Over-the-top, crazy, shameless, brutal, and awesome; just a few words to describe Bayonetta.
The story follows Bayonetta, an Umbra witch whom, for the past 500 years, has been trapped down at the bottom of a lake. Upon her release she is stricken with amnesia. The angels of the heavens don't take too kindly of her return, and thus they are hell-bent on sending her back to Hell. During her journey, Bayonetta is aided by a Joe Pesci look-alike named Enzo, who serves as her informant and the game's comic relief, and Rodin, who owns a bar called the Gates of Hell and gives her new weapons and items. Along the way you will meet a young "ladies man" (as he seems to think) who has a personal grudge against Bayonetta, a little girl, and Jeanne, another Umbra Witch who seems to be working with the angels. The story, for the most part, is structured rather well and compelling enough to keep you interested; it even leads to a couple of interesting twists.
The game is set as a 3rd-person action game that is similar in many areas to that of Capcom's successful Devil May Cry series. You will be traveling to various locations, fighting off angels of all flavors, solving minor puzzles, and facing bosses. The core action of Bayonetta is absolutely fantastic. You will perform a ton of stylish moves using all kinds of weapons and racking up all kinds of combos. You arsenal includes a mixture of melee weapons and guns with unlimited ammo. You can also perform special finishing moves called Torture Attacks, which usually involve iron maidens and guillotines. Not only does the action look great, the buttery-smooth controls make sure that it plays great as well. The camera can get in the way every now and again, but it shouldn't hamper with the overall experience. Defeated enemies will drop halos that act as the game's currency.
While the fighting is easy to pick up, it is rather difficult to master (unless you actually play on the easiest difficulty). When you die, it's because you messed up and need to try harder. The biggest element at Bayonetta's disposal is Witch Time. With the push of a trigger and dodging an incoming attack at the last possible second, Bayonetta will slow down time for a brief period, giving her ample opportunity to decimate her foes more easily. Mastering the art of dodging is the key to victory, and this helps add some strategy to an already deep action experience. In certain parts of a level and in between chapters you are given the opportunity to enter The Gates of Hell. This basically acts as the game's shop. Here you get to purchase new abilities, items that can increase your attributes like health and magic, and even lollipops that refill health and magic.
How you perform in battles adds to your score at the end. In each battle you are awarded a medal based on the amount of combos you perform, how long it takes for you to complete the battle, and how much damage you take. The game penalizes you heavily for not only taking damage, but also for dying and using items. At the end of a chapter all of the medals you have earned add to your score, as well as any deaths or items used. Medals range from Stone to Pure Platinum. Trying to master these techniques and trying to obtain Pure Platinum on each level help add to the game's already excellent replayabilty.
Bayonetta also features some of the most exciting boss battles in gaming. Most of these battles have you pitted against ugly-looking creatures that are gargantuan in size and are simply a blast to face. Each battle feels more dynamic and epic than the last. What makes these battles truly unique are the ways you finish one off. The way you finish off these foes are just down-right ridiculous (and by that, I mean ridiculously awesome). Most of Bayonetta's finishing moves come from transforming her hair into various creatures (or even fists and feet).
Bayonetta is also a great looking game. It's inspired Gothic architecture and beautifully detailed worlds and enemies are simply great to look at, and with a generally smooth framerate. Bayonetta herself animates really well, as well as the enemies. The game is presented in both still-framed cutscenes with a unique film grain effect, and of course those over-the-top, slickly choreographed animated cutscenes. The voice acting is excellent, with Bayonetta's sultry English accent being an obvious standout, and the soundtrack is one part beautifully orchestrated and one part upbeat, jazzy pop that still works with the game's overall tone.
To sum things up:
PROS:
-Excellent graphics and inspired design
-The overall ridiculous nature of the game
-Great action
-Superb bosses
-Excellent soundtrack
-Relatively good story
-Good voice acting
CONS:
-Camera can get in the way at times
Bayonetta offers a stupendous action experience that easily rivals games like Devil May Cry and God of War. And in many ways, it serves as an evolution of those games. For those looking for a definitive action experience on the Xbox 360 (or, if you have no choice, the PS3), then Bayonetta is highly recommended.