PS3 Informer

How to Get All the Trophies in Bayonetta

In this new series our staff writer Coty Biggs will walk gamers through some of the tougher trophies in PS3 games. Today's feature is Sega's Bayonetta, a game that may have caused more than a few of us major frustration.

Rather than showcasing a flimsy sense of accomplishment by way of generic T-ball trophies in a plexiglass case, the youth of today are more interested in virtual achievements. Whether it be an Xbox gamerscore or the PS3 platinum trophy, the pixellated parade of pretend badges of honor are now the preferred way to show just how cool sitting on the sofa for a straight 48 hours can really be.

We all know however, that there are some games out there that exist simply to be a thorn in the ass of the perfectionist gamer. You know those games that have the ability to transform even a nun into a cursing maniac? Of course most gamers would be proud to unlock the "gimme" achievements, finish the game, and be on their way. But this little snippet is for the guys and gals who can't stand being bested by a meager game, and therefore must beat it into a bloody pile of CG gore before putting down the controller.

One game in particular suffers from piss-off-itis...Bayonetta. There is nothing as seemingly frustrating as incessantly repeating a level because of a minor boo-boo, only to have a lackluster combo score once making it through unscathed. So before your doctor recommends an aspirin regimen, take this dose of tips as stress relief in order to accrue the achievements of your desire without pulling out hair by the fistful.

Watch Where You Look -- When playing in the third person there is an inclination to look at the character, since it's in most cases necessary. In this frustrating title however, buck the urge to look at her ample bottom when fighting hoards of divinity. Even though the man-bird-pigs vocally announce their attacks, it's often more reliable to focus on the position of their torso when planning a life-saving dodge.

Learn to use Witch Time -- If American Idol is any indication of how much rhythm us Yank's have, then it's clear that perfectly timing a shifty maneuver to engage this hyper-aware state will be as hard as Michael J. Fox trying to thread a needle. In order to learn to move like a butterfly and sting like a bee, whip ole' Bayonetta into shape at the Gates of Hell. Here you will find a slew of sadistic angel beating moves to choose from, all of which you may try before you buy. The goal here is to use the technique test-drive as a practice session complete with a real angel. Most are familiar with the practice mode accessible by pressing 'select' or 'back' during the loading screen; but a practice session alone though? How much fun is it playing all by yourself?

Save the Alfheims for Later -- Initially the Alfheim's may seem a useful way to add much needed Broken Witch Hearts or Moon Pearls to your inventory, boosting your magic and health. They are much more frustrating than need be for the rewards garnered, when Witch Tombs (the chests) contain just as many of these items without the need for repetitive gruel. Furthermore, by returning to these portals-o-torture later with some carnage reaping weapons makes the experience less stressful.

Button Mashing is a No-No -- Action games are most notoriously defined by the machine-gun-like rap on the triangle button; not for Bayonetta. As it seems, button mashing would get this wicked witch quite far during her evil plight, which is true in most instances. However when a player is actually concerned about a combo score (i.e. attempting to earn a platinum trophy) it is more advantageous to learn a handful of combos to wear out more thoroughly than your high-school prom date. Utilizing these famous moves keeps the rate of return high for each technique, and will make that little ticker on the right side of the screen multiply to its heart's content.

Platinum Playthrough -- There is a playable character that can be unlocked if platinum trophies are earned on each chapter throughout the game (Normal difficulty or higher). This is a particularly annoying goal to accomplish simply due to the game's autosave feature. Knowing when to throw in the towel will do a body good, preventing tedious retries of subsequent verses for pure platinum medals in order to offset an automatically saved bronze medal. Exercise caution though, as quitting to the title screen during a battle will allow a retry of that battle only if it is resumed through the "continue" menu option. Loading a game will erase the checkpoint.

Go Score Yourself -- Continuing with the theme of the above tip, learning exactly how to score player progress allows the maximum amount of breathing room. Got a gold medal on the 10th verse? Do a little math to see what is needed for the remaining verses. Simply tally what was awarded for each verse, and divide by the number of verses already completed. This averaged number should be 4, or a number that rounds up to 4 in order to receive a platinum trophy.

◦ Pure Platinum- 5
◦ Platinum- 4
◦ Gold- 3
◦ Silver- 2
◦ Bronze-1
◦ Stone-0

Make it hard first -- As tempting as toiling over a perfect playthrough may be, pushing through the rough and tumble world of the hard difficulty will make the normal mode seem like a walk in the park. Much like the merciless beatings by tweens in Call of Duty, being smashed around by tougher enemies will serve to make this bitchy witch even more maniacal.

Bayonetta may be a royal pain, but learning how to put her perversely diverse collection of techniques, weaponry, and accessories to good use can be a viscerally rewarding experience. With this in mind, exercise the dark recesses of your murderous creativity. Pull up your boot-straps and stir up the wrath of hell.

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Post author: Coty Biggs