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[Alexios]

More slave demon explanation stuff from Platinum's channel (no English for now, check their English channel for that, they do upload the videos there with subs eventually). I guess it's still just tutorial level stuff. I hope they eventually upload some pro playing videos from their staff or something.

 

[NightmareFarm]

Just beat the game. My two cents.

Gameplay - 7.5/10. I'm taking 2 points off for the viola/jeanne sections and overabundance of gimmick verses. Cereza's gameplay was top tier though, demon slave mechanics really open up a new dimension to the combat(if you know how to use them right). Also I really liked the Yo yo weapon. The universal changes to her moveset such as the change to tetsus and heel stomps are a mixed bag. It feels liberating being able to use moves such as bullet climax, tetsus and stomps whenever I want but at the same time, them not being tied to a magic meter takes away from the risk/reward factor and micromanagement aspect of the previous games. I will have to see how I feel as I replay for plats.

Story - 2/10. B2 was passable. B1 was somewhat of a mess but it at least tried. B3 didn't try at all and was a complete cluster fuck narratively. The ending was cringe and will be disasterous for the franchise if the devs don't backtrack on this in the next game. Other than the implications of how this game ended(those who know, know...) I don't care too much about that since you can't really expect this franchise(or any games made by platinum) to have a decent story, the focus is on the gameplay.

Visuals - 7/10. As far as the graphics go, the cutscenes look very dated for a 2022 game. Environments and character models look very rough and dull. However the particle effects look great which pops out most during battles. There are various little things that give it visual flair that arguably surpasses the second game like the slow mo finishers and and the stylish animations of Cerezas gun strings.

OST - 8/10. Really liked the main battle themes "Whisper of Destiny" and "Ghost".

Performance - 6/10. Has bad FPS issues but it at least hovers around 50 I think which is much better than being capped at 30fps like Astral Chain was. I guess it is kind of understandable giving just how taxing being able to summon massive fuck off demons the size of buildings is on the weaker-than-2013-consoles Switch hardware. I hope the next game or the future port to the Switch 2 is able to keep a consistent 60fps.

Overall I would say a 7.5/10. Despite all it's flaws it was still a glorious dance.

 

[correojon]

More slave demon explanation stuff from Platinum's channel (no English for now, check their English channel for that, they do upload the videos there with subs eventually). I guess it's still just tutorial level stuff. I hope they eventually upload some pro playing videos from their staff or something.

Holy f*ck you can set Malphas' tornado on fire with Phantasmaraneae?!?!? Are there other special interactions like this?

 

[qwertz12345]

Just beat the game. My two cents.

Gameplay - 7.5/10. I'm taking 2 points off for the viola/jeanne sections and overabundance of gimmick verses. Cereza's gameplay was top tier though, demon slave mechanics really open up a new dimension to the combat(if you know how to use them right). Also I really liked the Yo yo weapon. The universal changes to her moveset such as the change to tetsus and heel stomps are a mixed bag. It feels liberating being able to use moves such as bullet climax, tetsus and stomps whenever I want but at the same time, them not being tied to a magic meter takes away from the risk/reward factor and micromanagement aspect of the previous games. I will have to see how I feel as I replay for plats.

Story - 2/10. B2 was passable. B1 was somewhat of a mess but it at least tried. B3 didn't try at all and was a complete cluster fuck narratively. The ending was cringe and will be disasterous for the franchise if the devs don't backtrack on this in the next game. Other than the implications of how this game ended(those who know, know...) I don't care too much about that since you can't really expect this franchise(or any games made by platinum) to have a decent story, the focus is on the gameplay.

Visuals - 7/10. As far as the graphics go, the cutscenes look very dated for a 2022 game. Environments and character models look very rough and dull. However the particle effects look great which pops out most during battles. There are various little things that give it visual flair that arguably surpasses the second game like the slow mo finishers and and the stylish animations of Cerezas gun strings.

OST - 8/10. Really liked the main battle themes "Whisper of Destiny" and "Ghost".

