She's got style, she's got grace, she's a winner.
Let me start off by saying that from a purely game play perceptive, Bayonetta is great, not perfect but still great. Your given tons of combos and all of them get the job done. Most of them will end with a flurry of punches or kicks or one, again literally, giant punch or kick. But no matter how they end they are all very rewarding both damage wise and visually. They most rewarding moves you get are the S&M finishing moves, which can only be performed if you are doing especially well. With so many offensive moves, you may be surprised to learn that there are only a handful of defensive moves, including dodge and air dodge and nothing else. If you make a dodge at just the right time then you will enter witch time. Witch time is a fancy way of saying bullet time witch is a fancy way of saying slow motion. On paper this doesn't sound like anything special but in practice it gives you the ability to try out some of the more advanced moves that require more precision then is possible at the frantic regular speed.
Witch time isn't the only for fighting. There are some very light puzzle elements that require you to use witch time to walk on water or though fire. In addition to witch time there is also the witch walk. This lets you walk on certain walls and ceilings, allowing the outstanding action take happen at angles you might not expect. And there is also the ability to turn in to a panther to sprint. Some of the games best sequences will have you using all of your abilities in combination to create unique set pieces.
The variety in the combat doesn't stop at what you can do. There are plenty of different enemies you will face. And while what you are facing changes the way you face them doesn't change. Enemies fall in to two different camps. There are the basic enemies that you whale on until they enter a state of "Hulk-a-mania" and attack. The other camp of enemies is always in a state of "Hulk-a-mania" and you wait until witch time to attack. They try to keep it fresh by giving the regular enemies special cheap properties, like immunity to melee attacks or only vulnerable to environmental weapons. These segments are short but still feel out of place and break the otherwise break-neck pace.
With all the focus on the action, it is not surprising that the story had to suffer. The plot is more or less an excuse for Bayonetta to travel from on weird location to another; often with little or no explanation as to why. It keeps play guessing about what might happen next, and what just happened and what is happening. The main villain it's even mentioned until the second to last level. This story involves brainwashing, time travel, space travel, evil corporations, multiple characters escaping death, demons, angles, a child with special powers and two warring ancient clans. Most of it is told by poorly done still frames at the beginning and end of each level with the full motion cut scenes saved for over the top action sequences. It doesn't work very well, but at the very least it's original. And it doesn't take itself seriously. This lets the game work in many different characters with out any of them seeming too out of place. The cast of characters is special. They're all so arrogant and narcissistic. It's the kind of thing that some people are going to love and some people are going to hate.
Bayonetta is at it's best when it is throwing new things at you. And it is constantly doing that. If your not to put off by the obsession with style and the lack luster plot, then you'll have a blast with the insane action and shear randomness.