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Bayonetta 3 (28th October)

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11 hours ago, Ike said:

450 million dollar franchise?

I imagine that's the total sales of every copy of Bayo 1 and 2, including re-releases.

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29 minutes ago, Glen-i said:

I imagine that's the total sales of every copy of Bayo 1 and 2, including re-releases.

I imagine that she’s pulling that figure out of her backside.

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1 hour ago, Glen-i said:

I imagine that's the total sales of every copy of Bayo 1 and 2, including re-releases.

Considering the first game dropped to £18 after a week and then couldn't find a publisher after. Bayo 1 has then been bundled with Bayo 2 a couple of times. I doubt the series is worth that much.

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Review embargo is up and as expected it's getting pretty much universal praise, sitting at an 89 on Metacritic. Plenty of publications saying it's the best entry in the series too.

Don't think I'll be able to play it straight away, just started another game, but definitely looking forward to digging in.

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Probably would’ve scored in the high 90s if it were a PS5 exclusive… Just goes to show how useless Metacritic is :p

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Probably would’ve scored in the high 90s if it were a PS5 exclusive… Just goes to show how useless Metacritic is
Funny you should say that, I always consider Switch multiplatform scores to be inflated on Metacritic despite usually being the technically inferior option. Same for Xbox - not by much but Switch and Xbox scores often tend to be a few points higher than PS4/5 versions. Different critics I guess.

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First 3 hours in and man oh man what a ride. Bayonetta is as sassy as ever, action is bigger than ever, and some sequences change up the gameplay completely. Won't say too much until I finish it and not to spoiler anything but it's a rollercoaster alright!

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I'm about 4 chapters in and I'm mostly loving it - still haven't quite got back up to speed with the controls but I'm enjoying how balls to the wall wild it is.

Unfortunately I've come down with a nasty virus so haven't felt up to playing it today - hoping it clears up soon, I'm terrible at being ill.

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I've finished the game earlier this week (kind of blasted through it for review purposes). It's amazing. Graphics may be the biggest letdown, as the Switch is definitely struggling at points and is now showing that it can not really hold these kind of ambitious projects. PlatinumGames have crammed a ton of different gameplay in the game without straying too far from the core: straight-up action. 

The Demon Slave mechanic is more balanced than I thought it would be. As you can summon them whenever, you'd think it's way too overpowered but it costs magic plus you are vulnerable to hits as you can't move. Some of the Demons you find are insane, not going to spoil them though :grin: Viola is a nice addition although I do prefer Bayonetta to play with. The Jeanne 80s spymovie sequences are also a fun intermission in between regular chapters.

Soundtrack is intense, and the storytelling is even more wild this time. The general plot isn't that great, but the way it's executed scores points. The ending is wild though, again, not going to spoil it! And there is still plenty to find and unlock, so will definitely put some more time in this.

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I’m struggling to decide how I feel about this game overall. I don’t think I’ve ever thought a game was simultaneously amazing and terrible before but I think that’s what this is…

All the wackiness, the Nier-like variety to gameplay, the stylish and pinpoint combat, it’s in a class of its own. But all that is wrapped in this bizarre package of bland backdrops, clunky platforming, horrendously cringy cutscenes and really frustrating decisions around things like menus, animations and challenges. For example, there’s no no way I’m going to suffer my way to 100% on a game that makes rewatch a slow clip of where the 5 boxes you need to grab are, every single time you retry to grab them.

I find myself just wanting to get back to the action which is sublime enough that I’m still having a good time, and I can see a point in time soon where I start skipping cutscenes and sidequests altogether…

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Finished the story last night and I feel similarly to you guys, narrative is a bit of a mess and there are some huge discrepancies in visual quality but the underlying gameplay is so varied and enjoyable that it's mostly an absolute joy to play through.

Has to be the most videogamey-videogame I've ever played through 

Edited by killthenet

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I've finished chapter 6 now.

Spoiler

F**king Bubbles, man! I laughed so hard at the sheer absurdity of Queen Butterfly's cloudy bubble bath segment. Curious to see how Naive Angel mode handles that, but that's for a second playthrough, methinks.

This game really has taken cues from Wonderful 101, it happily throws completely new mechanics at you with wild abandon, only to drop them afterwards, it's a lot of fun.

So far, I'm digging the Yo-Yos. I like the range they have to them. But I'll have to see if the Choo Choo train on a stick is as fun as I hope it is.