Performance - 6/10. Has bad FPS issues but it at least hovers around 50 I think which is much better than being capped at 30fps like Astral Chain was. I guess it is kind of understandable giving just how taxing being able to summon massive fuck off demons the size of buildings is on the weaker-than-2013-consoles Switch hardware. I hope the next game or the future port to the Switch 2 is able to keep a consistent 60fps.

Overall I would say a 7.5/10. Despite all it's flaws it was still a glorious dance.

The more I read about the reactions which Bayonetta 3 is getting, I'm honestly surprised that the game reviewed as highly as it did.

It looks and feels like such a low budget release - where hardly any effort has been spent on making the game look and feel as if it warrants that £45 spend.

Is the game actually worth the £45-odd, or should one be looking to spend that money on other games and experiences where the developers have put in the effort, and do deserve that money?

 

[ungalo]

I see what you mean but it's not the case, it's not the Travis Strikes Again of Bayonetta. It's just that the game went for a structure with some more open areas, plus the invocations that really doesn't fit with the limiting hardware and give the game a low budget look. If i had to guess i'd say there is a rough development behind it, but it's not a lack of work and budget.

It's less refined in some areas but it makes up for it by having a lot of content, gameplay options and varied spectacular setpieces.

 

[qwertz12345]

I see what you mean but it's not the case, it's not the Travis Strikes Again of Bayonetta. It's just that the game went for a structure with some more open areas, plus the invocations that really doesn't fit with the limiting hardware and give the game a low budget look. If i had to guess i'd say there is a rough development behind it, but it's not a lack of work and budget.

It's less refined in some areas but it makes up for it by having a lot of content, gameplay options and varied spectacular setpieces.

So it's worth the £45-odd?

 

[ungalo]

To me yes definitely.

 

[Beanbox]

The game is great value.
I was skeptical at first due to the changes but they won me over.
Even the Viola and Jeanne sections are a nice way to break things up.
The set pieces and production values are very high. It feels like there is no junk filler and the pacing is very good.
Character action games should not be a series of rooms with fights in them, instead there should be more to it. If you want constant fights that's what bloody palace modes are for. It seems they give you a ton of tools by the end so there is major incentive to do the witch trials.
The fluff in this game makes it more memorable. And the action sequences really bring it to the point you need a good rest to avoid dopamine overload.
Definitely worth it at full price for any fast action fan.

 

[Keihart]

The more I read about the reactions which Bayonetta 3 is getting, I'm honestly surprised that the game reviewed as highly as it did.

It looks and feels like such a low budget release - where hardly any effort has been spent on making the game look and feel as if it warrants that £45 spend.

Is the game actually worth the £45-odd, or should one be looking to spend that money on other games and experiences where the developers have put in the effort, and do deserve that money?

Bayonetta 3 is Platinum's game with the best production value yet, there are so many unique animations and assets that it makes you question how did they convince Nintendo to foot the bill given their record.
Bayonetta 3 has more weapons than any other Platinum game and at the same time, they have more unique moves than previous weapons, it's nuts.

 

[Danjin44]

I think I’m close to end and BY FAR this is my favourite Bayonetta game, LOVE the weapon system here and LOOOVE how summon adds to your move set and yeah, animation detail in this game is godlie.

 

[Alexios]

 

[NightmareFarm]

The more I read about the reactions which Bayonetta 3 is getting, I'm honestly surprised that the game reviewed as highly as it did.

It looks and feels like such a low budget release - where hardly any effort has been spent on making the game look and feel as if it warrants that £45 spend.

Is the game actually worth the £45-odd, or should one be looking to spend that money on other games and experiences where the developers have put in the effort, and do deserve that money?

Yeah i'd say it's still worth £45 if you're a fan of character action games. Don't write it off because it looks "low budget". The core gameplay is tremendously fun(there is a learning curve however if you haven't played the first two games). Just expect lots of tedious gimmicks thrown at you every now and then and don't expect anything close to a good plot.

 

[Keihart]

finished the game today, pushed through the last 8 hours straight, i'm kinda burned out for some days.
Game is great, finished with like 10 weapons and 11 demons or something? that's a shit ton and most weapons are pretty unique.

Lots of DMCV references, crazy shit, best Bayonetta definetly.

