Bayonetta

92%
Game Brain Score Based on 8,941 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Bayonetta Game Cover
Bayonetta on PC is without a doubt the definitive way to play this game. Most gaming PCs will run it with great performance, and whether it's your first foray into this world or your tenth, it's an adventure worth taking again.
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Bayonetta is a character action game where you play as the last surviving witch of an ancient clan, Bayonetta. After being entombed for 500 years, Bayonetta is revived and must fight countless angelic enemies to discover the truth about her past and protect the world from cataclysmic repercussions. With its over-the-top action and stylish heroine, Bayonetta is a thrilling and challenging game that is best experienced with a controller.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Xbox One
  • Play​Station
  • Wii
  • Wii U
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

92%
Audience ScoreBased on 8,941 reviews
story592 positive mentions
stability51 negative mentions
  • story1,651 mentions

    The story of Bayonetta is often described as over-the-top, absurd, and at times confusing, with many players noting its campy humor and engaging characters. While some find the narrative lacking depth or coherence, it serves as a backdrop for the game's fast-paced combat and stylish action, making it enjoyable despite its flaws. Overall, the story is seen as a mix of entertaining elements that complement the gameplay rather than a focal point, appealing to those who appreciate its quirky charm.

    • “I am looking forward to continuing the story with a newfound sense of enjoyment, and I am excited to become a fan of this series.”
    • “The story is divided into 17 chapters, each having multiple verses.”
    • “The story and characters are fun, and baby Bayonetta is way too adorable.”
    • “The story is convoluted nonsense, don't even bother trying to understand what is going on.”
    • “The story is a complete ridiculous mess that's not even worth talking about.”
    • “The story is not interesting and the characters are one-dimensional.”
  • gameplay1,417 mentions

    The gameplay of Bayonetta is widely praised for its fluidity, depth, and engaging mechanics, particularly the combo system and the "Witch Time" mechanic that rewards precise dodging. Players appreciate the variety of combat options and the challenge presented by enemy encounters, though some criticize the frequent cutscenes and quick-time events that disrupt the flow of gameplay. Overall, the game is considered a standout in the hack-and-slash genre, offering a satisfying blend of stylish action and intricate mechanics that encourage mastery and replayability.

    • “The combos and unlockable techniques make the gameplay very varied and fun when fighting the enemies.”
    • “The gameplay is very tight and responsive.”
    • “With its fluid gameplay, intricate combo system, and confident portrayal of its titular character, Bayonetta stands as a true masterpiece in the action genre.”
    • “The gameplay feels clunky.”
    • “The gameplay is so frantic you can't tell what's going on.”
    • “The camera mechanics are awful, makes my eyes hurt sometimes, combat is not fun, lame.”
  • graphics663 mentions

    The graphics of Bayonetta, while showing their age as a 2009 release, are generally praised for their unique art style and vibrant character designs, with many reviewers noting that they still hold up well compared to contemporary titles. The game features smooth animations and impressive visual effects, although some players feel the color palette can be dull and the cutscenes occasionally suffer from lower frame rates. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong aspect of the game, contributing to its engaging and over-the-top aesthetic.

    • “The stylish visuals, from Bayonetta's design to huge bosses, still hold up, offering an unforgettable experience.”
    • “The graphics are stunning, with detailed environments and character models that truly bring the game to life.”
    • “Bayonetta is a breathtaking and exhilarating action game that combines fast-paced combat, stunning visuals, and a captivating storyline.”
    • “It looks like a PS2 game graphically.”
    • “The visuals are bizarre and don't add to the storyline.”
    • “The graphics are old yet stylish, giving you massive nostalgia for the graphics of pre-generation 5 of video game consoles.”
  • music634 mentions

    The music in Bayonetta is widely praised for its catchy and memorable soundtrack, featuring standout tracks like the jazzy remix of "Fly Me to the Moon," which many players find unforgettable. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to enhance the game's over-the-top action and atmosphere, with a mix of orchestral, jazz, and pop influences that complement the gameplay. While some note a lack of variety in the tracks, the overall consensus is that the music significantly contributes to the game's charm and enjoyment.

