Bat shit crazy is not a term I use to often, but was the only phrase I could think of to describe Sega’s latest action-adventure title Bayonetta.  With its highly stylised visuals and twitch reflex gameplay the Japanese influence is almost impossible to miss, with the focus being on high scores and speed across the games stunning landscapes, all in spite of the game being set in Europe and Bayonetta herself having a very British accent.

Right from the start you are plunged headlong into the mind bogglingly fast combat that makes up most of the meat of Bayonetta.  The controls are simple and intuitive to learn, with one button to use the weapon in your hands, one for the weapon on your feet and one to fire your pistols, these then form together to make what feels like 100 different combos.  Each of these combos are then changed again based on which of the 10+ different weapons you have in your hands and on your feet at the time.  The weapon selection itself it about as varied as you could want, with shotguns, launchers, swords, claws and even ice skates all available for Bayonetta to destroy her foes with.

The real treat of Bayonetta’s combat lies in the Witch Time mechanic which slows down time for everyone but you on a successful dodge, allowing you to unleash a massive combo on the enemy before they have a chance to react.  Alongside this you have brutal ‘Torture Attacks’ you can unleash once you have filled your magic bar, summoning a variety of sadistic torture devices to cripple your enemies and ‘wicked weave’ attacks that see our heroines hair come to life and attack the opponents.

The story follows the titular heroine on a quest to regain her memories after being revived from a 500 year slumber at the bottom of a lake.  Her journey leads her on a hunt to find the ‘right eye’, a mysterious artifact linked to Bayonetta’s past, that of the Umbra Witches and Lumen Sages, 2 ancient mysterious groups of warriors that oversaw the passage of time using the ‘Eyes of the World’.  As her memories return you get to play through flashback sequences of Bayonetta’s past, which usually set the scene for whats to come once your back in the present where you fight of hordes of the forces of heaven (or Paradiso as the game calls it), from strange floating heads to flaming hounds and of course the odd angel too.

The game tries hard to variate the levels, throwing in a side scrolling-shooter inspired level on the back of a missile as well as the ‘Alfhiem Gates’, portals that take you to a bonus levels where you have to kill enemies under different sets of conditions, but ultimately as the game draws to its close thins do start to feel a bit samey, add to that te small matter of having to complete the game 3 times over on increasing difficulties to unlock everything and you’ll soon realise that your in for quite a grind if your a true completionist.

Bayonetta may be entering the most crowded market in gaming after FPS’s, but it certainly stands out from the rest with the beautiful artwork, fast gameplay and a thoroughly Japanese soundtrack.  The gameplay hits just the right balance of fun and difficulty to keep it challenging throughout without ever really becoming insanely tough and unlike most action-adventure games Bayonetta still has plenty of meat on its bones after you have completed it, with extra items unlocking in the shop when you hit conditions such as completing the game in a total play time of less than 3 hours, meaning you’ll find yourself coming back for more long after you have finished the core part of the game.

9/10

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