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 Bayonetta 2 is the infamously Nintendo-exclusive sequel to one of PlatinumGames' (PG) best original IPs. It was released in Japan on September 20th 2014, then the rest of the world followed (hair)suit a month later on October 24. Hideki Kamiya, who directed the original, unfortunately took a back seat for the sequel due to working on The Wonderful 101 at the same time. Instead, the producer from the first game, Yusuke Hashimoto, now sits in the director's seat, with Atsushi Inaba from PG and Hitoshi Yamagami from Nintendo as producers. However, Kamiya is still credited as a supervisor, having written the story for the second game. I think Bayonetta 2 is a pretty good game, but by no means does it surpass its predecessor. Originally, Sega funded the sequel, having been the ones who published the original. However, the project ran out of money and subsequently was left for dead. Nintendo then stepped in, and said they would bankroll the project. To say it plainly, Bayonetta 2 would not have existed without Nintendo's intervention and therefore will always be a Nintendo exclusive unless they say otherwise, so that's the last of it I want to hear. The plot of Bayonetta 2 was written in a way so that playing the first game is not necessarily required. However, Kamiya has stated that fans of the original will appreciate the sequel better, so I'd suggest you go play the game (because it is a good game), or go watch an LP of it or something. Forums user toddy. joins me for commentary this time. Once again, this is going to be a 100% LP. This means all collectibles, secrets and easter eggs. As usual, in-game notes and documents will be posted as they come up for each update. I want to emphasise a no spoiler policy for this LP. That means no spoilers, tagged or otherwise. I know, the story is not the point of this game. However, I also know goons get awfully excitable about games and really want to talk about things like weapons, enemies, or maybe some cool bit that happens way later in the game before they appear in the LP. For the sake of those who are watching this blind, take the spoiler talk to the Games thread if you really think your opinions matter that much. With that said, let's rock, baby!   Bayonetta "Cereza" to those who know her well enough. The Umbra Witch and angel slayer extraordinaire. The daughter of an Umbra Witch and a Lumen Sage, she's embued with the Left Eye of Darkness, which is said to be associated with a godly presence. Bayonetta practices "bullet arts", a beautifully deadly dance-like fighting style performed with a combination of melee attacks and the guns on her hands and feet.  Jeanne Bayonetta's former-rival-turned-best-friend, and fellow Umbra Witch. Her abduction, and the curiosities surrounding it, are what kick off Bayonetta's adventure across the three planes of existence.  Rodin The infernal weaponsmith returns, still running the bar known as The Gates of Hell, where Bayonetta can have new weapons made, pick up all sorts of items and accessories, and learn new moves. However recent events have prompted Rodin to step into the fray himself - and when he does, things get explosive!  Enzo Though his being the butt of the series' more elaborate jokes may suggest otherwise, Enzo is actually a resourceful informant and consequently a valuable member of Bayonetta's entourage. In both the original game and this one, it is Enzo who finds out where Bayonetta will have to journey to find whatever answers she seeks.  Loki This mysterious boy joins Bayonetta in her quest while pursuing one of his own. To say that the two's personalities and even ideologies are at odds is an understatement, but perhaps, just perhaps along the way, they might learn to find some common ground. Along with being quite agile, Loki can toss cards to attack and can project magic fields to defend himself in battle.  Luka A scoop-searching journalist armed with naught but a grappling hook and a rather curious luck factor, Luka Redgrave (son of Antonio) chases after Bayonetta wherever he can, because let's face it: Where Bayonetta goes, supernatural spectacle follows! As the aforementioned luck would have it, Luka's research clues him in to a massive legend, and it is that legend that sets this game in motion.  Update 00: Time for the (Umbran) Climax! Update 01: Pure Platinum Destruction Update 02: You Want To Touch Me? Update 03: Into the Drink Update 04: Light And Darkness Update 05: Contractual Obligations Update 06: Let It Rip! Update 07: Pretty Boys Update 08: Ice And Fire Update 09: Trashbag Realness Update 10: Demon Tedium Update 11: Whisperer of Dementia Update 12: Darkness Envelops Light Update 13: Come To Mummy! Update 14: Like A Tank Update 15: Time Loop Tango Update 16: New Year, New Heels  An explanation of the changes in the save system  Concept art from the in-game gallery. Concept Art - Characters, Enemies and Infernal Demons Concept Art - Backgrounds Concept Art - Objects  As you might know, the Lost Chapter takes its cues from the first game - a two hour crampfest of trying to survive 51 stages of fighting enemies. Bayonetta 2 changes things up by splitting the Lost Chapter across five separate chapters, which is great in some ways, and not so great in other ways. Witch Trial I | Witch Trial II | Witch Trial III | Witch Trial IV | Witch Trial V  When I said I would show everything off, I meant everything, so that includes the new co-op mode as well. However, I figured presenting Tag Climax in the same manner as the rest of the LP would be boring for all parties included, so I decided to rope in guests of varying backgrounds to talk about the Bayonetta series instead. It's essentially a podcast series talking about Bayonetta mechanics, lore and what we did or didn't like about the games, so consider these videos optional viewing. If you're looking for a basic intro to the new gameplay mode, here's my explanation on it, because there won't be any meaningful information about Tag Climax in the podcasts. All the podcast updates will have .mp3 downloads links available in the video description. Podcast 1: Featuring Doshmaster Cash, General Beatrix and Flicky Podcast 2: Featuring Morninglord22 Podcast 3: Featuring Ben Ruiz and Saurian Dash   
yoshesque fucked around with this message at 02:10 on May 12, 2016 |
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Mar 24, 2015 11:10
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 Camel Pimp posted:Look, ya mentioned TIngle and- Rumrusher on Twitter also sent me this gem: Talking about the graphical wonder at the end of Update 02: mkob posted:
Camel Pimp posted:I don't really think that visual freak out gifs very well, but you can't say I didn't try! Rumrusher continues to be an amazing person: Loki is helpful Bayonetta and Loki squirrel buddies (Rumrusher continuing to be a wonderful contributor)  mkob posted:Had to do it Rumrusher posted:Thanks for LPing Bayonetta 2.  One final bit of fanart by mkob because he is a cool dude. Context: https://twitter.com/yoshesque/status/707178725293428736 yoshesque fucked around with this message at 03:40 on May 11, 2016 |
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Mar 24, 2015 11:11
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 Update 00: Time For The (Umbran) Climax! No talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Download   Love is Blue A set of guns masterfully crafted by the famed demon-smith Rodin, waiting for their time to finally be put to use. Individually, their names are Prelude, Minuet, Toccata and Nocturne. These weapons are no second fiddle to Scarborough Fair in terms of control and power. While useful as standard melee weapons, they can also summon demons through Wicked Weaves and use the Umbran Climax, a secret skill that unleashes the user's saved-up magic energy to give them enhanced powers.   Acceptance Among the nine ranks in the angelic hierarchy, Acceptance belongs to the bottom of the Third Sphere called Angels, the hierarchy's lowest rank. It appears to those who are moments away from death in a half-human, half-pegasus form with glittering wings. Characterized as the symbol of death and acceptance, various legends tell of Acceptance solemnly placing the souls of the dead upon its back and carrying them away, ignoring their past deeds and any pleas for a second chance.  Belief Belonging to the Second Sphere, Beliefs are considered a Power, the sixth rank of the angelic hierarchy. Their sturdy, dominating size makes them an ideal candidate for giving orders on the front lines during wars with Inferno. The gigantic snakelike right arm of Beliefs has caused them to often be depicted in legends as hideous creatures, but in reality, this feature is meant to be a divine whip for binding evil with its unwavering faith.   Gomorrah A monstrous creature hailing from the demonic wood, Johnson Forest. Taking the form of a dragon, it is incredibly fierce, identifying all that moves as game and devouring its prey. Territorial, it is most likely to be found alone.  Labolas A beloved pet dog who had the bad luck to wander into hell, but the good luck and survival instincts to get through its harsh environment and grow into a force to be reckoned with. With its superb hunting abilities, it has even become known to some as a merciless butcher. Once it has sunk its sharp canines into its enemy, it will not let go until their last breath.  Madama Butterfly A demon taking the form of a woman who left this world under unfortunate circumstances, only to be reincarnated in hell. Unlike her beautiful, swallowtail-butterfly-like appearance, this demon is particularly brutal, and her reputation is well known even amongst the denizens of Inferno. If a conjurer were to sign a contract and trade her soul, the demon would impart upon her enormous power and great wisdom. yoshesque fucked around with this message at 01:10 on Apr 20, 2015 |
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Mar 24, 2015 11:11
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a cartoon duck posted:The biggest improvement in Bayonetta 2 is Bayo's hairdo, really. I haven't really thought too much about how I'm going to present the multiplayer mode. I had vague aspirations to show off all the stages on all difficulties but that seems needlessly complicated and most people wouldn't care for it anyway. I've got vague plans in the back of my mind but I won't be doing anything with it until the end of the LP anyway, so I've got some time to mull over it. And for those of you who are wondering why I would rate this game lower than the first, it essentially boils down to an imbalance in the combat system due to the way the developers had to alter the system to accommodate Umbran Climax. Umbran Climax is so OP that there's no reason to save your magic for anything else because it is the best use of your magic almost 100% of the time. Torture Attacks require the same amount of magic to use, but only target one enemy, while UC gives you range and can hit multiple enemies. This game has ridiculously strict platinum time requirements that I suspect are based on using UC in order to meet them, and barring a few verses, you will never get a platinum for time if you use a Torture Attack. Due to the time requirements, there's little to no chances to gently caress around/style/juggle enemies. The game just becomes a grind of "kill everything ASAP". There's much more to my issues with the game than just UC, and I expect I'll be covering all my grievances in a separate video, but that's basically what it boils down to. Seyser Koze posted:Debating getting a Wii U, and this would be one of the games I'd pick up if I did. I suppose I should probably check out the first game first, though. As much as I didn't enjoy Wonderful 101, it is very definitely a good game and is very much worth your time and money.
