The original Bayonetta game was one of those titles that instantly put me off buying it. From the outside it looked like one of those games that is made for people that are not like me. The type of gamer that gets off on hot women in video games, the ones that request that Dead or Alive characters have bigger tits or the ones that were desperately trying to find a cheat code to get Lara Croft naked in the first Tomb Raider. However, as I said to Andy once – you should not judge a book by its cover. Either way, I was not fully excited about the prospect of getting Bayonetta 2 for review purposes. I am not sure I would have got the game if I didn’t have to review it and if I didn’t already own a WiiU. I am sure not many people are as discriminatory when it comes to judging the Bayonetta series from the outset, but I do know it’s unfortunate that the reach of this marvelous game will be hampered by the poor sales of the WiiU. If only Nintendo had made the cheesecake.

Bayonetta 2 is the most fun I have had with a video game in a long time, but it does have an inauspicious beginning. The opening scene sees Bayonetta Christmas shopping in what I can only describe as a camp Hollywood film mixed with a British Carry On film. Almost instantly the action begins and you are fighting enemies that look suspiciously like a rich Russian woman’s jewellery atop of a moving plane. It is one of the most intense tutorial levels I have ever experienced and goes against the old mantle that you shouldn’t start with a show stopper. But that’s Bayonetta 2’s bag – every scene is a show stopper.

Although I didn’t have much experience with the original Bayonetta, I am a big fan of the Devil May Cry series and from my knowledge of that it feels like that there has not been much change in the combat system. You will essentially be rhythmically bashing one of two buttons in order to hit combos that will decimate your enemies. From the outsider’s view it will look like you are aimlessly button bashing, but there is definitely a rhyme and reason behind it. You are in control of the player, but you can’t really explain how you do it. It kind of reminds me of when people ask you what the shot button is in FIFA - you can’t tell them unless you have the controller in your hand. Side note: this game is best experienced with a WiiU pro controller – the analog sticks of the gamepad are not where you want them to be and the battery life is laughable.

I haven’t really focused much on the story in this review, because it’s kind of not that important. You don’t play this game for the storyline, you play it to feel masterfully powerful while at the same time progressing through kickass set pieces that make you utter the words ‘holy shit’ time after time. At times you are surfing waves while fighting enemies; you are on the back of a plane while fighting enemies; you are flying a jet, fighting enemies; you are fighting an enemy while demons you have conjured are also fighting each other in the background. The game is unrelenting.

You play through 16 chapters and a prologue and each chapter is split into a certain number of verses. For each verse you will be rewarded with an award based on your speed, combo size, etc (like DmC et al). You can, however, complete a chapter without playing through each verse. The verses are sometimes off the beaten track and you will need to hunt them down. Obviously the more verses you complete the better your overall award will be at the end of the chapter. This then impacts the currency you are rewarded and what you can buy from the shop. So to get the best weapons, techniques, items, etc. you will have to be getting past a lot of verses. This adds depth and a certain level of replayability to the game; you want to be able to gain more currency because it will mean that you can buy the weapon that allows you to have whips in your hands and chainsaws on your legs. The game is out there and outlandish, but altogether coherent and cohesive.

I won’t talk about any of the political questions raised by the game. If you want to hear the Podestrian point of view on that then you can listen to episode 8 of our gamecast. Overall, if you don’t own a WiiU, the system purchase coupled with a pro controller purchase makes an expensive barrier to entry. As I said earlier, that’s really unfortunate for this game. Bayonetta 2 is fantastic. Is it worth buying a WiiU and pro controller for? That depends on your financial position. Would I sell my right nut to get it? Probably.