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To say the story is fractured and puzzling might be a bit of an understatement, but here's what we could ascertain. Bayonetta herself is an Umbra Witch; long ago, together with the Lumen Sages, they maintained the balance of the universe. The two clans managed to coexist peaceably until something chaotic happened and they went to war. Bayonetta is the last Umbra Witch alive; for 500 years, she was in a coma in a coffin at the bottom of a lake and, conveniently for story purposes, she has amnesia. What she does know is that in the 20 years since she has awoken, angels have been trying to kill her. And now she has a lead.
Cue running off to Europe to kill stuff and find answers. Feel free to now make use of the game's 'skip' feature to cut through what feels like an endless succession of cinematic cutscenes to get to the fun bits. Less talky, more fighty.
The gameplay itself is more than enough fun to make up for the twisting plot. It's fairly uncomplicated combo-style hack-n-slash in the style of Devil May Cry, which means a lot of button-mashing, but watching Bayonetta's acrobatics is a joy: the scenes flow smoothly and the lush environments are crisply rendered. And, of course, Bayonetta herself slinks and purrs around the screen in skin-tight latex, responding smartly to each tap of a button.