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Mar 25, 2015 00:56
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Trick Question posted:Entirely fair, when I play this game I usually settle for platinums or golds so I wouldn't notice that. I wouldn't say discouraging people from using torture attacks is necessarily a bad thing, though, considering how boring they are after you've done them n times. The verse design in this game is skewed towards making Platinums easy to get, but Pure Platinums are much more difficult to get. There are certain verses where you can lose all your health and still get a gold award on Damage, and as long as you do well in Time and Combo you'll get a Platinum medal. Compare that to getting hit more than twice in the original and getting a silver for damage. I suspect a lot of people who enjoyed this game never tried to Pure Platinum everything, because it is a bitch to do, and personally I have a lot more fun with the game when I don't try to PP it. Renzuko posted:I really should get back into bayonetta 2...I picked it up at launch and played for maybe an hour or two, unlocked a few weapons and HOLY poo poo did I suck. but I was also having one hell of a time with it, even with me getting bronzes and i think like, one silver in the time that I played. The Nintendo extra stuff is going to be shown off after the initial playthrough. I just prefer the first playthrough to have the default costume all the way through. Stumbling Block posted:Been waiting for this ever since the LP of the first game finished. My initial playthrough was with the gamepad (on my second, US-region Wii U  ), and I had no issues. I prefer the Pro controller though, because it's better in practically every way.
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Mar 25, 2015 03:04
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mozman posted:You're Bayo1 LP is what finally convinced me to get a PS3. I'm definitely looking forward to more of this since there's no chance I'm buying a Wii U. I'm so sorry 
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Mar 25, 2015 11:24
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KieranWalker posted:I like Bayonetta 2 a lot, and I'm kind of sad to hear you don't seem to think very highly of it, Yosh. After the Bayo1 LP I figured you'd be a little more enthusiastic about it. But I can certainly see why trying to Pure Platinum the entire game might suck some of the fun out of it... Believe me, I wanted to like this game. Ultimately I do, because it's fun, and it's much prettier than the original. It's just disappointing the developers felt the need to remove elements from the original combat system, because to me, the original system was the perfect balance between basic, but rewarding gameplay, and higher-level techniques that could please both casual and experienced players at the same time. Bayonetta 2 does a very good job at making the basic game amazing, but pretty much fails to add anything deeper than what you see. I had been hoping that Bayo 2 would build on the original system and offer more things to explore. As it is, Bayo 2 was a step back because they removed techniques for seemingly no good reason. Plus the dev team seem to really have dropped the ball on the little details in this game. For example:  Bayonetta isn't supposed to have a normal shadow.  vvv Bayonetta 2 made Pure Platinum runs completely trivial by basically allowing you to savescum. More details on this on a later update! yoshesque fucked around with this message at 01:03 on Mar 26, 2015 |
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Mar 26, 2015 00:50
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 Update 01: Pure Platinum Destruction Part 1: No talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Download Part 2: No talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Download  Rakshasa A pair of swords that absorbed the demon god Rakshasa and were cleansed with Soma. Energy from Rakshasa'a chakra flows from the swords into their user, making them easy to handle.  Accolade A large angel belonging to the Third Sphere, tasked with commanding the lowest-ranking angels. Accolades are adept at using many of Paradiso's weaponry, including swords, spears, hammers, and whips. They use these to instill fear into the hearts of all those who doubt the might of God. Accolades have long lived in legend; at times, they were said to have answered the prayers of the most devout followers by temporarily bestowing upon them one of these divine instruments.  Valiance Valiance is a First Sphere Cherub considered particularly ascendant as a spiritual being even among the other angels. Physical shape means little to angels of this rank; they exist in a metaphysical form that demonstrates the majesty of God. The most ambitious and brave of the Cherubim, there are some sources that believe Valiance first arrived on Earth thousands of years ago, riding a comet of God's wrath that destroyed everything in its way. Valiance's sword, the Valiantium Blade, is said to have the power to cut in two anything in Paradiso or Inferno, and is prophesized to one day assist a team of over a hundred heroes in saving humanity from an invading evil.  Cachet & Compassion Belonging to the lowest rank of angels, these two angels are said to have been sacred weapons brought to Paradiso after the heroes they traveled with came to the end of a long journey. Charged with protecting the gates of Paradiso, their powerful blades deal swift justice to anyone who carelessly trespasses into the divine realm.  Urbane The changes of a new era will always give birth to new angels. This is because angels are given form by the fears, doubts, and prayers mankind bases its faith on--feelings which change with mankind's material obsessions. As a notably advanced being even compared to other angels, Urbane, a Virtue in the angelic hierarchy, is said to be shaped by the subconscious fears of humans. In modern eras, he often appears as a giant with a ball and chain on each of his arms. Urbane's power to reduce the triumphs of civilization to mere ashes with a single swing of his arm most likely reflects the subconscious fears man harbors towards both the natural world and their own society.  Mictlantecuhtli A gigantic bat that lurks in one of the darkest and deepest of Inferno's endless caves. It is said to leave trails of the plague wherever it goes. The protrusion on its head is not an eye, but a spiritual sensory organ that can allow Mictlantecuhtli to access the world in far deeper ways than beings who must only rely on sight alone.   A New Beginning For reasons I will not get into here, I have dedicated my life to searching for the truth of the Umbra Witches. You could even say I sacrificed the best years of my life pursuing this story. Working backward from the legends these women left behind, my search took me to Vigrid, a town in the remote hills of Europe the witches once called home. I ended up getting myself involved in a crazy tale of my own while in Vigrid. I'm thinking of getting it published one of these days, so the details will have to wait for the paying customers. My fascination with the witches has not waned, far from it; but something new has captured my inquisitive eye. A story of even greater depth calls to me: I had to know more about the true source behind the power of sage and witch alike. I grew restless, and before long I found myself back on the investigative trail. It wasn't long before I found the very place referenced in that ancient scripture. A quiet town nestled between sea and mountain: Noatun. Not five minutes in town, I was shocked to see something that confirmed my suspicions, and what a sight it was to behold! There was nothing less than statues depicting the familiar form of Sage and Witch--statues that were second to none, even when compared to those found in Vigrid.  Divine Retribution If you're going to spit in the face of God, you're probably going to incur some of his wrath. That's just common sense to me. Still, I can't help but feel a little sorry when I hear the level of divine retribution some of these witches get dealt. One case I witnessed was particularly bad. The type of punishment that never gets better, hurting for all eternity, like a curse. An Umbra Witch had the Resting Place that carried her remains shattered into pieces and her soul flung into a rift in time and space, never to be saved again. Just thinking about what this witch must've done to get dealt a hand like that drives me almost insane with curiosity. I'd kill for the chance to sit down and chat with the Lumen Sages that did it to her. Yet, judging from the witches I know, you could expel them to the ends of the universe and they'd still find a way back.  Unknown Entrance Have you ever heard of gates that connect worlds? It might sound like strange fiction, but the truth is these gates exist all over the world we live in. The gate that connects the three worlds and makes the foundation of our own is relatively well known, so if you're reading this, I'll just go ahead and assume you know of it; however, there are stories of doors that lead to the secret lairs of the supernatural, and I've got a great source who just gave me the information I need to bring things to light. I can't reveal who my source is, but according to them, there is a gateway that leads to a primordial world cut off from the flow of time--a place called Muspelheim. The place is full of demons, angels, witches, and sages, who spend their days pursuing nothing other than battle. This limitless world disregards the wounds and deaths of yesterday, always breathing life into its warriors so that they may live to fight another day. You know the stories about some guy who just suddenly disappears, is gone for months, then reappears out of thin air, as if nothing ever happened? There's a large probability that guy accidentally stepped into Muspelheim and somehow found his way back. I know it's the job of a journalist to explore and uncover the truth behind rumors like these, but as far as traveling to other dimensions in a state of endless war, I think I'm good for now.  Fragments of Memory Strange events sometimes work their way into our everyday lives. Stories abound: flashbacks from places you have no memory of, a kid who suddenly starts speaking a foreign tongue, or a voice in your head that ends up saving your life... The list goes on and on and on. These are said to happen when people come in contact with the remnants of memory left in this world by God. The God of the human realm had special eyes that could see all existence and happenings across the Earth. They could see the fate of whomever they gazed upon--their present, past, and future. Everything. God loved the human world, and his kind heart began to feel sadness for mankind. He decided to commit to memory every detail of their fleeting lives, almost like you'd take a photo. He ended up doing it so much that eventually even he forgot about them, and these records were left scattered across the Earth. These are known as the remnants of memory. They usually can't be seen or felt, but the truth is these memories could be anywhere: you could be standing within God's memories right now.  Sealed Time Sometimes, you come across something you lost long ago, and it's been untouched, found exactly as it was when lost, almost like ancient towns frozen in time after volcanic eruptions. Sometimes children even discover these ruins while playing. When I arrived here, I was circling around the harbor, doing some research, and happened to hear a story from the local fisherman: There seem to be these large pools of water about the city. These are ruins, containing statues of witches and sages and the God that gave them their powers. They say there was a devastating tsunami that hit the city long ago and cracked its very foundation, causing water to seep in and creating the vista you see today. I'd be interested in taking a peek at these ruins before they completely crumble away, but I'm not going in the water at this time of year. Freezing cold. That being said, I know a witch who probably wouldn't think twice about dancing her way down into that freezing water though. I... might come back after it warms up a bit. Make a little vacation out of it. Yep. That's a plan.  Relics Noatun is full of ruins and strange sculptures, worn down by time. Most of them have long since fallen to pieces, yet these ruins are still said to have a strange connection with the God of Chaos. For example, that ramp-looking object in front of the city's church is said to be a hidden path that once led to the god's home. Or so I was told from some old guy who walked by as I was looking at the ramp. He said those chosen would use it to be able to walk on walls. Not the most reliable source, but I'll take it. He must've been able to tell I was from out of town seeing how intently I was staring at things. Maybe this used to be able to control gravity... If only I knew a descendant of these chosen ones... I'd love to ask them about it.  Purification Grounds The brilliant church in central Noatun has aged gracefully, maintaining its beauty as if unfazed by the passage of time. Its value is not only sentimental; the people living in the city make regular visits to the church for prayer, nuptials, and funerals. However, word has it that long ago it served yet another purpose. Pilgrims chosen by God would stop by the church on their way to the sacred peak of Fimbulventr, purifying themselves in the waters that flow through the hallowed grounds. While the road to the summit is lost, holy water continues to flow, purging the impurities of those who bask in it. After ruining a perfectly good pair of shoes, I'd say my feet are pure enough for one lifetime.  Entry No. 001 -Witch's Recipes- Found this cleaning up some old journals and documents scattered about in my dad's office. Actually, note to self: I'm going to be a little proactive and try organizing these things by number. Just came up with that now. It'll take some time for me to parse everything that's written here, but according to my dad's notes, it seems to be talking about something like alchemy: working materials in different combinations to create something completely different than what you started out with. This particular one seems to be about making some secret potion from the extract of rare crystals and jewels. Has a few pictures with it too. If somebody would collect the materials here, they might be able to test out if these secret arts work.  Leaders of the Umbra What's the first thing you think of when you hear the word "witch"? I bet you probably thought of some old grandma flying around on a broom kidnapping children and saving poor little girls with magic. I've got quite the personal history with witches, so allow me to teach you a thing or two about their kind... and let me tell you, they're nothing like the fairy-tales. First off, they find the spiritually gifted members of their clan and put them through intense training from a young age. If their latent magical abilities aren't up to snuff, they're pushed aside, even if their bloodline is that of the clan elders. These candidates polish their entire mental and physical being until they're grown women, and only those who are able to learn the complete repertoire of magic arts can then complete the final step to becoming a witch: a ritual contract with what you and I know as demons. In exchange for offering their soul to the contracted demon upon their death, witches are entrusted with incredible destructive powers. Witches with particularly impressive skills have the ability to push the limits of their magical powers and temporarily control their demon as if they were using their own arms and legs. Witches were said to have been completely killed off in the witch hunts of 500 years ago, but the ones I know are a little too tough, too smart, and too classy to go down that easily. yoshesque fucked around with this message at 01:33 on May 12, 2016 |
