correct that the ranking is so strict that it confines options. Going for a Platinum is the freeform part akin to DMC, flexing your toolkit and trying to get the best score you can. Going for the Pure Platinum has you switching your brain into Castlevania mode where you memorize the level, optimize accessories for each fight, plan your angel weapons accordingly, and chain angel attacks so you always have extra magic. PP is about exploiting all of the game systems to achieve the desired result as easily/consistently as possible (and it's nigh impossible without the Bracelet of Time). It is fun, it's just a wildly different experience from regular play or gameplay you'd find in other action games. And it does feel like it undermines the expansive move set somewhat because it's not about being able to flex it, it's about knowing it well enough to choose the right moves. I'd say PP Bayo is about finding needles in a haystack, which is fun, but not as immediately fun as....being thrown into a stack of needles....metaphor kinda fell apart there. You get it.
I think its not that bad. I do not consider myself specially good at this kind of games, but anyways I never felt bad with getting "only" a gold trophy in a stage after practicing multiple times. I also learnt about dodge offset quite late in the game, to top it off.
I totally agree on the questionable decisions, of requiiring Alpheim challenges for pure platinum for example. I can totally relate to that. And also about how frustrating is to die like on your pure platinum challenge. However, that is the same reason why I ignore achievements on almost every game. I just do them if I find them fun, I am like 15 years too old for the bragging rights. I also totally agree with you regarding the lack of indication for some of the optional verses of a chapter, that is huge drawback even on a casual playtrough.
If you like experimenting in every single fight, you totally can! The game does not punish you for it. The only thing punishing you for that are your own expectations. Your point is totally valid, but since only bragging rights are involved, I understand the game ask for absolute perfection.
Thank you for the video, and keep up the awesome work.
I'm playing it now...
It holds up...
Tbh Bayonetta 1 Is a timeless masterpiece. I love it ever since I discovered it on... 2012, I believe. I was about 13 or 14 years old I think, yet I could appreciate all the cinematics, characters and gameplay. Very empowering, confident and bold, I don't think there's anything that can match the personality of Bayonetta 1 from that time. I loved every single part of it and still have replayed it every once in a while. Bayo herself is rather fun and I loved how powerful she seems while battling everything and even mocking her enemies quite often lol.
I can agree with the scoring being somewhat unfair at times. Sometimes the combo score or time scores were rather punishing even if you did well enough xd.
That said, I never managed to beat the Lost Chapter. Non-stop climax is really unforgiving x_x. I think that's probably the most prominent design flaw - the game prepares you to use Witch Time from start to finish but takes that fundamental mechanic away on the hardest difficulty. Still, some people like it and despite everything it isn't needed to enjoy the experience, except for those who want to get every achievement I suppose.
Bayonetta 2 might have a flaw or two in the combat system, but the story is rather nice and enjoyable, if simple, and sets up a weird time loop from 2 to 1, interestingly enough lol. I liked it a lot, design wise. Very varied and nuanced enemies, too. And it definitely has the better graphics and color scheme between all 3 games. Iirc, people were complaining about the ease of gameplay in comparison to 1 because you could abuse lollipops without consequence to your scoring, being able to pure platinum everything but Muspelheim stuff.
Bayonetta 3 on the other hand has the better combat in comparison to two. That cannot be argued against, and it did manage to create a lot of beautiful and amazing things out of what they had at the time. Viola is nice. The combat is absolutely amazing. But, otherwise, it throws away all the worldbuilding crafted in the previous games to the trash.
I... honestly don't know what they were thinking. Bland enemy design, suddenly everyone is powerless at random times (like, let's ignore witches are able to dodge bullets at point blank ever since Bayo 1 even), the comic relief spontaneously becomes Plot Relevant™ and force a romance just for the sake of it on top of that. The entire story is... inconsistent, especially because you can be flawless in your gameplay but a cutscene dictates what happens after. There's not much personality left in there. Too many plot holes if you're an avid fan of the series. Almost kinda like Parasite Eve's 3rd Birthday. Otherwise, if it's your first time playing Bayo 3, it's... decent, I guess.
And I don't know If i'd have to blame absurd obsession with forcing a multiverse on every single piece of media right now, or rather that it was just an unfortunate moment of terrible, rushed, uninspired writing that should be blamed. In any case, I'd rather pretend that ending didn't exist xd. Might as well wait for a Bayo 4 and see if it gets better from there.
Genuinely my favorite game ever. ❤ Bayo 2 also.
Funny this comes out just as I got home.
21:41
To me, the shotguns are an amazing upgrade for burst damage in combos. Reduced time shooting things and all.
As The Sphere Hunter pointed out in Bayo 2, the sequels ranking system is a lot more generous compared to the 1st entry, and I can see why?