 

[GigaBowser]

Just beat the game. My two cents.

Gameplay - 7.5/10. I'm taking 2 points off for the viola/jeanne sections and overabundance of gimmick verses. Cereza's gameplay was top tier though, demon slave mechanics really open up a new dimension to the combat(if you know how to use them right). Also I really liked the Yo yo weapon. The universal changes to her moveset such as the change to tetsus and heel stomps are a mixed bag. It feels liberating being able to use moves such as bullet climax, tetsus and stomps whenever I want but at the same time, them not being tied to a magic meter takes away from the risk/reward factor and micromanagement aspect of the previous games. I will have to see how I feel as I replay for plats.

Story - 2/10. B2 was passable. B1 was somewhat of a mess but it at least tried. B3 didn't try at all and was a complete cluster fuck narratively. The ending was cringe and will be disasterous for the franchise if the devs don't backtrack on this in the next game. Other than the implications of how this game ended(those who know, know...) I don't care too much about that since you can't really expect this franchise(or any games made by platinum) to have a decent story, the focus is on the gameplay.

Visuals - 7/10. As far as the graphics go, the cutscenes look very dated for a 2022 game. Environments and character models look very rough and dull. However the particle effects look great which pops out most during battles. There are various little things that give it visual flair that arguably surpasses the second game like the slow mo finishers and and the stylish animations of Cerezas gun strings.

OST - 8/10. Really liked the main battle themes "Whisper of Destiny" and "Ghost".

Performance - 6/10. Has bad FPS issues but it at least hovers around 50 I think which is much better than being capped at 30fps like Astral Chain was. I guess it is kind of understandable giving just how taxing being able to summon massive fuck off demons the size of buildings is on the weaker-than-2013-consoles Switch hardware. I hope the next game or the future port to the Switch 2 is able to keep a consistent 60fps.

Overall I would say a 7.5/10. Despite all it's flaws it was still a glorious dance.

I get your complaints but it still has the deepest combat of any action game ever.

I gotta give it a 9.5 for that alone.

Story in Bayonetta is always shit to me.

 

[Bragr]

That fucking singing toad hahaha

 

[NightmareFarm]

I get your complaints but it still has the deepest combat of any action game ever.

I gotta give it a 9.5 for that alone.

Story in Bayonetta is always shit to me.

Yeah like I said, two points off for the gimmick sections. The brunt of my criticism is really towards that not the story, I never expected it to have a good story. Having even the deepest combat ever only goes so far when half of the verses don't let you tap into that depth by forcing you to play as Jeanne or Viola or play kaiju fights.

 

[Keihart]

Yeah like I said, two points off for the gimmick sections. The brunt of my criticism is really towards that not the story, I never expected it to have a good story. Having even the deepest combat ever only goes so far when half of the verses don't let you tap into that depth by forcing you to play as Jeanne or Viola or play kaiju fights.

meh, i kinda embrace the minigame sections in every game, the only shit i despise are the stupid flying combat sections on bayo 2 where half your shit doesn even reach the enemies and you have to just pray for umbran climax or use the bow, it's so fucking whack, i prefer 100 times to be playing an offshoot of space harrier and afterburner.

 

[NightmareFarm]

meh, i kinda embrace the minigame sections in every game, the only shit i despise are the stupid flying combat sections on bayo 2 where half your shit doesn even reach the enemies and you have to just pray for umbran climax or use the bow, it's so fucking whack, i prefer 100 times to be playing an offshoot of space harrier and afterburner.

I hope that I warm up to it more upon my plat run on infinite climax. Otherwise it's going to be a very rough run. Honestly, most of this shit should have just been relegated to mini games that aren't connected to the campaign.

>the only shit i despise are the stupid flying combat sections on bayo 2 where half your shit doesn even reach the enemies and you have to just pray for umbran climax or use the bow, it's so fucking whack, i prefer 100 times to be playing an offshoot of space harrier and afterburner.

Lol did you play the jet sequence in the first game? That was like 10x worse than in 2 and lasted like 10-15 minutes iirc and then on top of that the final rival encounter is locked behind it. B1 platters are masochists.