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Mar 30, 2015 07:40
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mkob posted:Yosh disclaimed that she's going point out the game's flaws in her videos every time she felt like, and that's what she's been doing so far. Though having a single video about why some elements of Bayo 2 are subpar and/or improved compared to 1 would be nice to have too at some point (like how they nerfed witch time and how enemies can break out of air combos and that sort of crap). I trust Yosh will cover everything anyway. I will most likely be doing a series on this, and not a single video, because there are so many odd design decisions they made for this game. Probably after the LP is finished, though. It's still in the conceptual stages, because I'll need to write up all the whining I've been doing on Twitter over the last 6ish months into a coherent essay (yes, a goddamn essay). Samovar posted:Uh, at the risk of opening a can of worms... what is the move that Rodin does you mention at ~24:00? Example here, or at 16:30 if that didn't work. AnotherGamer posted:One thing I don't really like about this game, beyond the nitpicky stuff, is that there's no easy way to find out what Umbran Climax finisher summons what thing and what they actually do: the frog one shown in the second video is a major offender, since it works differently in most finishers in that Bayonetta actually rides it and its function doesn't really correspond to the respective Wicked Weave used to summon it since none of the other WWs for Love Is Blue involve projectiles. The Baal summon for the Valiance verse was the last K in PPKKK, The first time we see her in the fight at the front of the Cathedral it's the last K of PPPKKK. Generally Umbran Climax Wicked Weaves correspond to what action you're doing, and the demon summons do follow this rule, but you're right, it's impossible to tell what moves will summon which demons. You can also summon Labolas when using UC'd Love Is Blue, but I'll be damned if I could tell you exactly *which* combo does it. I think it's PPKP?? Oh yeah, Baal is a lady btw, duh, check out these demon titties: 
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Mar 31, 2015 00:43
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Veloxyll posted:So is there the 8 hour challenge mode in Bayonetta 2? or was that removed? It's been changed in Bayonetta 2 for the better, I think. Not quite 8 hours, but still five stages of pain. Sindai posted:What techniques did they remove from Bayonetta 1? As far as I could tell the game has pretty much everything the first did, aside from some weapon-specific things. A lot of the advanced dodge offset techniques were removed (taunt, crow, accessory in some capacity). No idea why they chose to do this, it's not like most players knew about these to begin with. On the flip side, Umbran spear offset is amazing now. Weapon-specific punish attacks don't exist any more. No launcher -> punish/ragdoll attack on the basic mooks. A general lack of different ways to kill enemies/use enemies to kill other enemies. Bayonetta 2 pared down the number of ways Bayonetta could interact with enemies, and while they're still there in 2, they're not nearly as useful. For instance, if you manage to dizzy a Cachet/Compassion you can execute a 'Ride' QTE on them, but as far as I can tell this doesn't actually do anything useful and in fact impedes your ability to get Pure Platinum due to time restrictions. It's also really difficult to trigger because those enemies die so quickly so I don't know why it's even there. Camel Pimp posted:Look, ya mentioned TIngle and- Don't be sorry, this is amazing  Rumrusher on Twitter also sent me this gem: quote:Watched the first 2 updates started drawing fanart then slowly shifted into this...Sorry.
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Mar 31, 2015 06:28
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Neruz posted:Based on the discussion it seems like Bayonetta 2 is less, for lack of a better word, 'hardcore' than Bayonetta 1 so the people who were super into Bayo 1 and nailing Pure Platinum runs through the whole game with their frame cancels and whatnot find Bayo 2 to be easier and more simplistic in play style with less options, whereas the people who found Bayo 1 to be a bit impenetrable and tricky find Bayo 2 fits them much better because it is, frankly, easier to just play. It's not as simple as being 'less hardcore', it's about a lack of depth. There's no problem with Bayo 2 as it is, but there's no reason for PG to have removed a lot of the techniques that made the combat in Bayo 1 deeper. There's going to be a lot less 'oh, I didn't know you could do that' moments in this LP because this game is incredly shallow. Bayo 2 improved the base game, making it much more approachable for players, but completely failed to add anything new to make the combat more than just 'mash buttons, hit the Umbran Climax button, win'. Honestly, if they had kept the combat system the same as it was in Bayo 1 but made all the changes that gave a lot of you the sense that 'I prefer Bayo 2 over Bayo 1' (and also balanced Umbran Climax better, holy poo poo) then I would've been fine with this game. Bayo 2 is honestly a bit of an odd duck in the PG lineup. Before Bayo 2, most of their games could be enjoyed at a 'casual' and at a 'hardcore' level at the same time. In Revengeance you could just run through slicing up enemies and grabbing their gatorade spines and you'd have fun, but dig a little deeper and you had blade cancelling and a rudimentary dodge offset. Wonderful 101 was the same - you could just play the game using your basic Unite morphs and dodge and block. Go a little deeper and again you have cancels, dodge offset, hero counter, ukemi and god knows what else I missed. Bayo 2 removes any incentive to play skillfully. It practically slaps your hand away when you try things like a Gaze of Despair run, because of the game's reliance on Witch Time and changes in enemy tells. There's no need to use the parry accessory because using it doesn't give you any advantages over just dodging the attack normally. This game punishes you for trying to play the game a little differently than the aforementioned 'mash buttons, hit the Umbran Climax button, win' formula, because PG decided that they would only cater to one kind of player and not the other. Understand that my disappointment is from the fact that Bayonetta 1 was a perfect balance between 'casual' and 'hardcore' (minus the instakill QTEs and the ridiculously long space harrier segments), and allowed you to define your own style of playing the game. For me, Bayonetta 2 failed to live up to its successor, because it only looked at one aspect of the game, and not the other, and can only be played to Pure Platinum standards if you don't deviate from the formula. And frankly, coming from Bayonetta 1 this game is like a wet fart. A very pretty, well polished fart, for sure.
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Mar 31, 2015 11:45
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Oh yeah, I totally forgot to link the thing I said I would: Creating an automated bug checker And I didn't say they didn't have people playtest, just that there wasn't enough of it. The way enemy AI/tells work in this game is enough proof of that.
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Apr 1, 2015 00:25
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 Update 02: You Want To Touch Me? No talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Download  Kafka A bow and arrow made with a man who once cursed another and who in turn metamorphosed into a hideous insect. Still living inside a part of the bow's frame, he fires cursed arrows of savage, venomous bugs.  Enrapture Though eighth in the angelic hierarchy, Enrapture was born many eons ago and is now considered the oldest angel to have ever existed. Given the task of leading humans to bliss by speaking directly to their spirits, it is said that the concept of faith did not exist until Enrapture's creation. There are many theories debated as to why this angel possesses its strange form of two human bodies seamed at the torso; perhaps, their shape is meant to exceed the bounds of human understanding, or maybe, in the depths of meditation, a monk approaching enlightenment caught a glimpse of this angel while its form was refracted between dimensions.  Baal A royal inhabitant of Inferno. Concealing her form under most circumstances, she appears as a gigantic toad when summoned. Baal's enormous, wobbly body is too heavy for her to control, giving her a disadvantage in the heat of battle; however, she possesses an endlessly extending tongue that can reach the far ends of the battlefield and swallow up opponents within an instant.  Rules of Nature No matter the prosperity that modern technology brings, or the semblance of order civilization affords us, we can never truly overcome the power of nature. 500 years ago, a massive disaster renewed the fear of nature into the citizens of Noatun. A giant tsunami is said to have nearly swallowed the town whole. The cause of this wave remains shrouded in mystery. One theory postulates an underwater eruption. Whatever it was, the truth was swept to the bottom of the ocean along with the rest of the city. You would never think it looking at the gentle waves that now brush the shore, but apparently whirlpools formed in the bay for some time after the tsunami, swallowing ships and people alike.  Path of the Chosen While checking for leads at the town library, I spied an old wall print between dusty volumes. The ancient print depicts the sacred mountain Fimbulventr and a long corridor emerging from the summit. The path leads through the Cathedral of Cascades, terminating in a tall tower within the city. If accurate, this print confirms that, while the tower is a shadow of its former glory, at one time there was a path from town leading directly to the mountain's peak. Nothing too groundbreaking about that, but the next mural I found was harder to swallow, to say the least. It showed people walking directly up the walls of the aforementioned spire. I thought the sea air might have gone to my head, but no matter how I looked at it, the truth was plain to see: there was a perpendicular parade going up that tower! Were these the "Chosen Ones" I had heard so much about? Were these the chosen few who could walk the path to the god waiting atop Fimbulventr? yoshesque fucked around with this message at 01:11 on Apr 20, 2015 |
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Apr 7, 2015 08:26
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I guess these posts from the PG dev blog cover the character designs for this game. I really don't know why they went with 'mariachi' for Luka when there were arguably better designs: Trenchcoat design is so much better aaaaaaaagh. Mari Shimazaki is great though, and while I don't like how Jeanne looks in this game, the concept art for her is stunning. At least this alt costume didn't make it into the game:  Neruz posted:Also according to the Wiki if you use Kafka with Umbran Climax it fires giant demonic dragonflies called Carnage instead. It's not mentioned in the Infernal Demons book except in concept art, which is weird given that it also appears in something other than UC. Guess it was another thing PG forgot to include? e: I forgot, here's what that board says:  I might do a separate post later with all the translations and stuff, there's a lot of it (except for a few notable instances) yoshesque fucked around with this message at 07:15 on Apr 8, 2015 |
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Apr 8, 2015 07:11
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WaltherFeng posted:I still can't get over the fact that they decided to give medium sized enemies a combo breaker parry move that they can pull off at any time. This gets worse with bosses and on infinite climax. It's not bad per se, because enemies in Bayo 1 did it as well, but the frequency with which enemies do it in 2 is just bad (and again is probably lazy design to artificially make fights more difficult). You can mostly get around it by hitting them in the back, and Umbran Spear will *generally* put you behind enemies when it works properly, but some enemies (bosses) will still parry you even if you hit them from behind. Umbran Spear being broken as hell annoys the poo poo out of me as well, it's frankly amazing how they could simultaneously improve it and make it worse at the same time.
