Bayonetta 3 Thread
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Ok I blasted through this game over Thanksgiving weekend. And, you know, it sure is a Bayonetta.
So yeah, it was what I expected of course, so no complaints, but also nothing that knocked my socks off. It is what it is, which is fine.
I think my play style and the game's strengths are incompatible. At least in terms of combat- which let's face it is kinda the whole point here- I play to move along the story, I don't care about getting good grades so much. I mean, I try my best, but I want to move on to the next battle or set piece not retry fights.
So early on I was able to buy practically infinite healing items which the game allows you to stop and consume at will, effectively giving me god mode and making combat boring very quickly. I was able to beat the game mashing X, doing anything else purely to relieve myself of boredom and see fun animations. "Side" content was completely uninteresting as it's just more of the combat but more annoying and the upgrades are superfluous. Yes, I know I can up the difficulty but I just don't do that on first (or only) play-throughs and that feels like a way to make up for the poor balance of the game (that's how I feel about game difficulty in general not just Bayonetta).
The Viola sections were a very mixed bag. I loved Cheshire, and the fact that Viola and Bayonetta's use of demon summons are different is the kind of variations of gameplay that works really well for me. The parry instead of dodge for witch time was, for the first half of the game, really great, 'cause I love a good parry system as my multiple play-throughs of Sekiro will attest. But then in the second half they threw more enemies that popped around in various directions and shot bullets which made parrying impractical, so I had to resort to spamming dodge and hating the no longer effective parry.
This sort of confusing, crazy, often terrible melding of progression and mechanics has always been one of the quirks of the series and it's like one of those things I love-hate about it. What a mess. Bayo3 is either the worst offender or just the most recent but with all the demon summons, three different characters and play styles, weapons and throw in the occasional QTE or insta-death chase sequence or whatever and there's just no time to master a rhythm here- unless, of course, you replay stuff, which I don't do.
The plot is stupid but I already new that going in and I don't care so much, though I will say that 2's ending and the fact that the third looks the same- graphically, technically- as the first two does give the game a whole feeling of being like a huge DLC. But I like the trappings of the third, especially the parallel universe Bayonettas. It's like a fanboy fashion show and I loved it. I liked all of them and I would want a DLC with each- problematic orientalist Bayo, teeny weeb skater grl Bayo, and especially top-hat wearing PrestigeIllusionist Bayo. Oh well.
The demon summoning was cool- the train and clocktower ones are wild, I though having demons that were, like, objects, was a lovely idea. I beat the final bosses with a clocktower punching them and it was hilarious.
My one big "mistake" was playing this after that absolutely breath-taking Ragnarok. Both go for that fast action+story thing, so they're similar in my head space for that reason, and Ragnarok is much more fulfilling and awesome that it really highlights how Bayo3 is just a pretty decent action game for like 5-10 years ago.
I didn't think I'd "feel" how old this game feels but I did.
This will be my last game on the Switch platform as I have no interest in any other Nintendo only franchises so I'll be moving to the Steam Deck for my handheld gaming.
Stuff about the ending and future games:
Bayonetta is the most fun new franchise of the year- I played all 3! And I'm done with it. I mean who knows in the future, obviously, but even if Bayo4 comes out on newer console(s) I do have, they're going to have to really change things up to capture my interest. I am feeling that way about all my franchises so I'm not picking on it, it's just what it is. Personally I would absolutely NOT recommend this game to anyone who hasn't played the previous two, because they're all same enough but the previous two have more charm and heart. I would absolutely recommend it to those like me how already played the previous ones and like the character and gameplay.
So yeah, it was what I expected of course, so no complaints, but also nothing that knocked my socks off. It is what it is, which is fine.
I think my play style and the game's strengths are incompatible. At least in terms of combat- which let's face it is kinda the whole point here- I play to move along the story, I don't care about getting good grades so much. I mean, I try my best, but I want to move on to the next battle or set piece not retry fights.
