So, I like modern "character action games" as GB would put it, like God of War and Devil May Cry. I've always wanted to play Bayonetta, but I'm mainly a PC guy and a PS3 was the only console I had last generation (mostly for a few exclusives like the aforementioned God of War). I never picked up Bayonetta after hearing about the PS3 version being rather compromised.

I've been toying with the idea of getting a Wii U, again mainly just to play a few exclusives - Bayonetta 1 & 2 being a big factor in justifying that purchase (because Wind Waker HD is really the only game that's a "must play" for me)

Here's what made me hesitate though - I just finished Metal Gear Rising and while I really appreciated the over the top action sequences, I kind of hated the fighting system in it. Specifically the blocking/counter mechanism which required you to flick the stick in a direction and hit the attack button at the same time. The need to stop moving during battles, so the stick was centered to then be able to flick it in order to block was very counter-intuitive for me and I couldn't get a "feel" for it. As a result, beating the game on just normal difficulty, while certainly not insurmountable, was more of a chore than I would have liked. I am not particularly good at video games, but normal difficultly in most other brawlers generally feels ok to me.

Do Bayonetta 1 & 2 have a more typical dedicated button for block/dodge or is it similar to Metal Gear Rising? How difficult are they in comparison to others games in the genre?

Bayonetta has a dodge button, you hit it and Bayo does a cartwheel/flip out of the way. If you time it perfectly it puts you in Witch Time which slows down time and makes it easier to execute more complicated combos.

It's not hard to beat the Bayo games but it is quite difficult to get everything in them.

The thing with Metal Gear Rising is that you shouldn't be moving the stick most of the time in combat. It's a difficult concept to wrap your mind around but when you figure it out it's super rewarding.

BTW: Wonderful 101 is a cool game, as is almost every other Clover Studios/Platinum Games game.

Like you, I just couldn't get the hang of rising (eventually gave it up, stopped enjoying it) but Bayonetta 2 has a dodge button instead that's a lot easier to get the hang off whilst still being hard to master - ended up absolutely loving Bayonetta 2.

Bayonetta does have a similar blocking system tied to an optional item, but you don't need to hit the attack button when you use it. Having a dedicated dodge button, rather than Rising's focus on parrying, makes the combat much faster paced.

Bayonetta's combat system is fully realized and completely fleshed out. I couldn't find a moment in those 2 games where the combat didn't know exactly what it wanted to be.

Metal Gear Rising went through development hell, and the combat system suffered for it. It doesn't seem like it quite knows what it wants to be, and the stealth feels like it was thrown together last minute because "Well, it has Metal Gear in the title, it has to have some kind of stealth". Zandatsu is still a ton of fun, even if it gets repetitive, and the combat is more than servicable. It needed polish, though, polish they didn't have time to give it, cause that game had to ship. Nevertheless, I expect a massive overhaul of the combat for Rising 2.

I actually liked MGR's combat systems at lot more than the first Bayonetta, but I never played 2 so there's that

@sweetz: You won't have any such problems with Bayonetta 1 and 2.

Bayonetta doesn't have that utter bullshit in it. It's way better.

It's a shame that Metal Gear Rising would have been great without that one awful, awful mechanic.

@sweetz: As others said, Bayonetta has a much better combat system overall and the dodge mechanics is one of the most satisfying in the history of the genre. Rising had a good idea but bad execution. The camera wasn't tight enough for a counter system that relied on directional input when faster enemies would often charge at you from offscreen.

It might be a bold statement but I think Bayonetta is the best character action game ever made and any fan of the genre definitely has to experience it. Unfortunately I'm not about to buy an entire console just for one game (and no I don't care about any first party Nintendo franchises, any of them) so sadly I can't speak for Bayonetta 2, but if anything I've heard it's even better than the first.

I think I'm the only one who loves the hell out of that stick flick parry. Just that one detail in input gives the gameplay an oomph for me.

I really like it too. Especially in the Monsoon fight when you parry a ton of attacks in a row super quickly. So good.

I haven't played MGR yet, but in Bayo I literally never stopped moving. The combat is incredibly mobile and satisfying. If you have the opportunity to play both games, you absolutely should. As far as difficulty goes, there were certain sections that I got stuck on but I never felt like I was being cheated by the game. Anytime I screwed up it was because I might have fooled around a bit too much but once I cracked down on dodges and making use of witch time and the parry item I got past whatever boss was giving me trouble.

Thanks for the info everyone, sounds like I'll be comfortable with Bayonetta.

I can't believe there are people who like MGR's parry mechanism!

Metal Gear Rising has a dodge too, but the parry mechanic is pretty cool.

Bayonetta 1 & 2 are probably the best so-called Character Action Games period. So yeah, play them.

@corevi: Yes! shit feels so good and that's actually my favorite boss fight gameplay wise because of it

Can't speak for 2, but it's certainly true for 1.

Bayo2 is fan-fucking-tastic, but it's bumfuckingly easy on just about every setting except the last difficulty. I would say most other games in the genre, MGR and Bayo1 included, balance out the difficulty much better.

Now, just need to figure out if can I justify (to myself) spending $350 (Pro Controller added in) to essentially play 3 games...

I wish there were some deals going on. $250 would be easier to swallow.

@sweetz: Nintendo used to sell refurbished Wii Us for $200 but they've been out of stock since December. Keep an eye on it I guess?

I'm getting a Wii U this year, but I'm going to try to hold out until after E3. Just in case they do a price drop.