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Apr 9, 2015 01:11
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Buck Turgidson posted:You seemed a bit iffy about the WiiU port of Bayonetta 1 in one of the videos. Is there something wrong with it? The WiiU port is good, but it's got nothing on the native 360 version. Colours in the port are a little less vibrant, almost the same as the PS3 version, and there are a lot more instances where the framerate will plummet. On the plus side, there's no screen tearing and it's definitely the definitive version of the game. Digital Foundry did a good comparison on all the versions, but they fail to play the game past the first few chapters (and thus declare the Wii U version as the best). The room with the disappearing platforms in the Tower to Truth chapter is slow as molasses, for example.
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Apr 9, 2015 05:35
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 Update 03: Into the Drink No talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Download  Glamor Glamor, as a First Sphere Seraph, rests at the highest rank in the angelic hierarchy. Seraphim are the closest beings to God in existence and cannot be seen by humans in the physical world under any circumstances. Yet, since the dawn of history, there have been discoveries of statues depicting a six-winged snake traversing the heavens. Most likely these have some connection with The Book of Revelation, written by a Lumen Sage and found in the scriptures of Ithavoll. Of course, this means there must have been a sage capable of connecting to Paradiso and conversing with Glamor through spiritual means.  Diomedes One of the four man-eating horses that were owned by the ruler of a fallen kingdom. With the demise of the kingdom, the horses were murdered and arrived in hell. Of the four, the soul of one inherited the name of the king and was reborn as a demon. The large blade extending from its forehead is a soul reaper that leaves a trail of mutilated dead in whatever direction it runs. Though it typically hates being treated like a horse, it tolerates those who have proven themselves worthy.  Taboo Every civilization in history weaves narratives starring heroes who, cursing the fates who take loved ones from them, travel to the ends of the world and beyond to bring them back. Resurrection is a universal theme of our kind. I am not even sure if I believe in the existence of the soul to begin with, but the desire to be with the one you love? Now you're speaking my language. When these feelings are strong enough, they can drive us to challenge our seemingly immutable fate. Yet many a myth ends with gods themselves failing in their quest. No matter how iron your will, or how pious your prayer, life once lost can never be returned. Such a power was never meant to be wielded by man. That said, if there are any hopeless romantics left in the world who still want to give it a shot, I know the way to hell and I'd be happy to give you an escort. Just send me an email: XXXXX@XXXX.XX.XX yoshesque fucked around with this message at 02:37 on Apr 13, 2015 |
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Apr 13, 2015 02:34
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Oh yeah, here's the blog post about the Glamor fight. It's funny how they wanted to do a surfing level like in the first game but it ended up a lot more lacklustre imo. Luckily this boss fight is arguably the worst so it's only up from here.
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Apr 14, 2015 04:41
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 Update 04: Light And Darkness No talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Download  Undine Two flamethrowers containing the soul of Undine, who threw herself into the Cocytus river after a failed relationship. Undine's extreme feelings of jealousy burst into searing flame, reducing her enemies to ash. Her breath of lament freezes all who are hit by it dead in their tracks.  Fidelity Considered a creature of the sea due to its fish-like body and multiple tentacle-like arms, Fidelity departed from the ocean to impart humanity with their primeval memories. Those who forget their past and begin to disrupt the serenity of life are often dragged by this angel to the darkest depths of the ocean. The ocean is a sacred place, the area of Earth that is closest to Paradiso, as the intense water pressure of the depths means it has remained untouched by human hands since the beginning of time. A large celestial veil covers the sea's expanse, and until this day there has never been a human who has witnessed the seas in their entirety.  Masked Lumen According to the Vigrid Chronicles of Avellaneda, the 500-year struggle between the Umbra and the Lumen ended with the defeat of the last remaining sage at the hands of two Umbra Witches. Yet, as if to mock these records, a masked man appeared before Bayonetta with the power of the heavens and the swiftness of light. The Lumen had not perished. -Preface The True Vigrid Chronicles Saavedra  Sovereign People of the ancient world would depend on the word of God for guidance in times of doubt. Good to know I'm not the only one who likes having someone to back me up and give me a shove in the right direction when I need it. Perhaps this is a perennial bad habit that, despite our progress, mankind just can't seem to shake. The folly known as "fortune-telling" is just one of the ways we, as a species, have come up with to imitate the true Sovereign power of God. Speaking of which, it just so happens I found an intriguing card, with a very mysterious aura about it. It must have belonged to that little boy I just bumped into; though I can't imagine why he'd be carrying something with these bizarre tarot-like markings. When I look at it, I feel like the card is trying to tell me where to go. Well, I won't get far with a single card: how else would they sell you the whole set?
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Apr 20, 2015 05:44
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Undine is terrible because of the other weapons in this game outclass it. Compared to what the other weapons have to offer, it just doesn't really do anything special to justify using it. Kafka is also in this category, but at the very least has use as a long range weapon. The dual elemental thing is inevitably going to mean comparing it unfavourably with Durga, which was probably one of the best weapons in the first game and had so much more to it. Durga had two different movesets for electric/fire and really opened up stylish combo capabilities. It also had the secondary usage of making you immune to environmental hazards (fire enemies, walking on lava, walking on electricity). On the other hand, Undine has the same moveset for both elements, the hand and feet combos are pretty much exactly the same, and the actual flamethrower thing is useless at anything other than close range. Plus there's the fact that Undine's elemental effect doesn't really do anything. You can set enemies on fire and freeze them but there's almost no benefit to doing so, especially for ice as it takes so long to freeze enemies. There's not even any added benefit to using the opposite element against elemental enemies like Urbane. All in all I'm pretty  about Undine.Anyway, here's the blog post I was talking about in the video: http://platinumgames.com/2014/09/05/cut-scene-production-in-bayonetta-2/
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Apr 22, 2015 01:34
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 Update 05: Contractual Obligations No talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Download  Chernobog A scythe containing souls captured by the god of death Chernobog, who had been expelled to the farthest depths of Inferno. Rodin infused the scythe with some particularly exquisite souls, restoring the weapon to its former glory. Those cut by its three giant, creeping blades have their wounds infected by darkness and their souls rot to the bottom of Inferno.  Gravitas A Dominion in the Second Sphere of angels. The name Gravitas means stern and severe, so this angel is often depicted as steep, uninhabited mountains forever frozen in ice. His extreme cold has been unpenetrated for eons, and it shows no change through the passage of time. Gravitas awaits silently for an opponent willing to sacrifice everything to face him.   Pain A powerful tank that would trample angels with bloodstained iron wheels and drag them into a world of nightmares during wars with Paradiso. According to Vigrid legend, Pain's wheels were used for torture, until becoming sentient themselves and reincarnating in Inferno. Similar to how those of strong faith are said to have rare encounters with angels, humans harboring strong feelings of doubt are more susceptible to finding themselves face-to-face with a demon. Like his name, Pain is said to feed on the subconscious feelings of injury and hurt in one's soul and will appear anywhere people misguidedly attack each other in an effort to obscure their own sense of loss and loneliness.  City of Water The Water Capital: that's my name for this town. Noatun is surrounded by oceans and lakes. The sea provides more than enough for the residents to sustain themselves. The snow from the peak of Fimbulventr melts into a river that flows to the base of the mountain. The river provides drinking water for Noatun's inhabitants, then eventually collects to form a breathtaking lake. At the lake there is the Cathedral of Cascades, an ancient piece of architecture with a very mystifying presence. Though some of this ancient building still holds together (including its unique pointed roof), the pathway that once connected the city to the mountain's peak has crumbled to the bottom of the lake.  Underground Graveyard There is said to be a resting place for the servants of God in the Cathedral of Cascade's submerged underground. The locals told me of a terrible guardian that prowls the corridors, devouring the soul of any fool who trespasses in that sacred place. The people of this town must be fed up with me sticking my inquisitive nose where it doesn't belong. Why else would they concoct such a ludicrous tale? The phrase "servants of God" calls to mind images of ordained prophets passing down divine wisdom. I imagine these disciples also played a part in the shadowy past of the witch and the sage. I will find clues to the origins of these clans somewhere in this cathedral... I can feel it. The natives here don't know who they're dealing with. It takes more than a few tired ghost stories to put a damper on the journalistic flame of one Mr. Luka Redgrave.  Trademark Crests are often used to show the lineage and ancestry of a people. The Umbra and Lumen also used such crests to represent their clans. The symbols were based on the object of each clan's respective ideology: the moon for the witches and the sun for the sages. These distinctive symbols, etched upon every Lumen or Umbran object of any importance, make an investigative journalist's job easy. A single glance tells you from which culture an object came from. The Umbran tombs sealed away by the Lumen are a unique example: with an Umbran seal on the tomb and a Lumen seal on the marker atop it, they bear the motifs of both the sun and the moon. A crest also exists for Aesir, the God of Chaos. Carvings of this symbol are a familiar sight around Noatun. Made up of a series of overlapping diamonds, each component is said to represent a single layer in the matrix of time and space that forms our universe. There is a piece of metal embedded within Aesir's crest that shines with an eerie glow. I've heard it contains some deeper significance, but I am going to need a bit more time to crack this particular chestnut.  Advanced Technology Sometimes, we discover things from the past we find hard to believe. I have seen artifacts displaying a level of civilization that could not have existed in the time they are claimed to have been created. Ruins are found built with technology far too advanced for that of their era. Noatun is said to be one such place where this phenomenon occurs. Unsure of what I would find, I decided to investigate the Cathedral of Cascades. The Cathedral stands in the middle of a lake, requiring me to take a boat to reach it. Its outer walls were in worse condition than I had expected; as debris blocked the entrance, it took a little improvisation to find a way inside. Surprisingly, the Cathedral was in much better condition indoors, and I reached the center of the building in no time. It seemed to be the base of the tower in Noatun that almost scrapes the sky, created to be symbolic of the sacred mountain, Fimbulventr. They say there used to be a path from the top of the tower that connected to the peak of the mountain. There was this strange sphere-like object sitting on the ground too. Could it have been the ancient elevator I heard the townspeople talking about? Curiously, there were no wires or anything attached to it. How's it supposed to take people up to the top? I didn't see stairs either, so I assumed it was an elevator... but maybe I was wrong. Some of the things people come up with, seriously... Whatever that was, I want to figure it out eventually. I snapped a photo, so I'll show it to someone who might know a thing or two about it. Of course, only after I finish the rest of my investigation here.
