Game:

Bayonetta 2 (2014)

Duration: 12:25

96 views

3

Oh no, Loki and the Masked Lumen are in a dual to the death! We have to save Loki....but first let's get some shopping done!

Huh, guess Rodin's a fan of Futurama...that or Internet memes... Anywho, we get some health along with the alternate version for Alruna. Alruna is a whip, though it operates differently than Kulshedra from Bayo 1. For one, its a DUAL whip and can be equipped on the hands OR feet, which means its QUADRUPLE the fun! Kulshedra was great for reeling foes in or zipping to THEM, but Alruna is more offensive, whipping foes at high speeds with fantastic range, and wrapping them up so you can slam them around. For stronger enemies, you have to be in Witch Time to whip them to and fro, and the largest enemies of all will just parry any attempts. As much as I like it, its very situational, and certain enemies will just parry practically all of your attacks, so it's best used in tandem with another weapon to soften them up first.

We'll begin this chapter with the BEST backtracking level ever. With Diomendes' help we'll gallop through the previous level as we chase down Loki and the Sage. Damn, they're THIS far away and Bayo still managed to spot them?!

I prefer this to a motorcycle section, I'll tell you that! We even see Gomorrah rampaging about....is that the SAME Gomorrah? I was under the impression that its one of a kind, like a Legendary Pokemon, but perhaps not. Would explain it being alive and well after Balder killed it in the last game!

SPEAKING OF BALDER....here's the uh...."reveal" in all its...glory? Its so understated and just...why go to the trouble of masking him, then HEAVILY "hint" at him being Balder way back in the Record of Time before the game's even gotten going?! That or make that a red herring for the TRUE reveal....but alas, it's not to be.

Our final fight with Balder is rather disappointing, I find. Sure, there's some nice parallels with the Lumen Sage fight from Bayo 1, with a remix of that boss fight's track here, and Balder certainly evokes his final form here...but the fight itself feels like a step BACKWARDS from before. I still stand by the fact that the first fight with him was the best, and in terms of sheer spectacle, this fight should have been done FIRST. He's got a lot of the same tricks we've seen before. Fire spells, that slow-mo beam, and slashes with his Glaive, but that's largley about it. No Cardinal Virtues. No Infernal Demons. No second stage with a flying battle...just...a fight that feels rushed. Especially with the ending being what it is.

Loki's power is awakening and our fight is cut short. What will follow is a series of awesome moments, but at the same time I feel that we're robbed of a proper boss fight befitting our "rival character" for this game.

As a sidenote here, we see that Baal and Hydra appear in Alrune's Umbran Climax attacks. I was a little surprised that Alraune herself doesn't pop up...Onwards anyway!

Other Statistics