 

[Keihart]

I hope that I warm up to it more upon my plat run on infinite climax. Otherwise it's going to be a very rough run. Honestly, most of this shit should have just been relegated to mini games that aren't connected to the campaign.

>the only shit i despise are the stupid flying combat sections on bayo 2 where half your shit doesn even reach the enemies and you have to just pray for umbran climax or use the bow, it's so fucking whack, i prefer 100 times to be playing an offshoot of space harrier and afterburner.

Lol did you play the jet sequence in the first game? That was like 10x worse than in 2 and lasted like 10-15 minutes iirc and then on top of that the final rival encounter is locked behind it. B1 platters are masochists.

which section do you mean, i just replayed the game....the after burner? the rocket? i'm alright with those, they are mechanically sound.
Flying on bayo 2 tho, eugh

 

[NightmareFarm]

which section do you mean, i just replayed the game....the after burner? the rocket? i'm alright with those, they are mechanically sound.
Flying on bayo 2 tho, eugh

The rocket one in the mission you fight jeanne for the final time. The one where you are flying to balders tower.

B2s version was much more tolerable for me.

 

[jaysius]

That fucking singing toad hahaha

Is it better than the toad in Nioh?

 

[Labolas]

^I haven't played Nioh but the frog in this game fucking sings and causes an AOE of blood rain that causes massive damage.

The rocket one in the mission you fight jeanne for the final time. The one where you are flying to balders tower.

B2s version was much more tolerable for me.

Those two are on the same mission if I'm reading that correctly. The Jeanne boss fight easily trumps anything than in 2. And pure plating the afterburner stage isn't that hard because the game is pretty generous with the checkpoints between verses. Although tbf to Bayo 2, its Afterburner stage is better.

 

[NightmareFarm]

^I haven't played Nioh but the frog in this game fucking sings and causes an AOE of blood rain that causes massive damage.

Those two are on the same mission if I'm reading that correctly. The Jeanne boss fight easily trumps anything than in 2. And pure plating the afterburner stage isn't that hard because the game is pretty generous with the checkpoints between verses. Although tbf to Bayo 2, its Afterburner stage is better.

Yes they are on the same mission but that means you have to get past the 10 minutes jet harrier sequence first which is poor design on so many levels.

 

[Labolas]

Yes they are on the same mission but that means you have to get past the 10 minutes jet harrier sequence first which is poor design on so many levels.

Yeah it does go on a bit too long, I don't think that necessarily makes the first game somehow worse. I ended up beating and pure platinum-ing the game on 3 different systems and I don't think the Afterburner segment is THAT bad but it is very archaic and does goes on too long but it isn't impossible get through and get good at it.

I will agree though the Jeanne boss fight should have been separate from that, but again it doesn't take away what I consider the best an action game can offer.

 

[NightmareFarm]

Yeah it does go on a bit too long, I don't think that necessarily makes the first game somehow worse. I ended up beating and pure platinum-ing the game on 3 different systems and I don't think the Afterburner segment is THAT bad but it is very archaic and does goes on too long but it isn't impossible get through and get good at it.

I will agree though the Jeanne boss fight should have been separate from that, but again it doesn't take away what I consider the best an action game can offer.

Im not saying B1 is a worse game overall just that the chapter alone with the rocket was some fuckshit imo. Jeanne is fun but not worth having to replay that entire segment every time I want to fight her.

 

[Labolas]

Im not saying B1 is a worse game overall just that the chapter alone with the rocket was some fuckshit imo. Jeanne is fun but not worth having to replay that entire segment every time I want to fight her.

You don't have to go back and replay the entire level. Just exit to the title screen and the game checkpoints that last verse you've started. If you want to just fight her. Plus, there's the 2nd chapter that gives a Jeanne fight right off the bat.

 

[Danjin44]

Game is great, finished with like 10 weapons and 11 demons or something? that's a shit ton and most weapons are pretty unique.

Yup that pretty crazy not only most has it own set unique animation and combo but also it’s own Masquerade form. This is definitely most ambitious game from Platinum game.