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Apr 27, 2015 04:16
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 Update 06: Let It Rip! No talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Download  Valor As his name would imply, Valor is a warrior that regards bravery in the highest degree. Taking the form of a shield, he stands with Valiance at the front lines of Paradiso's wars against Inferno. It is said that when the people are in need, a warrior clad in solid gold armor will appear to rescue them, carrying a sword and shield of incredible power. While fending off incoming evils with the shield, the warrior will eliminate its enemy with a single blow of its sword, claiming victory for those with a strong-held faith.  Hydra A once beautiful maiden who was banished to hell for the sins of her younger sister and mutated into a snakelike monster with seven heads. Her human heart has long since been lost, and she viciously attacks anything she deems an enemy. Those trapped by her seven heads must suffer slow, painful deaths. Out of her many heads, only one is real; slicing off any of the others will not amount to much more than a scratch.
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May 4, 2015 01:18
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 Update 07: Pretty Boys No talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Download  Insidious A hellish ark that, while seemingly leading sinners to the Garden of Eternal Pleasures at the end of the world, was in actuality abducting them to compete in a massive bloodbath. The souls who boarded Insidious were led nowhere. Surrounded by the stench of death and rotten flesh, they massacred each other, struggling over whatever morsels of food they came across. With a unique organ in his body that converts death into demonic energy, Insidious always carries a tremendous amount of power. A myriad of hell's creatures live within his gut, making him useful as an assault ship during wars with Paradiso. If swallowed by Insidious, the only way to escape is to stand atop a tower of corpses and wait for him to open his jaw when he engorges with his next feeding. However, those who take pleasure in killing may find their true Garden of Eternal Pleasure within this demon's bowels.  Hideous A clan of demons who infest the Malebolge caves of Inferno. They constantly scuttle in groups, searching for unfortunate prey who have lost their way. Hideous often appear in groups in the human world as well, but display no cooperation in movement. For them, there is only scrambling for prey in a mad dash. Yet, Hideous possess a very strong intelligence, able to forge various weapons and rarely challenging enemies that appear in larger numbers than their own. If one is sighted by this merciless demon, overpowering it is the only option. Only a few are capable of this--namely, the Lumen Sages who controlled the power of light and the Umbra Witches who controlled the power of darkness.  Hatred A Hideous that has been forced into starvation and has resorted to devouring its siblings to survive. Wielding enough power to stand alone in a fight, Hatred's anger and unspeakable rage still claim complete control of the Hideous around him, who tremble in his presence.  Fury A demonic bird that gathers in Inferno's Johnson Forest. It possesses the wings of a bat, head of a dragon, and tail of a snake. It visits the bedrooms of hysteric humans nightly, caws in their ears until they weaken and die, then devours their flesh. There are some who have tried to escape from its curse, but its terrifying cyclops gaze ensnares its target as if it were petrified.  The Way to Paradise The lake surrounding the base of Fimbulventr is said to extend deep underground--so deep that no one has ever seen its bottom. There are tales that God created a city that sleeps along the lake bed and punishes any who approach it with eternal damnation. I thought it was probably just some story made up to scare kids, but some of the details were a little too worked out. They say this city was formed from the memories of God, as he watched over the human world. It was made as a haven to keep the chosen people, plants, and animals safe when the judgement day would come. Without the city, all life on the human world would simply be washed from existence with the world itself. It's obviously not the most convenient place to get to, but God was, of course, aware of this. He made sure there was a means of transportation that would carry the chosen ones to his city. The people referred to it as an "ark". The ark was put together using special earthen elements that allowed it to move through water like a submarine. If that thing really exists, I wonder if someone like me could make God's "chosen one" list?
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May 11, 2015 04:04
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Ok, so I completely mangled that explanation about the save system in this game. Maybe this will clear things up. Let's clarify a few things first: Checkpoint: Some bit where the game automatically checkpoints you. Example: mid-boss fight checkpoints, just before one of those insta-kill QTEs. Save file: Don't make me define this, just don't. Let's talk about Bayonetta 1 first. In Bayonetta 1 the checkpoint was separate from the save file; When you boot up B1 you can elect to either Continue (from a checkpoint) or to Load (from a save file). You could manually save your game, or just rely on the Continue option to play, but if for some reason your Continue file got messed with you would lose all your progress, so save manually and often, dummy. In the case of Pure Platinum runs, this system become a case of quitting out to the title screen if you get hit and choosing to Continue. Multi-checkpoint bosses like Jeanne 4 or Jubileus are designed around this, so the platinum combo rank is achievable even if you use/abuse checkpoints. In Bayonetta 2, there are a few fundamental differences: 1. There is no concept of manually saving your file 2. The checkpoint and the save file are now the same thing 3. Due to 1 and 2, the concept of Continue and Load does not exist. Again, they are now the same thing. So, when you start a game in Bayonetta 2, the first striking difference is that it makes you select a save slot to use. Once you select a slot, that now acts as both your checkpoint and your save file. What this means is that when you quit to the title screen and you want to continue from where you left off, you are forced to select your save file (which, remember, can also be your checkpoint). This works fine if you're using it between chapters. However. if you do this in the middle of a chapter, your save file is going to put you back from last checkpoint the game made. You can manipulate this system by making copies of checkpoints. So, in the example I gave, when you exit the Muspelheim the game automatically makes a checkpoint. You can then exit out to the title screen, make a copy of your save file which has the checkpoint, then if you get hit during the Masked Lumen fight, you can use the copy of that Muspelheim checkpoint to try the fight from the beginning again. In a multi-checkpointed verse like the Masked Lumen, this is extremely handy and basically feels like cheating (because it kind of is). Of course, the developers seem to punish the checkpointing PP behaviour by making the platinum combo rank impossible to get *unless* you don't use a checkpoint, but then that just makes them redundant, doesn't it? I'm not necessarily saying this system is bad, but it sure as hell is broken. I actually was trying to avoid using this system up until this chapter, which is why the first Masked Lumen fight incites particular anger in me. Kerris posted:Is there going to be a fight with both a Valor and a Valiance later? That was the boss fight! Valiance is the body and Valor is the shield. Kinda makes the boss less impressive in terms of Bayo's signature large crazy bosses, if you think about it
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May 11, 2015 04:21
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Pesky Splinter posted:Now that Bayo's edging into DMC territory, there's a few Dante's Inferno references; Pretty certain Johnson Forest also ties in with Gomorrah, which is said to come from there as well, so it's nice that they're fleshing out the world a little bit more. Interesting stuff as usual, although I feel that overall the references in this game weren't as numerous as they were in the first game. Szurumbur posted:I've probably missed something, but if the main caveat to the plot is getting to Inferno, shouldn't Rodin seemingly instantaneous ability to transport there be somewhat helpful? Or can he only go to a limited space in Inferno?  I suppose Rodin could go and save Jeanne, but what kind of best friend/lover would Bayonetta be if she didn't do the job herself?Also, a reminder about who the real hottie in this LP is: 
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May 12, 2015 07:05
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toddy. posted:Well if I disappear at least we all know I've been kidnapped by youtube commenters. Reason: "Sex Voice(?)" No, that really happened https://twitter.com/yoshesque/status/590664578171801600 The lesson here is: don't be weird. If you're weird I will mock you. ManlyGrunting posted:I have to say I'm kind of confused by how much trouble you have with the stinger attack, since I find it one of the sage's easier attacks to dodge. Maybe fighting Dante in Devil May Cry 4 (or anyone in God Hand) has given me really good reflexes for when an opponent suddenly shifts stances. I'm pretty much just going to quote this interview from Kamiya when it comes to the audio/visual cues in Bayonetta 2: quote:Can you talk a bit about the sound effects when you rotate the camera to outside the battle area when the enemy does a long-range attack? For me the Stinger attack is cheap because it comes out of nowhere. He can teleport off screen then do any number of different attacks, and while most of them are cued in some way, the stinger has nothing. It defies the enemy design brief that Kamiya established in the first game, and my mentality goes from 'yeah, I screwed up' to 'when is he going to go off screen and do that lovely attack with no windup'. You can compare this directly with Jeanne from the first game whose attacks were all telegraphed in some way, yet still managed to be as good or better than the Masked Lumen as a rival boss. Look at this bullshit. Literal microseconds before ruining another recording. 
yoshesque fucked around with this message at 09:23 on May 12, 2015 |
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May 12, 2015 08:52
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Yes. This is also my policy from Devil May Cry. What I like is Marionettes with the shotgun. When it shoots, the wrist rotates. So if you hear a kind of rattling noise off-screen, then you know a shot will come, "boom!" At this moment you will lose a lot of energy. But you heard the rattling, so you could have evaded. If there was no warning, it would be too dirty. It must be user friendly. It's the same in Bayonetta. That's why this game has no complex commands for techniques. Because of false inputs... "If I could do this technique, I could counter, but I failed and was damaged." That would not add up. I want the player to be able to trust in our input method completely. If you were damaged, you may think, "That was dirty!" We make an adjustment so that you then think, "But I was not good enough, because I did not react." That is our method. You can then say, "Wow! This enemy is strong!" This is the key. I can't win, but when I play, I see the attack chance. I had to Evade here and attack. Since I'm an old man, I can't react anymore. Amuro could have won.
