But just so you know, Bayonetta is awesome.
It's hard to put my finger on exactly why that is. The evade button is the first thing I'd think to single out - it forces you to actually pay attention to what the enemies are doing and react appropriately, even while stupidly hacking away. A well-timed evade is rewarded with a temporary Matrix bullet time pivotal to toppling stronger enemies that might otherwise be impervious to all-important aerial combos. If you're good, you can even start a combo, evade, then continue the combo from where you left off. BUT I can't say for certain that this is an innovation unique to Bayonetta. Ninja Gaiden may have had something similar to this, I honestly don't remember, but if it has been done, I'm pretty sure it's never been implemented this effectively.
The combo list is intimidatingly long - just the basic, out-the-box list is at least two or three dozen, and of course there are additional moves you can purchase. Once again, this is nothing new, but the implementation is stunning. It has a very different feel from anything that's been done up to now. It never feels like I'm button mashing - Bayonetta is a tool, and I am in full control at every juncture and half juncture. When she does something awesome, it's because I pulled the strings, not because I thumb-kongad my way into an accidental victory. It is remarkably fluid in a way nothing in the genre has approached up until now.
Of course, cheese and style are stacked sky high. The game has no fear of persecution. It's beautiful, outrageous, hilarious, stylish, and surprisingly engaging. The cinemas may drag on a little long for some people, but they're skippable and half the charm is in the unapologetically outlandish narrative.
So yeah, this isn't another MeToo-May-Cry. It feels like the first genuine step forward since the genre was created. I'm still in the early stages as yet, but it's already the best game I've played this year (not like that's saying much).
Of course, you losers all have to wait until January.