Also I like how microphone weapon works in this game, it kind of like Hunting Horn in MH, you actually give yourself buffs.

 

[Keihart]

Yup that pretty crazy not only most has it own set unique animation and combo but also it’s own Masquerade form. This is definitely most ambitious game from Platinum game.

Also I like how microphone weapon works in this game, it kind of like Hunting Horn in MH, you actually give yourself buffs.

haven't tested the buffs, i wonder if is just literally def and attack power or some other shit like hitboxes or something.
"we will rock you!"

Also, it took me a while to notice, but, if anyone is struggling while playing as viola, her stinger has super armor, you don't take damage or get stunned, you can see a magical seal apear when it activates.
It's very usefull because you can do it as an attempt at parrying too since it's inputed with R1, if it works it's witch time, if it fails you just armor through enemies.

Also, of all the weapons, i never predicted to have this as an attack:

 

[Labolas]

The english version of the Demon Slave guide is out now.

 

[AndrewRyan]

Amazon has the Masquerade Edition back in stock for $89.

 

[NightmareFarm]

Anyone else beat the game yet? I'm currently on my second run hunting collectibles to prep for my plat run on IC.

 

[Bragr]

I finished it today, my two cents:

I fear this is gonna be the last of Bayonetta. Even if they set up the future of the franchise in Bayonetta 3, I fear Bayonetta 3 will sell so poorly that Platinum will be hesitant to touch this for a while, I also fear Platinum might simply not be around 6 years down the road, or whenever they might start to produce a new one. Platinum don't wanna live on Nintendo money, they want their own game, which they have tried and badly failed with lately. If they can't produce anything good outside of Bayonetta, I don't know where their future lie.

It's hard to sell Bayonetta on promotion, it just looks weird if you don't know what you are looking at. If you never played it, it looks like a fever dream. Add to that, third-person fighting games are just not huge sellers apart from some very few unique examples like Devil May Cry. The first game sold well because it was on all platforms and considered the spiritual successor of DMC by the creator of himself, but I imagine that Bayonetta 2 is the ceiling of new Bayonetta games, selling 1-2 million. Especially if it's locked on Switch only. Even if, ironically, it's the only way the franchise still survives.

A lot has been said about the visuals, and while it does look dated, one area where it towers over Bayo 1 or 2 is the geometry. Meaning, instead of having flat surfaces, they build cliffs and uneven terrain, making the levels more natural and IMO, making the game look quite a bit better than Bayonetta 2.

It features so many impressive sequences, and a big part of these games has always been to soak in the almost anime-like visual flair. From start to finish, I feel like I am indulging in something special.

The combat in Bayonetta has always been hard to explain to people. On one hand, it's possible to clear this by just knowing how to bash buttons and dodge, and I suspect most people play like this. But if you are willing to dig into the combat system, it's deeper than almost anything out there, the amount of shit you can pull off with the demons and the weapons is wild. It becomes a different game if you take advantage of that.

The Bayonetta games have always had a big focus on the story. There are a lot of cutscenes. But you can't defend what they wrote here. It's weak. I find Bayonetta 1 was the best, simply because of the end boss and some of the Umbra Witch lore and backstory. The story is here to give us some wacky moments and scenes with the characters, which works, but there is nothing interesting or anything that makes sense with the story. I don't mind, I enjoy the cutscenes and story as a wacky sideshow.

I miss the focus on heaven and hell, I wish they had a part in this story.

If you go for all the extra little collectibles and challenges, it can get a bit tedious. About 60% in, I started to skip all of those block cubes you hit to break open and check every corner for stuff, it started to drag on me a bit.

Bayonetta 3 does have better direction in my opinion, than the other 2. It knows where to lead the player, and where to give you breaks. It understands the ebb and flow of Bayonetta on a deeper level than the first 2. Which is why I think it's the best of the Bayonetta games.

I loved this, I think it deserves a place in the top 5 GOTY. Elden Ring and God of War clear the top 2 spots, but it's a frenzy after that.

 

[Danjin44]

I think it deserves a place in the top 5 GOTY

Never going to happen, one because its too "sexy" for VGA shows and two people got offended about the fact Bayonetta is not gay.