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 Update 08: Ice And Fire No talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Download  Golem A biological weapon made by the God of Chaos as a means of protecting his city. It is able to freely shapeshift into countless biological creatures, accessing their signatures and morphing its liquid metal body into their form. Upon encountering an invader, Golem immediately analyzes their threat level and switches to the most appropriate battle form for their disposal. With the God of Chaos presently absent, it is still said to lie dormant, ready to obliterate those who would carelessly enter Aesir's realm.  Allegiance Allegiance belongs to the Principalities, ranked seventh in the angelic hierarchy and part of the Third Sphere. While Third Sphere angels are the most common type encountered in the physical realm, Allegiance, clad in solid gold armor, appears only during times of strife between Paradiso and the human world, in order to purge the armies of evil spirits. Legends exist of Allegiance appearing before the kings of feudal nations who have prayed for the emergence of a hero; however, there are also stories of Allegiance seeing through the evil in these kings' hearts and instantly reducing their thrones to rubble.  Greed An abnormal creature possessing three necks, six legs, and nine stomachs. Though they are constantly hungry, they are unable to shed the waste left behind from their constant gluttony. Those who are devoured by Greed are destined to be trapped for eternity, forever cut off from the cycle of death and rebirth. At times he was tasked as the gatekeeper of hell, denying entrance to unwanted visitors, yet no victim can ever satiate his endless appetite. Previous "owners" still remain trapped inside his stomachs, waiting for the day of his defeat.  Pride A fallen angel from Paradiso who once served God as a blazing chariot. Bearing the name Pride, those who summon him trade their ears and eyes for power and pleasure. However, those who call him forth must be careful with his power: he controls his reins, not the one who summoned him. And once the flames of the chariot have been ignited, they cannot be extinguished. Not even by Pride himself.  A Seal A seal. That which is used to keep what is dangerous or important from the reach of others. When the human world was still new, they say there used to be entrances to Inferno and Paradiso all over, but with time they were almost all destroyed by the followers of God. Yet, other entrances were too large to be torn down by human hands. God sealed these gates away in almost impossible to reach areas: some so high that only his eyes could see, and some far, far under the water's surface. He created impenetrable barriers around the doors so no one could ever enter. If you think about it in another way, this means that those entrances still exist. They've simply been sealed away. And as they say, seals are made to be broken. If the door's locked, all you need to do is find the key. Although, I suppose the first problem you have to face is actually finding one of these gates in the first place...  Angels and Demons While we call our own kind in this realm "humans," we also give names to the inhabitants of other worlds as well: beings from Paradiso are angels, and the creatures of Inferno are known as demons. Sometimes they're the focus of our worship, and sometimes they're the source of our fear. You might not be able to see them, but have you ever felt their presence? Their worlds are right next to ours. Sometimes, they're standing right beside us. We are told that they're "watching over" the human world, but they've been sighted plenty of times as well. There are people who actually have the power to see these angels and demons. Looking at the descriptions and pictures they leave behind, we usually see angels depicted as punishers of evil who lead the pious to a land overflowing with pure light. Demons get depicted as humans who have died unfortunate deaths or fallen angels who are reborn to spread death and suffering. Witches most likely get their bad reputation from their association with demons, even though the Umbra are just as human as we are. And when it comes down to it, we possess qualities of both angels and demons, while constantly doing anything to accomplish our own selfish ends... which might make us the most terrifying creatures in existence.  Guardian God made a special place to protect his Remembrances of Time, which came to be known as the Garden of God. The garden needed a strong protector to watch over his creations. The guardian was a robot-like soldier, built to obey only the orders of its creator. It could change its form freely to whatever would defeat its opponent in the swiftest manner possible. With time, humans discovered the fearful soldier God had created and imitated this technology to build their own soldier of war, the Golem. While Golem was originally intended to be used as a protector of their homelands, its power became too great to control. Eventually, mankind was left with no other choice but to seal the Golem off in another dimension. As for the original guardian that God created, what it's doing now is anyone's guess. Who knows, it might still be lying in wait somewhere, keeping its territory safe from intruders. This means it's not the safest bet to be loitering around in any kind of sacred realm, if you catch my drift.  Garden of God In the past, God watched over the human world all by himself. The human world is always in a state of flux. Time flows endlessly, bringing death and new life. That which disappears is eventually forgotten. God felt mercy for existence and tried to grant them eternity with the Remembrance of Time. At intervals, he would quietly appear in the human world and observe creation, slowly building Remembrances of Time. He created a special place to store the great deal of memories he had created. This place was known as the Garden of God and described in children's stories as a place in the depths of Lake Noatun. It is said to be full of the places and things found in the lives of ancient civilizations cut off from the ebb of time. Something tells me it wouldn't be the best place for your normal citizen to go wandering around in. Even if the whole thing is just made up, I wouldn't be me if I didn't at least try to find it.  Demonic Currency Every once in a while, you find someone either brave or stupid enough to pick a fight with angels and demons. A word of advice: save the epic battles for video games. Meet one of these monsters for real, and the only smart choice is to run. If you have a death wish, I won't try and stop you, but at least make sure to arm yourself with the proper weaponry. Everyday guns and knives are nothing more than a minor irritation to these beings; they won't even leave a scratch. You need something with a lot more bite. How does one acquire such a weapon? As hardworking, upstanding citizens like you and I eke out our meagre existence, in a certain establishment these types of goods switch hands daily. Sequestered in the shadow of gaudy neon, this part bar, part armory makes its home in the dankest corner of the city. The Gates of Hell. The unremarkable façade opens into an equally unremarkable pub. But those who enter via a secret door will meet a weaponsmith without equal. This, however, is easier said than done: even if you find the door, one look from the barkeep, and most don't make it past the threshold. And don't even think of trying to buy these articles with money. Remarkable weapons require something remarkable in payment--namely, the glowing halos that crown angels or the metals that carry a demon's essence. The types of currency that, while sinister, are said to be treasures of incomparable beauty. If you are looking for a discount, the right brand of Japanese sake makes any deal more palatable. You should be able to get him to hand over at least a priceless talisman or two.
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May 18, 2015 03:17
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Sindai posted:Wait, what line was supposed to be a GoT reference? I have no idea what you were talking about. I mentioned it because I knew the line was coming up, but didn't remember whether it was in this chapter or the next one. I'll point out the line in next week's update. I just think it's weird they put a GoT reference of all things into this game. Veloxyll posted:I was going to suggest you do a crossover update with AccountingNightmare for DMC4 now she's back. Well, I guess if people want to see me be absolutely not AccountingNightmare at DMC4, I am totally up for a switcheroo. Keeping in mind I have never finished the game and never even got to the Dante missions. v vi am not actually in the DMC4 LP, it is a joke because AN and I are both australian ladies who play action games
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May 18, 2015 06:14
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 Update 09: Trashbag Realness No talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Download  武甕槌 Takemikazuchi A giant hammer forged from breaking down the thunder god Takemikazuchi's divine sword, the Futsuno-mitama. Though harnessing adequate power as a sword, Rodin decided to rebuild it as a hammer to suit his personal tastes. One swing will cause the heavens to split and the earth to tremble.  Prophet Waiting for Bayonetta and Loki at the Gates of Hell was the masked Lumen Sage and a mysterious unknown figure. The unknown presence seemed to have an outline that blurred ever so slightly, as if it were not an actual physical form. Yet from it radiated an ominous aura so thick one could feel the insides of their body being ripped apart. Seemingly neither purely physical nor purely spiritual, nor angel, nor demon, for an instant a hint of confusion flashed across Bayonetta's features as she looked upon this fearsome opponent. "Umbra Witch, is that the limit of your power? Did you never open your eyes to your true potential?" -Chapter 3 The True Vigrid Chronicles Saavedra  Malicious A master occultist of Inferno who is the embodiment of malice. Stealing various names from different creatures in hell, Malicious is just one name by which he is known. Inexperienced witches will unwittingly summon Malicious and be tricked into forming a contract with him before knowing his true identity or appearance. No matter how kind or courteous Malicious may act, he is not to be trusted under any circumstances. He is a shaman of hell who finds his greatest delight in deceiving and betraying others, trapping them in regret and hopelessness.  Hekatoncheir A giant endowed with six fearsome arms capable of pulverizing mountains; those unfortunate enough to fall underfoot of the demon are subject to days-long violent earthquakes. Lacking knowledge, but brimming with brutality, it is said that even the most powerful of conjurers should take heed of the danger this beast presents. yoshesque fucked around with this message at 01:04 on May 26, 2015 |
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May 25, 2015 07:53
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Documentation has been updated for those who care.mkob posted:loki please bitch pls (I love this, this is great) Nalesh posted:We just need someone to start an okami lp, and an anarchy reigns lp to have every type of game that platinum's done going at the same time Madworld/Infinite Space: "..." edit: oh, in case anybody wasn't sure what I meant by my problem with Bayonetta's guns in that cutscene: "Old" Bayonetta in that cutscene has the wrong guns in her shoes. They're clearly not either Scarborough Fair or Love Is Blue:  Confirmed in this shot here that the guns are in fact Jeanne's guns for some reason:  Jeanne's guns being her old All 4 One but with cat charms instead of the pink ostrich feathers:  For reference here is what the "old" versions of Bayo and Jeanne are supposed to look like:  Again, like the normal shadow/not Madama Butterfly shadow that Bayonetta sometimes gets in cutscenes, it's an incredibly detail, but it's very obvious if you're paying attention.
