A game that is definitely not without flaw, yet it remains my favorite of the series and one of my favorite games period.

Bayonetta, both the game and the character just exude style unlike almost any other. I adore the contrast between the otherworldly look and feel of the angels you battle and the over-the-top B-movie tone of the cutscenes and Bayonetta herself, almost like both aspects come from 2 different games entirely. The environments our heroine traverses are also remarkable. From the European-gothic architecture of Vigrid, to the art-deco inspired Ithavol building, none of it feels generic in any way. Even the menu UI is not without charm, boasting a clear baroque influence which is visible in other small parts of the game, such as the four guns Bayonetta wields.

The combat is another a highlight of this title. Easy to pick up, but with a surprising amount of depth to it. You will be pushed to your limits, even on the standard difficulty. Besides the gameplay-aspect of the combat, the aforementioned stylish nature of Bayonetta is also present in each and every encounter. This umbran witch darts across the battlefield with a flurry of attacks that are animated beautifully and could even be mistaken for a dance routine. The game even scores you based on how efficiently you take out your enemies, so no button mashing here, unless you want to suck all the fun out of it.

There are a few frustrations here and there. Some occasional gameplay diversions that don’t always hit the mark and boss battles that provide the spectacle, but are less compelling from a gameplay perspective. That being said, these don’t detract from my overall adoration of this game.

Would I have enjoyed this game more if I didn't have prideful perfectionist brain sending me back to main menu (Bayonetta~) every time I took damage on an "easy" fight, despite mostly getting a Gold combo for my cautious trouble? Yes.
Would I also have enjoyed this game more if the PC port didn't fail to load in the models of objects and characters, at best making cutscenes look more ridiculous and at worst forcing another quit to menu (Bayonetta~)? Also yes.
Centering your game's mechanics around perfect dodge slowdown is cool both in concept and execution, but as it turns out, it builds a huge crutch for when late game enemies are balanced by only having certain attacks activate Witch Time when dodged.

Run on Sentence X 3: 30 Points X Coffee Time Bonus