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.

Bayonetta is one of the best hack and slash games.

It`s impossible write about this game and not mention the similarities with Devil May Cry, which both games are directed by Kamiya.
Combat and characters influence by DMC, favour a lot Bayonetta experience and it's very fun to play.
DMC influences also damage the game, story is absurdly similar to DMC 4, at least, it's a lot better than DMC 4. Level design and structure are other two aspects which resemble DMC 4, good bosses but the game insists in re-use a lot of times and a bad execution of buss rush feature, a positive point about level design that the levels are more open and variable than DMC frachise.

Moreover, this game is very hard.
I loved this game, can't wait to play the other two