    • “The soundtrack is also really something else; the tunes were in my head almost all the time, especially the cover of 'Fly Me to the Moon'.”
    • “The music is absolutely fantastic, featuring a mix of orchestral and rock, with catchy and memorable themes that match the game's over-the-top action.”
    • “The entire soundtrack is a true beauty as they throw banger after banger at you.”
    • “The voice acting is horrible and the music will make your ears bleed.”
    • “There's the music: I swear that the same song gets played over and over to the point where it gets stuck in my head, and haunts me to this day.”
    • “The music is well-done, but the variety of tracks is low, which makes the sound seem stale after a while.”
  • humor302 mentions

    The humor in Bayonetta is widely praised for its over-the-top, campy style, blending absurdity with clever dialogue and sexual innuendo. Players appreciate the game's ability to balance hilarious moments with engaging action, often finding themselves laughing at the protagonist's witty one-liners and the ridiculous scenarios presented throughout the game. However, some note that the humor may not resonate with everyone, particularly due to its heavy reliance on sexual themes and quirky Japanese humor.

    • “Amazing and fun game, has great humor and a fun story to play along with.”
    • “The dialogue is hilarious; I always find myself laughing or shocked.”
    • “Bayonetta's personality is a big part of the charm, and her constant quips and sass add humor to the action.”
    • “It's not funny to me; it just seems to be trying too hard to be edgy.”
    • “The rest of the jokes are just tiresome or completely insane, making it not funny and sad that you can't be this badass in the game.”
  • optimization216 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its smooth performance and ability to run well on a variety of hardware, while others report significant stuttering and frame rate drops, particularly on AMD CPUs. Many users noted that while the game can achieve high frame rates and looks great, issues like inconsistent performance and poor camera controls detract from the overall experience. Overall, the PC port is seen as a decent effort, but it still suffers from optimization problems that can affect gameplay for some users.

    • “The optimization for this platform is exceptional, ensuring smooth gameplay.”
    • “It's really well optimized, so you can play Bayonetta on almost every average PC without worrying too much about performance.”
    • “The game is so well optimized that even my Intel HD runs this at 60 fps.”
    • “The optimization is inconsistent.”
    • “The stuttering is so bad it makes it borderline unplayable.”
    • “I'm going to wait for a while and hopefully it will be fixed, but for now it's just a terribly optimized mess.”
  • replayability132 mentions

    Bayonetta is widely praised for its high replayability, offering players numerous challenges, collectibles, and difficulty settings that encourage multiple playthroughs. The game's ranking system and variety of unlockable weapons and accessories further enhance its replay value, making it appealing for both casual players and completionists. While some reviewers noted frustrations with certain design choices, the overall consensus is that Bayonetta provides an engaging experience that invites players to return for more.

    • “The replayability is really good as it encourages you to pass all the levels with the best scores in the difficulties you've already beaten or replay the game with a harder difficulty.”
    • “The game also has great replayability options, featuring a variety of extra modes and challenges that add to the game's replayability.”
    • “The combat system is easy to pick up and understand, but difficult to master and offers a crazy amount of depth and complexity via mechanics such as dodge offset, the sheer amount of replayability and extra unlockables to earn is insane.”
    • “The game wants to have replay value so bad, but it can only do that by teasing achievements and a little bit of skin on the main character.”
    • “The game is also slow in unlocking new stuff, thus kind of forcing you to replay from the beginning for unlocking stuff, and no, that's not called increasing replay value.”
    • “Unless you love playing the same segments over and over again to achieve some higher score, the game has no replay value.”
  • stability75 mentions

    The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, particularly during cutscenes and battles. While some users have experienced smooth performance without major issues, others have encountered frequent crashes, rendering problems, and frustrating gameplay interruptions. Overall, the game's stability appears to vary widely among players, with a notable number expressing dissatisfaction with its buggy nature.