Ehh...I wouldn't say that. Bayonetta 2 expects you to dodge literally _everything_ since the enemies (especially Infernal Demons) are basically invulnerable outside of WT, which severely restricts your combat options and forces you to repeat a grounded, repetitive, un-flashy battle loop ad nauseum, while Bayonetta 3's restrictions on elapsed time per verse basically _require_ Demon Slave *at all times - **_including when Bayonetta herself needs to be attacking, dodging, or running away_*
I will say I disagree with her heavily on that, 2 and 3’s time rank is much stricter, combo rank is also a lot more strict too. Damage rank is the same but, most, if not all enemies in 2 and 3 are a huge pain compared to 1’s
Bayo 3 has the best combat and very easy even in the hardest difficulty
Man, i have the same issure, im kinda addicted to getting plat/pure plat throphies, gold is a crime to me, and when i get hit in a fight? i go back to the menu screen, click continue and restart that fight, if i get hit again? IM RESETING AGAIN
oh and you shouldve said about the confidence that this game takes, bayonetta getting naked bc her outfit is her hair that can summon Demons
i have all of the games and if you really want to enjoy yourself, bayonetta 3 casual is the way honestly, you dont get ranked at all, why not bayo 2, bc IMO that game is to easy
You're so right i rage quit bayonetta on my second playthrough bc i was OBSESSED with these pure platinums
If only this game allows button remapping on controllers. This game is awesome but I can't get used to Y being the light attack button with a gun to my head.
God I love Bayonetta
Love DMC.
Curious about Bayonetta.
But with Nintendo having control over it, im afraid to play the 1st one and get hooked
You are right I played through Bayonetta twice once when it was new, and again, after being three was a disappointment, and I just now found out about Dodge offset😂
Currently replaying bayo 1 for like the 100th time. It's the best in the series imo
After a certain point there are only diminishing returns on video game design, especially with these technical action games.
You can only improve the formula so much until you revolutionize the medium, and the combat in bayonetta still holds up. It's crispy, It's responsive, it's stylish, the legs and arms combinations give you hundreds of moves, the game takes the best aspects of devil may cry and modernized it.
I still prefer it over dmc5. It can be unforgiving but that's why it's still relevant for me.
Overall a 10/10, the aesthetic reminds me so much of a reverse sailor moon 🌙 lmao😊
Ive been playing this game since it launhed in 2009, and will still be playing it in 2029
Same! @30:13 no hits on non-stop climax just to get eaten!!!!1
25:18 i promise you nobody gaf about the ranks, i beat the game with all bronze and stones and still had so much fun and love for the game i bought the next two games
Bayonetta gotta be one of the best action games oat. Tbh one of the best games of all time in general
I LOVE Hack N Slash Games but I’m not to great at mastering there complex combo systems 😅
I just recently purchased the Bayonetta Trilogy on Switch & so far Part 1 is extremely well put together imo
Druski in a nam vid 🙏
Bayonetta inspired NiER Automata and now Stellar Blade and A.I. Limit both coming this year on PS5 whilst Bayo herself is exclusive to Nintendo after Nintendo took them in when Bayo 2 was in development hell as nobody was interested in her until Nintendo said they'd have her. Ironically Stellar Blade would have the same situation as Project EVE was to be multiplat but faced cancellation until Sony agreed to fund and publish the game and as result it is exclusively on Playstation 5.
So this little guy never got past the chapter "Angel Slayer"?
playing series for the first time i’ll put my review afterwards
Bayo 1 is not for the weak I will say. I was especially drawn to her character as a role model, but gameplay wise its just soooo satisfying getting that pure platinum on a hard fight you practiced, then equally devastating to immediately get instant killed in a cutscene
I won't pretend to speak for all the weak, but I just ignore the rating system. Most of the time I get stone, and since this is of no consequence and the game would be the same without a rating system I really don't care.
I must say, Bayonetta has best camera and controls in the whole genre, unsurpassed for 15 (!) years
As the nerd who has in fact pure platinum'd the entire game, I agree the ranking system needed some serious rebalancing considerations
I haven't seen a video essay sponsored by RGG. neat.
It was the framing of her power that makes it the best to me.❤
She is weakest in 1, but the framing makes her look stronger and cooler, with things like her disrespect, how she fights bosses with a lollipop in her mouth like they're not worth 1% of her attention and power, little things like how she theatrically moves and her eye glistens before a light-speed karate chop to an exhilarating riser and sword seathing sound fx, how she knees Golom into the air and has Hekatoncheir play with it like a ball, how she actually uses soul projection in combat. ❤
Honestly i like the intro it's the biggest way of saying if you can't keep up then pack this game and return it.
Fun fact, in both Route 666 and chapter 14, you can mash the button and make Bayo shoot way faster. A pattern i follow is shoot super fast at decorations, mash weave rockets at 3 dears the moment they appear, launch rockets at affinities while strafing left and right. Idk what it is but if you perfect both phases and kill Temperance in 1 turn you get free 1 million halos.
I would love Route 666 WAY more if those stupid sideway trucks that block the road didn't exist im fine with basically everything else just that one darn obstacle.
I think Bayo 2 had it's scoring system way worse. Some verses straight up require fights to end in less than 20 seconds.
The final boss remains my all time favorite in gaming both Jubileus and Xemnas from kh2 are my number 1
Is every source of damage fair and balance... Say hello to Kinship
The game is a masterpiece ❤❤
Did you tried darksiders 2 ?
watching the high level gameplay in this video is so fun, also makes me realize how bad i am lmao
Lol heres a tip soon as you get hit or about to die from falling pause and return to title screen to save you lmfao ive been working on getting pure platinum with all the characters almost done with Jeanne, angel slayer is bs.
7:53 meanwhile Nier Automata has half of all its lines text only... and is great ❤
Yes next question
I love bayonetta she’s really amazing and badass