Bayonetta [PS3/360]

[Uli]

what's there to learn about using witch time? just a matter of timing and reflexes, right? however, activating witch time is much easier on easy automatic. besides the lack in challenge i don't see any reason to go on on normal difficulty.

[Charlie]

i switched to easy automatic and the game got so much better now. easy combos, less dying, less pain for my fingers...

Haha. I hear ya. I'm playing on Hard at the moment and at times my hands genuinely ache, especially after long and drawn out battles. That's why the cutscenes are so welcome, they offer the opportunity to stretch the fingers and hopefully avoid developing arthritis.

[Goemon]

I'm really struggling with Easy at the minute...
Not cause I'm crap, just because I'm so used to playing without automatic. Most of the time she performing a tonne of sh!t I didn't even mean to do

Just going through easy for completionist reasons.

Got me thinking, they should make automatic a togglable option. Making things automatic allows you to do a tonne of cool **** but isn't really giving you the skills to do it.

I'm sure people would still like to gain some skills in easy instead of the game just doing everything for you whereas if you only ever intend to button bash (regardless of difficulty) you should have the auto option.

[Uli]

played this game for over 10 hours on normal but better not ask me how much combos i've learned. i think Bayonetta's excessive combo and move system is actually a weakpoint of the game. there's way too much moves and combos to learn everything about it. this, combined with the frequent and long cutscenes, keep Bayonetta from being as playable and enjoyable as Ninja Gaiden 2.

[BaronSqwelch]

I'm really struggling with Easy at the minute...
Not cause I'm crap, just because I'm so used to playing without automatic. Most of the time she performing a tonne of sh!t I didn't even mean to do

Just going through easy for completionist reasons.

Got me thinking, they should make automatic a togglable option. Making things automatic allows you to do a tonne of cool **** but isn't really giving you the skills to do it.

I'm sure people would still like to gain some skills in easy instead of the game just doing everything for you whereas if you only ever intend to button bash (regardless of difficulty) you should have the auto option.

you do have the auto option dont you?....go to your accessories and unequip the doll?....I did it on my easy play thru to try and learn the combos. Tho I did just end up button mashing

I'm not very good at this...am pretty much going to give up on normal chapter 10 I think. Am ok if there is a decent size area but taking on 2 of those durga wearing dogs in a small room gets me battered. really dont like the camera on this game and am no longer having fun.

climax edition on ebay tomorrow

[Charlie]

played this game for over 10 hours on normal but better not ask me how much combos i've learned. i think Bayonetta's excessive combo and move system is actually a weakpoint of the game. there's way too much moves and combos to learn everything about it. this, combined with the frequent and long cutscenes, keep Bayonetta from being as playable and enjoyable as Ninja Gaiden 2.

Just learn the combos you want to and ignore the rest. It's not like the main quest throws scenarios at you that demand specific combos be used in order to progress. At the end of the day it's entirely within the player's discretion how deep they choose to delve into the combat system and criticising the game for catering to those who enjoy sinking their teeth into combat systems seems rather unjustifiable.

[speedlolita]

I REALLY hate the shooting sections on this game and I mean, one of the bosses on level 15 and the beginning of level 14.

They're horribly designed and have almost ruined the game for me.

[Sketcz]

I love the art style, the visuals, jazzy music, and overall flamboyance. For a while I wasn't sold on the gameplay though because I kept dying, and needed continues on every chapter, but then replaying chapter 9 on normal it suddenly clicked. Still only getting stone statues, and I still need those green lolipops, but my first Super Platinum medal makes think I'm improving.

I'd say on normal it's harder than Demon's Souls, which demanded you play patiently. Bayonetta demands precision and speed.

Also, I'm 10 hours in and I'm only on Chapter 12 - I don't know how people are saying it's too short. Maybe they were playing on Very Easy.

TIP: If, like me, you hate the automatic combos on Easy mode, you can deactivate them by removing the Immortal Marionette item from equipment. I found practising on Easy first helped immensely with later tackling the tricky stages in Normal mode - like chapter 9.

QUESTION:
I completed some levels on Easy, so didn't get the achievement for doing that section on Normal (the 8-11 achievement). If I simply go back, and replay said stages on normal, the game will keep track of this and give me the achievement, right?

What happens when you finish the game, must start the levels over from the beginning, or are all the stages unlocked? It pissed me off right royally in Valkyria Chronicles when I had to start from the beginning after completing the game once.

