Cover artwork I generate from the game data. I do not use publisher artwork.
Game profile
Bayonetta
The witch Bayonetta fights hordes of angels with weapons woven into hair and heels, delivering fast, stylish combos. This action highlight shines with excellent combat feel and over the top self irony.
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What kind of game this is
At its core this is Action / Fighting, set in a fantasy world. Visually it is deliberately stylised rather than photorealistic, and the overall tone stays somewhere between light and heavy. The structure is guided rather than open, so you are moved along instead of dropped into a map. Sessions of an hour or two sit at the sweet spot here.
The difficulty is moderate and fair, demanding attention without punishing you for it. The story matters and gives the mechanics a frame, without taking over. It is a single player experience from start to finish. It is available broadly, on 4 platforms. It sits in the budget bracket.
What stands out
- stylish combat system
- fast paced combos
- over the top presentation
This fits you if
- you are after a proper adrenaline rush
- you play alone and want a complete experience without other people
- you are watching your budget
- you want to actually finish something for once, 11 hours and done
Look elsewhere if
- you specifically want an open world to roam
- you want to play it side by side with someone
- you want either a pure challenge or pure relaxation, not the middle
What it costs you in time
About 11 hours in total. At two hours per evening that is around 6 evenings, so about a week of casual play.
How the rating ranks
Critics settled on 91 out of 100, which puts it above 90 percent of the 1206 games here and at rank 91 overall. That is a strong score, comfortably above what most releases manage.
For comparison, Action averages 83 points across the database, so this one sits 8 points above its own genre. The figure rests on 569 collected ratings.
Released in 2009, which makes it 17 years old. A genuine classic, and worth checking how the version you buy holds up today.
The facts
- Release year
- 2009
- Genres
- Action, Fighting
- Playtime
- approx. 11 hrs.
- Difficulty
- Moderate, fair
- Story weight
- Present and relevant
- Play with
- Solo
- Setting
- Fantasy
- Visual style
- Stylised
- Price bracket
- Budget
- Platforms
- PC, Switch, PlayStation, Xbox
- Critic rating
- 91 / 100
Direct comparison
| Genres | Release year | Playtime | Critic rating | Price bracket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayonetta | 2009 | approx. 11 hrs. | 91 | Budget |
| Bayonetta 3 | 2022 | approx. 14 hrs. | 90 | Mid price |
| Bayonetta 2 | 2018 | approx. 12 hrs. | 91 | Mid price |
| Devil May Cry 3 | 2005 | approx. 12 hrs. | 89 | Budget |
If you liked this, try these
- Bayonetta 3 Shared: Action, Fighting, Fantasy
- Bayonetta 2 Shared: Action, Fighting, Fantasy
- Devil May Cry 3 Shared: Action, Fighting, Fantasy
- Streets of Rage 4 Shared: Action, Fighting, shorter
- Naraka: Bladepoint Shared: Action, Fighting, Fantasy, longer
- Pirates, Vikings, and Knights II Shared: Action, Fighting, Fantasy, longer