Bayonetta (Nintendo Switch) Review

Not everyone will find the story, interactions, and overall lore that can be experienced in here entertaining. Some will fall in love with this strange mix of pleasant silliness and Heaven-vs.-Hell mythology, and the role that the Umbra Witches play in all this, while others will constantly reach for that 'Skip Scene' option, whenever some talking ensues. That's fine, however, as Bayonetta's plot is just an optional side dish, with the main meal being a juicy steak called hack 'n' slash - and although the titular heroine is an unapologetic poser, that doesn't mean that she is just a useless showgirl.

Even without mentioning that various abilities that can be bought or found throughout this journey (and there are indeed tons of stuff to do before reaching the 100% mark), Bayonetta is capable of destroying her foes in all sorts of ways, and with an impressive speed on top of it all. From combo moves and evasions, to her trusty Gun-Fu skills, this lady knows how to handle an angry crowd of angelic monstrosities.

Thankfully, a repetitive, brawler this is not, as, rather than constantly pitting you against the same freaking monsters again and again, and in a stage that never seems to end, Bayonetta's levels don't overstay their welcome, and, most importantly, offer plenty of different battle scenarios, ensuring that you won't get bored. Oh, sure there are plenty of subpar areas, with boring platforming or sleep-inducing motorbike chases, but, as a whole, this will certainly help you quench your thirst for fast-paced, challenging action.

Speaking of challenge, while completing this won't be exactly a tough ordeal, be prepared to train quite a lot if wanting to replay levels and try gaining better medals. This is probably the main source of fun here, and it's something that requires getting very good at controlling Bayonetta, as it's a system that requires finishing each battle as fast as possible, or, even better, with a higher score, and less damage to her curvy behind.

Concerning the transition to Nintendo Switch, things are simply fantastic, with this port being the second best next to the PC one, as well as the best in the world of consoles, as it provides the means to play what started as a seventh generation console title in both docked and mobile form, with no major differences in quality. The 720p resolution might disappoint some, but this runs at 60fps, the textures look (and maybe are) similar to the ones from the PC version and, generally, everything looks great.

Being a Bayonetta game on a Nintendo system, however, means that this has something that the PC world hasn't, which is some extra goodies - some in the form of costumes for the sexy witch that enable her cosplaying as Princess Peach and Daisy, as well as Samus Aran, and Link. A strange, and, to be honest, flawed addition, exclusive to Switch, however, seems to be the touch controls, which, although far from broken or unresponsive, just don't feel… right, as the frenetic action on-screen just doesn't go hand in hand with this way of playing.