During one scene I found myself leaping from one platform into a church as it rotated on an island suspended in space while another stage saw me riding on the back of a missile controlling it in a manner reminiscent of Space Harrier. There are other similar oddities and homage’s to old games scattered through out ensuring that there is always something to keep the game feeling fresh.

 

The game’s greatest asset is beyond doubt its ludicrously flamboyant combat. Bayonetta’s clothes are made up of her hair that she controls and shapes. The idea of a woman with hair all over her body may sound like it flies in the face of the sexual allure designer Hideki Kamiya was aiming for, but it actually serves as an excuse to get the witch naked at every opportunity, because in order to use her magic Bayonetta has use the follicles she would usually use as clothes. By forgoing clothing she is able to call upon all manner of objects, from oversized fists to huge demonic creatures, which Bayonetta uses to pulverise her angelic foes in pate.

 

 

It is fortunate Bayonatta’s powers allow her to wield such extravagant powers as the larger angels she has to fight dwarf her. Even some of the rank and file angelic legions stand some five meters tall, but this is nothing when set against the bosses that fill the screen with their presence. These fights are the centrepieces of the game, multistage and employing numerous different game mechanics to prevent them ever becoming dull.

 

Unfortunately like so many other games in the genre Bayonetta reuses a lot of these larger encounters as the game progresses, robbing encounters of their impact. It’s a shame because the game encourages replays.

 

 

By the end of my first fifteen-hour play through I was far from unlocking all of the costumes and weapons, and only by completing the game on normal was the hard difficulty made available. For players looking for a challenge this may well be alluring, but I am not sure that I am that eager to jump back in on hard (which is very hard) just yet.

 

The attraction of "Bayonetta" is hard to pin down. It is undeniably flawed, but it has won me over by its shear conviction. It knows that its combat mechanic is solid and that it looks good, so it uses these traits to abuse you with everything else it does.

 

The thing is, it works. Its story may well be the very definition of style over content but the game as a whole delivers an enjoyable brawling experience that fills a gap in the current game release schedule.

 

Of course the question is with God of War 3 and Dante’s Inferno on the horizon will this gap still exist?

 

 

 

 

+ Entertaining and accessible brawler
+ Great set pieces
+ Looks good, despite occasional screen tearing