yoshesque fucked around with this message at 06:50 on May 26, 2015 |
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May 26, 2015 01:11
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 Update 10: Demon Tedium No talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Download  Salamandra Chainsaws that resourcefully use every inch of the infernal dragon Salamandra. Its sharp scales were forged into the weapons' teeth, and its heart supplies their engines. At full throttle, their teeth easily rip apart even the hardest of iron skin and ravage deep through the flesh below.  Resentment It is said that a curse is cast upon the families of those who die an unnatural death while bearing feelings of hatred and ill will. Resentment, born from the sludge of Inferno, is an exact manifestation of those bitter, repressed emotions inside humanity. Once it has chosen a victim, it will follow them forever, no matter the distance, until it can tie them down and make them feel the weight of the pains of hell. Its tenacity is far beyond that of the other demons of Inferno, and Resentment is said to have the ability to open the Gates of Hell through sheer willpower. Witnessing this demon gives testimony to the truly unthinkable power of grudges humans find fit to hold in their hearts and never release.  Scolopendra A vile centipede hailing from Frejentonta, a river of boiling blood in the depths of Inferno, rumors speak of its body exceeding ten kilometers in length. Moving unlike anything its size, its deftness allows it to wrap around and constrict its prey in the blink of an eye.  Phantasmaraneae Phantasmaraneae nests upon a sea of magma, deep within the furthest reaches of Inferno. Rarely seen upon the face of the Earth, even sightings of the demon in hell are a seldom event, leading to its name, which means phantom spider. While having the frightening appearance of a spider, it is a curious beast, and should one have the good fortune to encounter the Phantasmaraneae, one should treat it with care and respect, in hope of receiving rare treasures and secrets in return. The Phantasmaraneae are growing increasingly violent, perhaps due to recent occurrences of unnatural phenomena in the human world. Sightings of the creatures outside their molten lairs may be related to this change in behavior. Anyone who encounters one is advised to take caution: Phantasmaraneae can spit magma from their stomachs capable of incinerating victims within seconds.  Sloth A demon who lies in wait for pious believers to be granted entrance to Paradiso so he can slice them apart and cast them to Inferno during their ascension. The six swords sheathed in his back represent gluttony, profanity, doubt, idiocy, rage, and arrogance. Each blade awakens feelings in victims of its respective sin when cut. At first, those who witness Sloth are filled with joy to reaffirm the truth in their religion. In the next moment, they are filled with sadness as they are tossed to the darkness of hell. Not only concerned with humans, Sloths have been responsible for countless fallen angels.  Overseer of Inferno Inferno: the cruelest, most ruthless place in existence. Humans are said to end up in this hellish world upon meeting an untimely end. In Inferno, power controls everything. War between its demonic inhabitants is endless, and it isn't uncommon for rank to quickly change hands. I've been picking up a thing or two about the place at this bar I've been frequenting. Recently, just like in our world, there are some strange things occurring, and the denizens are starting to get a little restless. The owner of this bar advised me to keep my distance. Told me it might not be a place where I can get by on my good looks alone. Like that place exists! Even if it did, it's not like I could find my way there, even if I wanted to. I keep mentioning this bar, but I'll have to keep its particulars to a minimum. I've made a deal with the owner that I won't disclose its location. It's too good of a source of information to leak where it is anyway. OK. Just a hint. It's a bar in the same city as the office my dad left behind. The bar keeps a low profile, tucked away in one of the darker parts of town. I wouldn't say it's the best place to take a date, but the owner's always got good stories. I end up getting most of the info I'm looking for there. It doesn't come cheap, though. When you catch the bartender in a good mood, he'll tell you some strange tales. Worlds that are like something out of a kid's story to us: Paradiso, Inferno... he speaks about them with descriptions so realistic that you can get lost in the story pretty easily, and before you know it you've been listening to him talk the entire night. He's a strange guy, though. The few rare times I get a look past his sunglasses at those bloodstained, glowing red eyes, the gaze is so chilling I think it might freeze my very soul. He always says you won't find a nicer angel anywhere you look, but something tells me that's just your run-of-the-mill demon joke.  Balance There is a balance that exists in all things. Finding it isn't the easiest thing in the world, but when you do, few things give you a better sense of accomplishment. Balance has a great deal of meaning to our world. The three realms our world is divided into--light, darkness, and chaos--have been carefully balanced as the Trinity of Realities, so as to not interfere with one another. Although we say three realms, they originally existed as one. The split caused the balance between these worlds to sometimes be as delicate as walking across thin ice. If one realm were to eventually acquire power greater than the others, the balance of the three realms would easily fall into anarchy. There are some with the ability to travel to Purgatorio, the realm between realms, or use gates to travel back and forth between different realms, sometimes causing chaos and confusion. Irresponsible use of this power can cause monumental problems for the Trinity. It can lead to wars between realms and devastating natural disasters. At least, if I'm to believe the words of a certain bartender I've been spending too much time with. Perhaps these natural disasters happening within the realms are some sign that this collapse in balance between the three realms is already under way. Which reminds me, there have been some unnatural occurrences happening to me as well that could only be explained by a crisis sweeping all realms of existence. Getting my coat stuck in that car door, getting turned down by three girls in the same week... What other reason could there be than foul play in the balance of the Trinity!?
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Jun 1, 2015 03:27
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InfinityComplex posted:I found a thing you guys might like: Holy poo poo is that Sam  Nalesh posted:I still find it funny that I didn't know you were australian, maybe it's because I'm biased since my old raid leader was an aussie(and she was aussie as gently caress to almost the point of stereotype), but I still don't hear it at all Well, that's the first time someone has said I didn't sound Australian enough! I guess where I come from we have a reputation for sounding a little more "posh" and a lot less "ocker" than the rest of the country for some reason. Sindai posted:Resentments are indeed the worst. Oh, I totally forgot to mention in the update, but the baby ray is easily dealt with if you use Umbran Climax because it un-babbifies you. Also works for grab attacks and the like. UC tends to be the answer to a lot of things in this game. EightFlyingCars posted:Hey, the Eternal Testimony. The first part of the unholy trinity of things that lets you break the game completely in half. Yeah, Tag Climax is a lot of fun, especially on three-star difficulty (except the boss cards  ). It's pretty great tanking the framerate by filling the screen with hair and being unable to tell what you're doing, but goddamn does it look and feel great. I really wish the mechanics in this game were tight enough to be able to coordinate co-op combo videos, that would be amazing.
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Jun 2, 2015 01:39
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Zuzie posted:Having it dodge everything is an extremely lazy way to program a difficult enemy. This game definitely has a problem with artificial difficulty. Things like attacks that come from offscreen with no audio tell, or the fact that audio and visual tells disappear when enemies are enraged, giant enemies like Belief/Urbane/Gravitas that take forever to kill even when you know what you're doing, enemies that dodge all your attacks, enemies that literally cannot be hit without baiting out Witch Time; it all serves to artificially make the game harder, and at the same time, is an exercise in frustration. The game has a specific way it wants you to play and drat you if you want to try anything else. And hell yeah, it's loving lazy. Jeanne and Balder didn't need any of these things to be legitimately difficult bosses. Look at Grace and Glory/Gracious and Glorious. All these enemies which arguably are fair and not cheap lovely enemies like Masked Lumen or dodge-happy Sloth. But it's okay, because Umbran Climax makes me feel warm and
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Jun 2, 2015 09:35
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 Update 11: Whisperer of Dementia No talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Download  Alruna A whip containing the soul of a demon who shares the same name as a flower that blooms in Inferno. Laced with thorns, it slithers as if it were alive. Those who hear the crack of the whip can feel Alraune whisper its curse in their ears.  Alraune A woman who doused herself in mandrake poison and took her own life as a means of getting revenge on the husband who left her. The poison continued through her skin and devoured her soul. Consumed by delusions and hallucinations, she was at last reincarnated in Inferno. Myth places her as the young daughter of a noble estate, but none of her past visage can be determined from her current demon form. She searches the bottom of hell for the most exquisite souls, then injects poison into their nerves to make them eternal "lovers" at her palace. Insatiable desire and obsession have painted her heart so thickly that she will never know peace. Not even with the sacrifices of a thousand souls, or a million...
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Jun 8, 2015 01:14
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I mentioned that the music for this boss was particularly good, so here it is: http://polsy.org.uk/play/yt/?vurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dm8tcB5g7GAk There's going to be a new game revealed by PG this E3, here's hoping it's something new rather than a sequel. PG's track record with sequels isn't great. HOOLY BOOLY posted:How telling, since the strategy guide's strategy for Pure Platinum for just about every verse in every chapter, barring a few exceptions is "Swords/Chainsaw on hands, Chainsaw/Whip on feet,go crazy" I dunno, that's a little unfair. It's the same way as Shuraba from the first game; once you got it you weren't going to unequip it because it was great. Same goes for Durga and Kilgore. You can definitely get Pure Platinums using other weapons in Bayo 2 but it sure is a lot harder than just using the chainsaws/whips. However, the difference is that in Bayo 1 you would be punished by going all out with those weapons (Score Reduction Penalty prevented you from just doing charged slashes all the time, Durga bombs will tank your score, Kilgore would do the same and was slow if you didn't use it right), while Bayo 2 allows you to just use those weapons and win. Admittedly Shuraba was probably on par with the chainsaws and whips in this game in terms of how OP it was, but the underlying system prevented you from going all out. Except for PKP, that was just ridiculous. I mean, I totally agree with your sentiment, it's just that Bayo 1 did the same but the game was more balanced to make the player more conscious about how they used those weapons. And like how MarquiseMindfang said, the game never demands more of you, so why bother mixing it up? That strategy guide is trash anyway and not worth the money or paper it was printed on. I doubt there could have been a FuturePress style guide for this game though, given how pared back it was.
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Jun 9, 2015 03:04
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Sindai posted:Honestly this sounds like a bad thing. The "some weapons are definitely better than others but you want to avoid those if you care about points" part, I mean. I don't think I said that at all. Every weapon in both games is Pure Platinum viable. Yes, even Rodin, if you use it right. The difference for each is how you use them. Yes, you can do charged Shuraba slashes and kill everything quickly, but score reduction penalty means your score will suffer for it. However, complete your combos to prevent score reduction penalty and your rank is fine. You can drop fire Durga bombs and kill a whole load of enemies quickly, but because you only need so many bombs to take out everything your score suffers. However, if you use it in moderation your score should be fine. Same thing goes for the Kilgore glitch. The results encourage the player to experiment to get better results. Salamandra and Alruna are basically 'press button to win' weapons, same as Umbran Climax. Once you figure out that Just Release exists and that Alruna slams are OP because they can interrupt enemies' attack animations, there's no need to try anything else because there is no penalty for just doing the same thing over and over. The player never tries anything different because the game never asks for anything more in the results, so you get players just stapling Alruna to the feet and Salamandra to the hands and never going back to the other weapons. It's like if you could mindlessly use fire Durga bombs to get Pure Platinum. There's no thinking involved when playing this game.