[TheForce]

played this game for over 10 hours on normal but better not ask me how much combos i've learned. i think Bayonetta's excessive combo and move system is actually a weakpoint of the game. there's way too much moves and combos to learn everything about it. this, combined with the frequent and long cutscenes, keep Bayonetta from being as playable and enjoyable as Ninja Gaiden 2.

I think you are missing the point, yes Bayonetta has many combo's, but you don't need to learn them all, many of them are very good and almost all of them can be linked in some way or the other, and by playing it you remember a few combo's that work for you and the more you play the more stay with you, without actually looking at the combo list... I think the fighting system of Bayonetta is the strong point of the game, even if you only know 3 or 4 combo's you still get a fantastic spectacle on screen, just learn the timing to get into witch time and unleash the mayhem ! And if you want to learn everything and link them up for massive combo's then it's great the hardcore combo masters... I'm more of the 3 or 4 effective combo's and I hugely enjoy it, and now on my 2nd playthrough I notice I;m learning more and more by just playing it..
Just keep on playing, you learn it faster then you think

[jimtendo]

Precisely Thaforce.
You don't need to use every single combination of combo to make the game enjoyable. If anything Ninja Gaiden II has more move-sets than Bayonetta, due to having more weapons.
Just have a few 'go to' combos and stick with them.

QUESTION:
I completed some levels on Easy, so didn't get the achievement for doing that section on Normal (the 8-11 achievement). If I simply go back, and replay said stages on normal, the game will keep track of this and give me the achievement, right?

What happens when you finish the game, must start the levels over from the beginning, or are all the stages unlocked? It pissed me off right royally in Valkyria Chronicles when I had to start from the beginning after completing the game once.

1. Yup. Normal and above for achievement unlock.

2. All the stages and however many Halos/ lollipops/ Umbran Tears/ Weapons you've attained are kept for New Game +
Just remember to load up your save file, instead of selecting 'New Game' from the title screen. Also, you don't need to start from the prologue for Hard difficulty and above, since you can pick and choose which chapter you want to play.

[C']

I really like this and want to delve into it but I fear my skills just aren't up to it at all. Playing on Normal and already struggling on Chapter V. I can go a few verses seemingly without too much trouble then one battle I'll make a single mistake and find that that will snowball and I take a beating pretty much ending any hopes of clearing the chapter and having to start again.

Grace & Glory are just a massive struggle. There movement seems so random that I can just not pick out their vulnerabilities in terms of when to dodge, when to attack etc. There are times when I really feel as though I'm developing and learning (I have got a good amount of Gold/Platinum ranks on a lot of versus, and even about 7 or 8 Pure Platinum) but then I'll go through one of the longer Verses and come out with a silver rank and feel like I've not actually developed at all.

But there is definitely a lot to like here which makes me want to stick at it and try and get better. I can appreciate the efforts the developers have gone into making this. The combat system is far more flexible than the Ninja Gaiden/God of War games and I think the Alfhelm portal challenges are especially addictive. Not figured out how to beat any of the challenges where your number of punch and kick attacks are limited yet but the others I've been able to clear. The Stay in the Air for 60 seconds was proving a little baffling until I realised I could switch weapon to the Kulshedra

[Yakumo]

This may be of interest to some, an interview with the makers of Bayonetta in English - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58pH69EQLkc

[Charlie]

Not figured out how to beat any of the challenges where your number of punch and kick attacks are limited yet but the others I've been able to clear.

Best strategy I found for the limited number of moves challenges is:

->Open Spoiler<-

equip the claws to both your hands AND feet, change their element from fire to electricity (done by doing a full circle on the analogue stick and pressing B/Y), then when the fight begins trigger witch time to evade an attack which will give you enough time to use the claw charged attacks (hold down B or Y) which do considerable damage.

[Keith]

I've just been parrying as much as possible for those - worked well so far as it doesn't count as a punch or a kick. You have to be really precise though as the time limits are quite strict.

[Sane]

Not figured out how to beat any of the challenges where your number of punch and kick attacks are limited yet but the others I've been able to clear.

->Open Spoiler<-

There's actually a really easy way to do this: Trigger witch time and then simply do the shooting move where you rotate the analogue stick with B and keep pressing B. That will take off a huge chunk of health and only counts as 1 kick. Repeat till he's dead. I didn't figure this out btw, had me baffled for ages so I googled it