So early on I was able to buy practically infinite healing items which the game allows you to stop and consume at will, effectively giving me god mode and making combat boring very quickly. I was able to beat the game mashing X, doing anything else purely to relieve myself of boredom and see fun animations. "Side" content was completely uninteresting as it's just more of the combat but more annoying and the upgrades are superfluous. Yes, I know I can up the difficulty but I just don't do that on first (or only) play-throughs and that feels like a way to make up for the poor balance of the game (that's how I feel about game difficulty in general not just Bayonetta).
The Viola sections were a very mixed bag. I loved Cheshire, and the fact that Viola and Bayonetta's use of demon summons are different is the kind of variations of gameplay that works really well for me. The parry instead of dodge for witch time was, for the first half of the game, really great, 'cause I love a good parry system as my multiple play-throughs of Sekiro will attest. But then in the second half they threw more enemies that popped around in various directions and shot bullets which made parrying impractical, so I had to resort to spamming dodge and hating the no longer effective parry.
This sort of confusing, crazy, often terrible melding of progression and mechanics has always been one of the quirks of the series and it's like one of those things I love-hate about it. What a mess. Bayo3 is either the worst offender or just the most recent but with all the demon summons, three different characters and play styles, weapons and throw in the occasional QTE or insta-death chase sequence or whatever and there's just no time to master a rhythm here- unless, of course, you replay stuff, which I don't do.
The plot is stupid but I already new that going in and I don't care so much, though I will say that 2's ending and the fact that the third looks the same- graphically, technically- as the first two does give the game a whole feeling of being like a huge DLC. But I like the trappings of the third, especially the parallel universe Bayonettas. It's like a fanboy fashion show and I loved it. I liked all of them and I would want a DLC with each- problematic orientalist Bayo, teeny weeb skater grl Bayo, and especially top-hat wearing PrestigeIllusionist Bayo. Oh well.
The demon summoning was cool- the train and clocktower ones are wild, I though having demons that were, like, objects, was a lovely idea. I beat the final bosses with a clocktower punching them and it was hilarious.
My one big "mistake" was playing this after that absolutely breath-taking Ragnarok. Both go for that fast action+story thing, so they're similar in my head space for that reason, and Ragnarok is much more fulfilling and awesome that it really highlights how Bayo3 is just a pretty decent action game for like 5-10 years ago.
I didn't think I'd "feel" how old this game feels but I did.
This will be my last game on the Switch platform as I have no interest in any other Nintendo only franchises so I'll be moving to the Steam Deck for my handheld gaming.
Stuff about the ending and future games:
Bayo3 ends with the statement about the next one happening on "the next generation" which is clearly a double reference both to the fact that they want to retire the title character (marked by the MULTIPLE end credit dance sequences, lol) and having to make games for the current Switch.
Bayonetta is the most fun new franchise of the year- I played all 3! And I'm done with it. I mean who knows in the future, obviously, but even if Bayo4 comes out on newer console(s) I do have, they're going to have to really change things up to capture my interest. I am feeling that way about all my franchises so I'm not picking on it, it's just what it is. Personally I would absolutely NOT recommend this game to anyone who hasn't played the previous two, because they're all same enough but the previous two have more charm and heart. I would absolutely recommend it to those like me how already played the previous ones and like the character and gameplay.
Ragnarok does have the better overall conclusion, but Bayo 3 still has the better gameplay. Though I didn't find it ending as terrible as most fans and shippers make out to be. My problem with Ragnarok is the same I had with the previous game, the forced walking sections that go on for too long and just should have been a cut scene. Bayonetta 3 has a similar problem, though its forced walking only last for about 10 to 15 seconds, but there's at least 10 of them peppered throughout the game. This game I still find better than the original Bayonetta game in term of weapons, set pieces, and more open level design.
Originally they wanted this game to be open world/semi-open world, and according to Kamiya, that is what they'll be experimenting on next.
