Bayonetta 2

The central move is Witch Time. Dodge just before a hit lands and the action around Bayonetta slows for a few seconds, giving you room to attack. The gallery includes real Nintendo gameplay with the combat display visible, so you can see the crowd of enemies, the health area and how large some boss fights become. Bayonetta can chain lighter and heavier attacks into combos and use Umbran Climax for a powerful burst. If you are new, concentrate on surviving and recognizing one enemy's cue before chasing a perfect score. Replaying a chapter for a better result can come later.

The game is deliberately theatrical: a city skyline, enormous angels and demons, elaborate costume designs and rapid camera changes all compete for attention. Story scenes and fights alternate, rather than leaving you in one endless arena. There is also Tag Climax, a separate cooperative combat mode, but the main campaign is a single-player adventure. Bayonetta 2 is more mature and more intense than Mario Kart; the ESRB M rating on the original North American Wii U box is a useful warning if you are choosing a game for a younger player.

PlatinumGames developed Bayonetta 2 and Nintendo published it on Wii U. Nintendo's Japanese product page gives September 20, 2014 as the first release; the North American and European Wii U launch followed October 24. A Switch version came later in 2018, so the dates and screenshots here describe the original Wii U release. In the United States and Canada, its ESRB rating is M (Mature 17+).