 

[GigaBowser]

I finished it today, my two cents:

I fear this is gonna be the last of Bayonetta. Even if they set up the future of the franchise in Bayonetta 3, I fear Bayonetta 3 will sell so poorly that Platinum will be hesitant to touch this for a while, I also fear Platinum might simply not be around 6 years down the road, or whenever they might start to produce a new one. Platinum don't wanna live on Nintendo money, they want their own game, which they have tried and badly failed with lately. If they can't produce anything good outside of Bayonetta, I don't know where their future lie.

It's hard to sell Bayonetta on promotion, it just looks weird if you don't know what you are looking at. If you never played it, it looks like a fever dream. Add to that, third-person fighting games are just not huge sellers apart from some very few unique examples like Devil May Cry. The first game sold well because it was on all platforms and considered the spiritual successor of DMC by the creator of himself, but I imagine that Bayonetta 2 is the ceiling of new Bayonetta games, selling 1-2 million. Especially if it's locked on Switch only. Even if, ironically, it's the only way the franchise still survives.

A lot has been said about the visuals, and while it does look dated, one area where it towers over Bayo 1 or 2 is the geometry. Meaning, instead of having flat surfaces, they build cliffs and uneven terrain, making the levels more natural and IMO, making the game look quite a bit better than Bayonetta 2.

It features so many impressive sequences, and a big part of these games has always been to soak in the almost anime-like visual flair. From start to finish, I feel like I am indulging in something special.

The combat in Bayonetta has always been hard to explain to people. On one hand, it's possible to clear this by just knowing how to bash buttons and dodge, and I suspect most people play like this. But if you are willing to dig into the combat system, it's deeper than almost anything out there, the amount of shit you can pull off with the demons and the weapons is wild. It becomes a different game if you take advantage of that.

The Bayonetta games have always had a big focus on the story. There are a lot of cutscenes. But you can't defend what they wrote here. It's weak. I find Bayonetta 1 was the best, simply because of the end boss and some of the Umbra Witch lore and backstory. The story is here to give us some wacky moments and scenes with the characters, which works, but there is nothing interesting or anything that makes sense with the story. I don't mind, I enjoy the cutscenes and story as a wacky sideshow.

I miss the focus on heaven and hell, I wish they had a part in this story.

If you go for all the extra little collectibles and challenges, it can get a bit tedious. About 60% in, I started to skip all of those block cubes you hit to break open and check every corner for stuff, it started to drag on me a bit.

Bayonetta 3 does have better direction in my opinion, than the other 2. It knows where to lead the player, and where to give you breaks. It understands the ebb and flow of Bayonetta on a deeper level than the first 2. Which is why I think it's the best of the Bayonetta games.

I loved this, I think it deserves a place in the top 5 GOTY. Elden Ring and God of War clear the top 2 spots, but it's a frenzy after that.

The combat in Bayonetta 3 probably is better than Elden Ring and GOW, but GOW is overall better. I think I prefer Bayonetta 3 to Elden Ring though.

 

[Northeastmonk]

I’m 3/4 of the way in. The combat is a lot of fun, but for whatever reason my play sessions aren’t as long as I originally had thought. You’re fighting some cool stuff and then the same enemy types again and again. At times I feel like “these monsters are spawning again?” or “I can’t wait to finish this particular battle”. It makes playing it in bits and pieces a lot more enjoyable than grinding it.

 

[Labolas]

I loved this, I think it deserves a place in the top 5 GOTY. Elden Ring and God of War clear the top 2 spots, but it's a frenzy after that.

You'll be lucky if this just gets a nomination for action game of the year.

 

[Danjin44]

You'll be lucky if this just gets a nomination for action game of the year.

VGA dont want ruin their "image" whatever fuck that means.

 

[Punished Miku]

Never going to happen, one because its too "sexy" for VGA shows and two people got offended about the fact Bayonetta is not gay.

Part 2 was in the running for GOTY and lost to Dragon Age.

 

[Danjin44]

Part 2 was in the running for GOTY and lost to Dragon Age.

Which was crime against humanity….HUMANITY!