Gaming Brit didn't like the game overall. Whatever, but I will offer counterpoints.
- The game is good and doesn't feel like a "made-for-TV sequel" as he puts it.
- I will agree and say that some of the enemies are annoying and do not like.
- The game didn't exactly nerf Bayonetta's move sets or power scale. If anything, Bayo2 nerfed her in terms of power. Yes, it was done for the sake of the summons, but you can still use summons as combo enders, making them as powerful as the standards Wicked Weaves from the old games. You can get her move sets from 1 and 2, if you have the save files from said games. His complaints are minor nick pits. Odds are most people aren't gonna play the third game in the franchise without playing the prior two.
- This game is not "next-gen" looking. Fuck off, dude. I agree that the visuals aren't as good as the previous games, but they're not bad. Also, the first game has the washed-out bloom look of generation 7. Not as bad as many others and was done more artistically, but Bayonetta 2 being more colorful showed bad that design trend was.
- GB is being a contrarian again that can't make up his mind. He has this push back about how Bayonetta never needed a sequel. Yet back in 2014, he was no different whooping and hollering for the game to come out like everyone else. I know opinions change and all, but the first game has a self-contained story and is open-ended. It could have gone either way, but the rest is history. Be grateful you prick. What he said you can apply most franchises in general: Devil May Cry, Ninja Gaiden, Resident Evil, God of War, etc. Get your head out of your ass.
- Viola YMMV, but I understand where is coming from. I like her personally, but it does get annoying fighting giant enemies when playing as her. It only gets more difficult when playing harder modes.
- As for comparisons to V from DMC5, I enjoy the summon mechanics from both him and Bayonetta. I admit that I enjoy Bayo's a bit more, even though she is not free to move around when she fully summons her demons. She can still use them for high damaging pause combos or finishers when timed right. They can even be used to parry attacks. V is a fun character, but his major flaw is that, if he loses two of his familiars and has no DT, the man can't fight back properly until he has Shadow or Griffin, or has at least 3 bars of DT. Bayonetta can defend herself fine no different from Dante or Nero. GB, you're letting your blind fan boy goggles showing.
- The game is "too easy". While the game is easier, it's still a challenge if you don't play carefully. Try Hard or Infinite Climax, then complain to me about difficulty. Or right, you didn't because you said that you were not going to go back to it often. Good for you, more fun for me.
- Story is once again YMMV. I liked it overall, but I can see where people would have problems. Not enough to ruin the whole experience for me.
- Bayo did try to save Phantom Bayo, but the parasites already infected Phantom, and two, the latter would not have appreciated much any way. Because Bayo Prime had to kill Phantom's mom, who was mind controlled over by said Alpha-Verse parasites. Another thing GB, Bayo didn't cause those soldiers to dance, that was the parasite themselves. The dancing Thriller shout was weird, but I still got a quick laugh out of it.
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You gonna solve the chip shortage crisis still going on? Not gonna happen right now, while they still have it good.
I know I didn't say uhm. I know this is a shock to you, but the third game hints at this, when with a hidden chapter you get certain collectibles that unlocks it. It's a preview chapter of what is to come next. I am more than excited. Love the Okami style presentation.
You didn't. When I tried to quote you (but removed the video link so it potentially wouldn't blow up the message size a bunch) the quote just disappeared from my response entirely. So I had to put something there.
Visually it's nice. Dunno if it's my jam though
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Oh well, it is for me. Platinum can't be doing the same thing all the time. They were doing other style of games when they were Clover Studios. And even when they became Platinum, they had different types of (action) games to start off with.
A new What Happened came out today.
PlatinumGames' Hideki Kamiya on Bayonetta, Project G.G., and Elon Musk’s Twitter - IGN
IGN Japan interviewed Platinum’s outspoken vice president and veteran creator Hideki Kamiya about the response to Bayonetta 3, his ambitious next game Project G.G., his thoughts on Elon Musk’s Twitter, and much more.