 

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Done Chapter 11 last night. Those set pieces were just exquisite! Especially the last fight there. Completely stupid and ridiculous! I wouldn't have it any other way.

Spoiler

Boy, I absolutely blow chunks with Viola. I always struggle with blocking in action games. If I'm not getting whacked from blocking too late, I'm getting pummeled because I drop the guard too early.

This is why I suck at Kingdom Hearts, you know?

It wouldn't be so bad, but she keeps having to fight Mr. Werewolf, this game's recurring boss replacement for Jeanne in 1 or Lumen Sage in 2. Just like them, he's on the trickier side of boss fights. Tough boss + Block focused playable character = Unhappy Glen. I'm starting to dread having to play as Viola, especially when I start tackling the harder difficulties.

Despite the spoilers moan, I'm still loving the game. Somehow more fun then Bayo 2!

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Finished the game.

Loved it.

Final boss was epic and loved the set pieces.

That ending though...

Spoiler

The sequence with Bayonetta 1 & 2 was awesome.

I was wondering if the Bayonetta in the prologue in the first games model would be actually the first game and we were playing as a different Bayonetta in a different world from Chapter 1. That would explain why the prologue Bayo could become the Lynx and the one in main game didn't.

Didn't think they would make all 3 games a different Bayonetta though, like making Bayonetta 2 a different universe from the first game, despite it being a direct follow on storywise haha.

Unless they are saying the time travel involved in that was actually multiverse hopping.

Either way it was great to see all 3 Bayonetta's together, I loved you got to fight at Bayo 1, but disappointed you couldn't play as Bayo 2 also (of the 3 Bayo 2 is my fav model I think)... Unless I missed something.

The ending though...bloody hell who saw that coming, that is one hell of a move which I'm sure will have some of the fandom in am uproar.

Killing Bayonetta...WTF?

I didn't believe it at first. When the credits started to roll I was sure it was some sort of fake out ending and the end credits chapter/cut scene would have them have Viola have to drag them out of hell or something.

But I was wrong.... Then I was wondering was this a Good/Bad ending thing and I got the Bad Ending, but it wasn't that either.

Viola then getting given Bayonetta as a new name... Not sure how I feel about that. I liked she was wearing Luka's scarf and Bayonetta's glasses though.

Not sure if she could carry a Bayonetta 4 as the main character though.

If she was a character in both previous games that was built up through them it might have felt better.

They would need to move her Witch Time trigger to dodge though, I struggle with her block :p

And she can't be limited to just one summon if she becomes the main character.

That said given how they seem to have set up all 3 games as a different universe now, they've also left themselves plenty of room to back up if they are pushed by a negative fan reaction to easily bring back Cereza and Luka by just saying it takes place in a different Universe.

Edit:

Oh just spoted Bayonetta 3 has a nomination for Best Action game at The Game Awards

https://thegameawards.com/nominees/best-action

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A patch for this is out now. Has some bug fixes, including a certain exploit to cheese the hardest boss in the game in about 10 seconds. Boooooo!

On the plus side, you can now skip the intros to those platforming challenges and certain hidden things are easier to find.

But the best reason to get the patch is because they made Viola's Witch Time mechanic waaaayyy easier to activate and notice. She essentially now has a Bat Within safety net, and the length of her Witch Time is a bit longer too.

Might go and do a Hard playthrough now.

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Spoiler

Ver. 1.2.0 (Released January 10, 2023)

 

Combat Adjustments

  • Adjusted Viola’s activation window for “Block” and activation conditions for Witch Time.
    • Block activation window added after releasing Block (during the release animation).
    • Added an additional animation when Witch Time takes effect, making its activation easier to realize.
    • The allotted duration of Witch Time, and its activation window have been lengthened.
    • Now, when block is activated when player is attacked, player will receive damage effect, but block will succeed and activate Witch Time.
    • Now, combo can continue (with Dodge Offset) when player uses Block to activate Witch Time.
    • If the Block input is used repeatedly, the granted Witch Time duration will decrease.
  • Adjustments made to prevent Viola's evasive input and Cheshire's summoning input from activating Assault Slave while maintaining invincibility if they are used in rapid succession.
  • Weapons "Simoon", "Tartarus" and Viola's Charge Attacks can now continue to hold charge, even if dodged or blocked.
  • Wink Slave can now be activated from the combos "PKP*" and "PKK*" for the weapons "G-Pillar", "Dead End Express" and "Cassiopeia".
    *P is Punch, and K is Kick
  • When equipping the accessories "Infernal Communicator" and "Pulley's Butterfly" to summon Devils and Butterflies, it is now possible to cancel the summoning motion by dodging or blocking.