    • “User friendly, runs great on my Aspire 5 laptop with integrated graphics.”
    • “Game runs great in 1080p with everything maxed on my older i5 760 + GTX 970 and runs flawlessly at 4K on my Ryzen 5 1600 + 1080 Ti.”
    • “No glitches or crashes in my playthrough whatsoever.”
    • “The game itself is wonderful, I like the characters and the story (albeit it's a bit hard to follow sometimes), but it's insanely buggy.”
    • “This port is a buggy mess.”
    • “For a game that counts every bad thing you do and mocks you for it, this game is insanely buggy to the point of being unplayable, which is a shame since the game is super easy.”
  • character development60 mentions

    Character development in the game is highlighted by its exceptional character design, particularly that of Bayonetta, which is both visually striking and creatively executed. While the main character and a few others exhibit compelling growth and personality, some players feel that other characters lack depth. Overall, the narrative intertwines intriguing storytelling with character evolution, making it a memorable experience in the action genre.

    • “Luca, Jeanne, and even the main character all show compelling character development, but even before they undergo changes, their over-the-top performances are a joy to watch.”
    • “Character development stands on the highest possible level, also the jokes and references to classic games.”
    • “Every character, other than Bayonetta, has little to no character development.”
    • “A bit on the weird side in terms of story and character design, but my main dislike was I didn't find the action gameplay to be super fun.”
    • “The story and character development was simple enough to quickly get the hang of but complex enough to keep the player intrigued and questioning what is going on.”
  • grinding55 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and repetitive, often requiring players to replay missions and engage in monotonous tasks to unlock upgrades and achievements. While some players appreciate the combat mechanics and find enjoyment in the grind, many express frustration with the excessive backtracking, long cutscenes, and the need to farm for resources, which detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the grinding can feel like a chore, overshadowing the game's more enjoyable elements.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “However, be warned that the gameplay can start out to be very challenging, and you're kinda supposed to grind the same missions as you get better and upgrade Bayonetta with more moves and weapons.”
    • “Entire levels are extremely tedious and don't bring any value to the game.”
    • “The amount of grinding they want you to do in this game to unlock the less dumb aspects of combat is ridiculous.”
  • emotional37 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is described as a complex blend of feelings, ranging from inadequacy and discomfort to genuine warmth and attachment to characters. Players report experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions, with moments that are both heartwarming and heartbreaking, often leading to tears by the end. Despite its chaotic and sometimes ridiculous nature, the game manages to deliver touching narratives and memorable character interactions that resonate deeply with players.

    • “The ending made me cry.”
    • “The story is beautiful and surprisingly heart-touching at the end of the game.”
    • “The game made me worry about the fates of the characters and become emotionally attached to them, to the point where the ending almost made me cry.”
  • atmosphere23 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its vibrant colors, dynamic lighting, and captivating music that enhances both calm and intense moments. Reviewers appreciate the unique visual style and the blend of whimsical and serious tones, although some find the over-the-top elements occasionally detract from the experience. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as energetic, charming, and integral to the gameplay experience.

    • “The game's use of color and lighting is excellent, with vibrant colors and dynamic lighting effects that add depth and atmosphere to each level.”
    • “The atmospheric, calm tunes at the start of the game were a joy to listen to, and the action-packed songs of the mid-to-late game were adrenaline-pumping and intense, as you'd expect.”
    • “The way it melds with gameplay to create tone and atmosphere pumps you up for every moment.”
    • “The over the top characters and atmosphere are less interesting and more annoying than anything.”
    • “Atmosphere-5/10”
    • “I also prefer the brighter atmosphere of the sequel.”
  • monetization5 mentions

    The game's monetization model is praised for its lack of microtransactions and loot boxes, allowing players to unlock additional content, such as costumes and characters, through gameplay rather than spending extra money. This approach enhances replayability and overall enjoyment, contrasting with the negative experiences associated with other games' monetization strategies.

    • “Combat's amazing, and with all the weapons, accessories, and characters you can unlock (no loot boxes or microtransactions!), there's high replayability.”
    • “The PC version adds more messed up controls to the already messed up original ones.”
    • “That American who made Sega the most known developer in the Nintendo era knows how to make Sega better, but too bad they're using a bad way.... remember Sega Genesis ads?”
    • “You don't even have to spend money on microtransactions to get the extra costumes.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

90% average critic score

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Play time

15hMedian play time
49hAverage play time
12hMain story
42hCompletionist
10-100hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 13 analyzed playthroughs

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