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Jun 9, 2015 03:59
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 Update 12: Darkness Envelops Light No talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Download  Balder A bright light seeps through the mask's crack. It is a light unlike anything else found on Earth--the light of the Right Eye. Long ago, a tyrannical man was said to have led the Umbra Witches and Lumen Sages to their demise. Legends claim he killed his wife, sabotaged his daughter, and deceived the people, all for the sake of building a new universe with the Eyes of the World. He was said to have achieved an omniscience almost equal to that of a god. How this man came obtain this ambition remains unknown, yet a glimpse of the truth can be seen in the fragment of history the Prophet revealed to Bayonetta. A young man had been called from the Vigrid of 500 years past to modern day. In his hands he held a weapon ready to strike at his enemy. His name is Balder. Later, he would be known as the Tyrant Sage. In the Prophet's vision, however, he seems only lost in rage, seeking revenge for the death of his wife, Rosa. -Chapter 4 The True Vigrid Chronicles Saavedra
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Jun 14, 2015 18:11
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 Update 13: Come To Mummy! No talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Talking over cutscenes(Polsy) | Download  Affinity Servants of heaven that populate the lowest of the angelic hierarchy, a Third Sphere rung known simply as Angels. Humans with deep faith often feel these angels close to their hearts. Descending from the heavens upon pure white wings, it is believed that the glimmering halo atop an Affinity's head lights the path for those who have lost their way. The religious articles they equip are all tools used to further their conviction to protect the righteous and can become powerful weapons used to strike down those with sullied hearts.  Applaud While still a member of the Third Sphere, Applauds are one step above Affinities, and thus known as Archangels. Occupying the eighth position within the nine-level angelic hierarchy, Archangels are still considered close to the physical world, and often come into contact with humankind. It is said that devoted prayer on the part of believers can call upon a host of angels to come to one's aid.  Decorations With limited spiritual powers, this angel is spotted comparatively frequently within the physical, human world. Capriciously firing arrows, they are often mistaken for Cupid. It is said that one of their arrows, shot through the heart of a believer, can be as infatuating as the goddess of love.  Fortitudo Amongst the spiritually powerful of the Middle Ages, it was thought Paradiso held for all a Divine Will, and as a result, they developed heavenly logic. The concept of the "Cardinal Virtues" was born of this logic, and classifies Paradiso's Divine Will into four broad groups. These Cardinal Virtues occasionally become physical manifestations of the great intentions of Paradiso, and are known as the Laguna, inspiring awe in the masses. Personifying courage and fortitude, Fortitudo has been depicted as a terrifying being sporting an enormous face and two dragon's heads. He is said to be capable of summoning magma flows at will.  Fearless Fearless are classified as Dominions, the fourth rank amongst the hierarchy of angels. Controlling the lightning feared by many as the instrument of divine justice, Fearless make known the majesty of God to the masses. Almost all of the naturally occurring lightning in the world is a result of the actions of these angels. It is said that divine wrath against gluttons is released in the lightning's flash, as the thunder signals heaven's roar.  Fairness A Virtue charged with the administration of miracles, it is wrapped in flames when appearing in the physical world, a power emblematic of its courage. A torrent of flame blazing as bright as the sun, these flames become the light that burns away darkness from those who receive the graces of Fairness. However, for those out of the angel's good graces, they are the fire and brimstone of destruction.  Grace & Glory Grace, draped in flame, and Glory, controller of lightning, are the twin escorts of the Creator. They share a wild disposition and are often depicted as gods of war heroically leading the soldiers of Paradiso into battle, with their giant, clawlike weapons being symbols of their ferocity. Humanity recognizes the increased spiritual power of twins, a power that comes from the blessings of Grace and Glory.  Beloved Beloved is a member of the Second Sphere class Powers, ranked sixth in the angelic hierarchy. Its status is more that of a spiritual being, but it is also burdened with destroying the enemies of Paradiso. While still considered amongst the lower classes of angels, Beloved's power is of a far higher order than that of a human, and even those with strong spiritual powers are seldom afforded the chance to meet this being. Excelling in combat, Beloved are known for brilliant exploits in demonic battles.  Shadows on Vigrid The witches are gone from this universe. They were said to have been killed off one by one during the malicious Witch Hunts that once spread through Europe. At least, that's what's written in the books. The real truth is a little more complicated. The mass slaughter known as the Witch Hunts of Vigrid was, in truth, a war of mythical proportions. The Lumen Sage responsible for the war launched a conflict that expanded beyond just humanity, reaching into Inferno and Paradiso as well. The angels' offensive was so overpowering that the Umbra were completely wiped out, but in the aftermath, this destructive fate also met the Lumen, and both clans were wiped from history. As I researched the Umbra and Lumen, who are considered the overseers of history, I learned that what we see with our eyes and hear with our ears isn't always the truth I thought it to be. An Umbra Witch who survived the Witch Hunts of the past. What sort of monumental secrets are locked away in her destiny? They unfold even now, in the unending cycle of life and death. Crazy to think that something that could decide the fate of the universe is taking place in Noatun at this very instant... At least, that's what my instinct's telling me is happening. I'll use this prized nose of mine to sniff out whatever is actually going on.  Where Darkness Falls Similar to the secret underground passageways you'd expect to find behind bookshelves in old, looming mansions, Vigrid was full of rooms with secret pathways and training rooms the Umbra used. I found that out a while back, when I was researching the Umbra. Later I learned my old man had stumbled upon the same thing. Anyway, as witches draw their strength from the darkness, they would set up facilities that allowed them to train indoors while it was light outside. It could be that they hated the sunlight, or maybe it was a measure they took to keep their secret arts as far from the public eye as possible. Most of these hidden passages were forgotten after the Witch Hunts. Time passed, and the city developed. Most of the inhabitants probably would never think there could be some secret path in the very house they live in. When you think about it, maybe they're happier not knowing.
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Jun 22, 2015 04:40
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Pesky Splinter posted:My opinion's somewhat mellowed on the Vigrid reuse, over time. Yeah, I remember not being a fan of the callback chapters when I first played this game, but like you said, it's been used in a way that changes it up a lot so I like it now. Still hate the previous Lumen Sage chapter though. As far as I can tell the bondage gear is just gibberish. You would think they'd be the binding spells or whatever but nope. mkob posted:Had to do it Malah posted:The one part that still annoys me is that B2 Grace & Glory are so easy, or that they didn't port Gracious & Glorious as well. Fearless got ported with Fairness! Agh! B2 is missing Joys as well, and Harmonies (but nobody cares about those) and Ardor. And Irenic I suppose but that was a car-angel G&G are strange because they got ported over but now they have a terrible way-too-fast attack with no cue to speak of that I'm pretty sure they didn't have in the first game. Most of the original enemies are straight ports with no changes to their attacks. Also the thing I mentioned where they're the only enemy that respond to launcher WW outside of Witch Time, which just seems like they forgot that they removed that property for most enemies. I think G&G are so easy in this game purely because how OP Umbran Climax is, they can be hard as balls on IC paired with a Sloth, even with Witch Time.
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Jun 23, 2015 02:47
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Nyeehg posted:Been lurking for a long time but just want to say thanks for the LP yoshesque. Your last LP got me to try Bayonetta and I put an embarasing amount of time into it in spite of having the PS3 version. I never got into Devil May Cry so I wasn't expecting to love Bayonetta so much. Bayonetta 2 has definitely been dumbed down (for lack of a better description), and in conjunction with the director wanting the whole game to feel climactic all the time, it all serves to make the game a rather flat experience. Three big bosses in a row means there's no contrast and therefore no time for the player to take in the impact; the player becomes inured to the climax. It's all very well and good to have these amazing boss fights, but if the pacing doesn't allow the player to establish the danger a boss poses, then what's the point? Glamor had buildup, but then you get the Valor/Insidious fights which just come out of nowhere. Hell, Gravitas had more buildup than those two, and that's a random mook angel. I remember coming across a video that praised B2's muspelheims because they taught you how to play the game. I agree with that, but the only thing they really teach you is Dodge Offset, Witch Time timings and the concept of not letting your combo break, which is very basic stuff. I'd argue the 'Use Wicked Weaves' alfheim from the first game was better at teaching Dodge Offset. I'm honestly not sure what the significance of the 'Don't touch the ground' or 'Use Angel/Demon arms' are because what I got from the former was 'use big AoE weapons/bird form/enemy step' and 'don't use these because they're not very good and can break your combo easily' from the latter. Also the 'Don't Get Hit' muspelheims are probably the most useless because it's better to learn a particular enemy's tells from playing the game, not being forced into a room with Sloth whose tells are useless. I really wish this game had something similar to the 'Use Torture Attacks' alfheim because it would be nice to know what built up magic meter. The difference between this game and Bayonetta 1 is perceived fairness/artificial difficulty and the very specific ways the game wants you to play. Not the way *you* want to play, but the way the developers designed the game to be played. You only need to look at this example to see what I mean: http://polsy.org.uk/play/yt/?vurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DwZ7IEFR3GcE Also for other laughs, just watch how much magic meter is built up (almost none for a lot of dodging and blocking) Comparatively: https://youtu.be/MpfrcY2A_70?t=807 (sorry for the gross voice over) There's plenty of examples of players stretching the first game to its limits. Not so much for this game. The rigidity of this game coupled with its very flat rollercoaster ride makes for an okay game, just one that I wouldn't go back to in a few years' time. Plus there's that whole problem of the rival fight being badly designed, which must be breaking a few action game rules somewhere. Bayonetta 2 had the all the pieces needed to be a fantastic sequel. The fact that it wasn't is my biggest disappointment. Sorry for all the words but thanks for the nice words about the LP.  It can get a little disheartening when each update only gets a handful of replies, but I know people are watching!
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Jun 25, 2015 04:03
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