 

Niflheim

The following Niflheim stage conditions were changed to lower the difficulty:

 

 

Niflheim Stage Changed Conditions
Chapter 2 Verse 5(Casual to Expert) 120 second time limit changed to 150 second time limit
Chapter 3 Verse 4(Casual to Expert) Two lives increased to three lives
Chapter 5 Verse 2 (Casual to Expert) 150 second time limit changed to 180 second time limit
Chapter 6 Verse 8 (Casual to Expert) Two lives increased to three lives
Chapter 9 Verse 8 (Casual to Expert) 60 second time limit changed to 80 second time limit
Chapter 10 Verse 1 (Casual to Expert) 140 second time limit changed to 160 second time limit
Chapter 12 Verse 5 (Casual to Expert) One life increased to two lives

 

Game Modes

  • Conditions for obtaining the "Tricolored Keys" needed to unseal the "Old Picture Book" have been made easier.
    • "Tricolored Keys" will be automatically available on the chapter select screen once it becomes possible to access the "Gates of Hell".
  • Even if the player already has access to the Gates of Hell, or has already obtained one or two keys, they will automatically obtain the remaining keys when going to the chapter select screen after applying the update.

 

Other Changes

  • Adjustments have been made to the Golem Treasure Chests found in stages.
    • Time limits have been increased, and difficulty has been lowered.
    • Golem Chest fragmenting animation can now be fast-forwarded with the B-button.
  • Adjustments have been made to reduce situations with poor camera visibility.
  • Adjusted game balance.

 

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed a bug in Verse 5 of Chapter 7 that prevented progress when certain actions were performed while controlling Cheshire.
  • Fixed a problem with the accessory "Hymn of Durga" in which its effect was not being applied to some attacks.
  • Fixed an issue where using Alruna’s “Bondage Whip (P or K* long press)” skill in certain situations would cause the enemies to to die instantly.
  • Fixed an issue where the weapons using “Crow Within” (J* long press)” with "Scarborough Fair" and "Love is Blue" would cause player to move forward significantly under certain conditions.
  • Fixed an issue where Bayonetta's animations would not play correctly when switching weapons immediately after using the "Crow Within (J* long press)” with the weapons "Scarborough Fair" and "Love is Blue".
  • Fixed a bug that caused "Black Pearl Rain (Rotate L stick + S*)” for Infernal Demon "Kraken" to trigger "Wink Slave" with abnormally high attack power.
  • Fixed a bug that caused "Devil Rodin" to be stuck for a time when using "After Burner Kick (↑K* in midair)" continuously, immediately after rising up with a prior "After Burner Kick (J・K*)”.
  • Fixed a bug in which Viola’s Assault Slave was able to summon Infernal Demons in "Infernal Demon-prohibited areas”.
  • Fixed an error in the hand symbol seen in Cutie J’s transformation sequence viewable in Side Chapter.
  • Fixed other issues to make the game more enjoyable to play.

*P is Punch, K is Kick, S is Shoot, and J is Jump.


These are such substantial and fundamental changes that I honestly have to question how finished the game was when it first launched.

Honestly puts me off the idea of playing the game until it just gets a "complete" release on Switch 2...

Edited by Dcubed

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1 hour ago, Dcubed said:
  Full Patch Notes (Reveal hidden contents)

Ver. 1.2.0 (Released January 10, 2023)

 

Combat Adjustments

  • Adjusted Viola’s activation window for “Block” and activation conditions for Witch Time.
    • Block activation window added after releasing Block (during the release animation).
    • Added an additional animation when Witch Time takes effect, making its activation easier to realize.
    • The allotted duration of Witch Time, and its activation window have been lengthened.
    • Now, when block is activated when player is attacked, player will receive damage effect, but block will succeed and activate Witch Time.
    • Now, combo can continue (with Dodge Offset) when player uses Block to activate Witch Time.
    • If the Block input is used repeatedly, the granted Witch Time duration will decrease.
  • Adjustments made to prevent Viola's evasive input and Cheshire's summoning input from activating Assault Slave while maintaining invincibility if they are used in rapid succession.
  • Weapons "Simoon", "Tartarus" and Viola's Charge Attacks can now continue to hold charge, even if dodged or blocked.
  • Wink Slave can now be activated from the combos "PKP*" and "PKK*" for the weapons "G-Pillar", "Dead End Express" and "Cassiopeia".
    *P is Punch, and K is Kick
  • When equipping the accessories "Infernal Communicator" and "Pulley's Butterfly" to summon Devils and Butterflies, it is now possible to cancel the summoning motion by dodging or blocking.