 

[Fbh]

Finished it yesterday. Overall I really enjoyed it and had a blast with it, can't wait to go back and go through the higher difficulties as well as playing around with some of the weapons I didn't use a lot (or at all) during my first playthrough.
Some final thoughts.

On the positive side:
- I love the creativity and craziness, you can tell a lot of love went into this and they tried to incorporate as many ideas as they could come up with. The amount of weapons for a game like this is pretty insane and they are all fun to use and have depth. Not to mention that conceptually this has some of the most unique and fun weapons I've ever seen in a game. It's like they saw the bike blades in DMC5 and went "hold my beer".
- I like the "Bayonetta in the multiverse of madness" concept for the story, I've never been too invested in the plot so just having an excuse to go to a variety of locations and encounter silly characters was good IMO
- The Demon Salve mechanic was much better than I expected. From the trailers I was afraid it would be too gimmicky but it actually works well and adds depth to the combat system. I still prefer the lower scale, more up close approach of the first two but I appreciate them trying something new to keep things fresh, and it largely succeeded. I'd much rather get this than just another game that plays the same as the previous ones.
- The level design felt improved compared to previous games, there was a bit more to explore and some cleverly hidden stuff to find, though I wish the majority of hidden things weren't lame collectibles
- The music is fantastic (as always)

On the negative side:
- This is one of if not the ugliest game I've played in the last 10+ years. It looks extremely blurry and muddy (which doesn't combined well with the larger scale of everything), a lot of textures are horrible, the dithering looks terrible, the lighting is terrible, there's shimmering everywhere, etc. Not only that but I found the art direction really weak too, Bayonetta and Jeanne have their worst designs yet, Viola looks like she was made using a random generation feature in Saints Row and in general the Humunculus pale in comparison with the heaven and hell aesthetic of previous games.
- For all the crazy setpiece moments I found most bosses really forgettable, in fact only the last one really stands out as memorable.
- Them seemingly incorporating every idea they could come up with works as a double edged sword as it can also make the game feel a bit gimmicky at times. I usually don't tend to like the sequences in Platinum games where they deviate from the core gameplay loop, and this one has a lot of that (aside from the rythm game sequence, that was awesome)
- Like the 2 previous games, I still think it suffer a bit from interrupting the gameplay too often. I wish it had longer sequences where I just explore the locations and fight enemies without getting interrupted by a cutscene or gimmick gameplay sequence ever 5 minutes

Regarding the ending
Overall it was fine, the other 2 bayonettas showing up was cool. But if we ever get a Bayo 4 I hope they backtrack on their idea of having Viola be the new Bayonetta. I didn't mind the character but she is nowhere near on the same tier as Bayonetta. I could however maybe see some plot of Bayonetta in hell and Viola trying to revive her or something and we get to play 50/50 with both characters.

 

[Punished Miku]

Still early on but the game is just hilarious and super fun. Im a sucker for a good platinum action sequence. Just got done with some hilariously over the top ones. Feels good man

 

[Punished Miku]

Finished chapter 1 and I'm starting to grasp how much new shit they added. When you see the skill list you can buy for the summons, wow. Now this is the kind of addition I want for a direct sequel. And a new character on top to boot. This game is realllllyyyy great.

I stay in training mode on almost every load screen just to practice all this stuff.

 

[Labolas]

Finished it yesterday. Overall I really enjoyed it and had a blast with it, can't wait to go back and go through the higher difficulties as well as playing around with some of the weapons I didn't use a lot (or at all) during my first playthrough.
Some final thoughts.

On the positive side:
- I love the creativity and craziness, you can tell a lot of love went into this and they tried to incorporate as many ideas as they could come up with. The amount of weapons for a game like this is pretty insane and they are all fun to use and have depth. Not to mention that conceptually this has some of the most unique and fun weapons I've ever seen in a game. It's like they saw the bike blades in DMC5 and went "hold my beer".
- I like the "Bayonetta in the multiverse of madness" concept for the story, I've never been too invested in the plot so just having an excuse to go to a variety of locations and encounter silly characters was good IMO
- The Demon Salve mechanic was much better than I expected. From the trailers I was afraid it would be too gimmicky but it actually works well and adds depth to the combat system. I still prefer the lower scale, more up close approach of the first two but I appreciate them trying something new to keep things fresh, and it largely succeeded. I'd much rather get this than just another game that plays the same as the previous ones.
- The level design felt improved compared to previous games, there was a bit more to explore and some cleverly hidden stuff to find, though I wish the majority of hidden things weren't lame collectibles
- The music is fantastic (as always)

On the negative side:
- This is one of if not the ugliest game I've played in the last 10+ years. It looks extremely blurry and muddy (which doesn't combined well with the larger scale of everything), a lot of textures are horrible, the dithering looks terrible, the lighting is terrible, there's shimmering everywhere, etc. Not only that but I found the art direction really weak too, Bayonetta and Jeanne have their worst designs yet, Viola looks like she was made using a random generation feature in Saints Row and in general the Humunculus pale in comparison with the heaven and hell aesthetic of previous games.
- For all the crazy setpiece moments I found most bosses really forgettable, in fact only the last one really stands out as memorable.
- Them seemingly incorporating every idea they could come up with works as a double edged sword as it can also make the game feel a bit gimmicky at times. I usually don't tend to like the sequences in Platinum games where they deviate from the core gameplay loop, and this one has a lot of that (aside from the rythm game sequence, that was awesome)
- Like the 2 previous games, I still think it suffer a bit from interrupting the gameplay too often. I wish it had longer sequences where I just explore the locations and fight enemies without getting interrupted by a cutscene or gimmick gameplay sequence ever 5 minutes

Regarding the ending
Overall it was fine, the other 2 bayonettas showing up was cool. But if we ever get a Bayo 4 I hope they backtrack on their idea of having Viola be the new Bayonetta. I didn't mind the character but she is nowhere near on the same tier as Bayonetta. I could however maybe see some plot of Bayonetta in hell and Viola trying to revive her or something and we get to play 50/50 with both characters.

Well, I will say you have a more similar conclusion of the game as me. Including the ending. Although I didn't like the rhythm game, but I'm shit at rhythm games. But what's funny to me is that this game has a lot in common with W101 with the overabundance of minigames. I think that W101 is also a brilliant game but the style of the game wasn't for me.

I have finished Bayo 3 and I'll gather my thoughts on the game overall in a later post.

 

[Keihart]

The combos are out of control, just tried this shit on training, can't wait to land one during witch time on witch trials, shit is bonkers and gives you some dumb combo potential too.
Also, it's the main 4 summons working together, how poetic.

 

[bender]

VGA dont want ruin their "image" whatever fuck that means.

 

[Keihart]

Anyone else beat the game yet? I'm currently on my second run hunting collectibles to prep for my plat run on IC.

I'm focusing on witch trials before my second run so i can discover some combos and weapon interactions thanks to the dificulty and how much combat there is.
I love the witch trials on this, finally a proper bloody palace, the equivalent on 2 is alright but having a partner always kinda defeats the point.

 

[NightmareFarm]

I'm focusing on witch trials before my second run so i can discover some combos and weapon interactions thanks to the dificulty and how much combat there is.
I love the witch trials on this, finally a proper bloody palace, the equivalent on 2 is alright but having a partner always kinda defeats the point.

I might try the witch trials before my PP run.

Also, you had a partner on the B2 witch trials???

 

[Keihart]

I might try the witch trials before my PP run.

Also, you had a partner on the B2 witch trials???

Maybe i'm confusing things, isn't it obligatory to play with an AI partner? maybe there is another mode? i unistalled it last week to make room for bayo 3

 

[NightmareFarm]

Maybe i'm confusing things, isn't it obligatory to play with an AI partner? maybe there is another mode? i unistalled it last week to make room for bayo 3

Not that I remember. I think you mean tag climax.

 

[Keihart]

Not that I remember. I think you mean tag climax.

yeah, probably that.
i would of prefered to play witch trials if they were like these on Bayo 3, didn't find the menu after i finish it so i just started playing the tag mode instead since it makes you so much halos too.