 

Niflheim

The following Niflheim stage conditions were changed to lower the difficulty:

 

 

Niflheim Stage Changed Conditions
Chapter 2 Verse 5(Casual to Expert) 120 second time limit changed to 150 second time limit
Chapter 3 Verse 4(Casual to Expert) Two lives increased to three lives
Chapter 5 Verse 2 (Casual to Expert) 150 second time limit changed to 180 second time limit
Chapter 6 Verse 8 (Casual to Expert) Two lives increased to three lives
Chapter 9 Verse 8 (Casual to Expert) 60 second time limit changed to 80 second time limit
Chapter 10 Verse 1 (Casual to Expert) 140 second time limit changed to 160 second time limit
Chapter 12 Verse 5 (Casual to Expert) One life increased to two lives

 

Game Modes

  • Conditions for obtaining the "Tricolored Keys" needed to unseal the "Old Picture Book" have been made easier.
    • "Tricolored Keys" will be automatically available on the chapter select screen once it becomes possible to access the "Gates of Hell".
  • Even if the player already has access to the Gates of Hell, or has already obtained one or two keys, they will automatically obtain the remaining keys when going to the chapter select screen after applying the update.

 

Other Changes

  • Adjustments have been made to the Golem Treasure Chests found in stages.
    • Time limits have been increased, and difficulty has been lowered.
    • Golem Chest fragmenting animation can now be fast-forwarded with the B-button.
  • Adjustments have been made to reduce situations with poor camera visibility.
  • Adjusted game balance.

 

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed a bug in Verse 5 of Chapter 7 that prevented progress when certain actions were performed while controlling Cheshire.
  • Fixed a problem with the accessory "Hymn of Durga" in which its effect was not being applied to some attacks.
  • Fixed an issue where using Alruna’s “Bondage Whip (P or K* long press)” skill in certain situations would cause the enemies to to die instantly.
  • Fixed an issue where the weapons using “Crow Within” (J* long press)” with "Scarborough Fair" and "Love is Blue" would cause player to move forward significantly under certain conditions.
  • Fixed an issue where Bayonetta's animations would not play correctly when switching weapons immediately after using the "Crow Within (J* long press)” with the weapons "Scarborough Fair" and "Love is Blue".
  • Fixed a bug that caused "Black Pearl Rain (Rotate L stick + S*)” for Infernal Demon "Kraken" to trigger "Wink Slave" with abnormally high attack power.
  • Fixed a bug that caused "Devil Rodin" to be stuck for a time when using "After Burner Kick (↑K* in midair)" continuously, immediately after rising up with a prior "After Burner Kick (J・K*)”.
  • Fixed a bug in which Viola’s Assault Slave was able to summon Infernal Demons in "Infernal Demon-prohibited areas”.
  • Fixed an error in the hand symbol seen in Cutie J’s transformation sequence viewable in Side Chapter.
  • Fixed other issues to make the game more enjoyable to play.

*P is Punch, K is Kick, S is Shoot, and J is Jump.


These are such substantial and fundamental changes that I honestly have to question how finished the game was when it first launched.

Honestly puts me off the idea of playing the game until it just gets a "complete" release on Switch 2...

Don't you dare! Most of these are difficulty adjustments. Play it. It's fun. You'll love it.

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9 minutes ago, Glen-i said:

Don't you dare! Most of these are difficulty adjustments. Play it. It's fun. You'll love it.

Hey I did get round to Shadows of Valentia eventually ;)

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There's a small gameplay teaser for Bayonetta Origins in this after the new patch (version 1.2)

 

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Well, seeing as NoE are going around spoiling that, I'm gonna point out that demo of Bayonetta Origins was in the game since launch. Pretty neat that they hid the reveal of a completely different game in there. This patch seems to remove the need to find the keys to open the Old Picture Book though.

Also, "small" is right. It only lasts about 3 minutes, but if you're thorough in exploring, there's a costume to get in Bayonetta 3.

Edited by Glen-i

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