Something I've always found with my experiences in Platinum's games is that while they're flashy all the way through - it really takes a while to properly click. Bayonetta was no exception to this.

The first half of the game was fun, but aside from a few cool set pieces and moments it nearly lost me. However, getting into the second half it finally felt like it was coming together. The game feels like it's really testing you and throwing curveballs at you (the Space Harrier section was a really fun callback). Some of these fights force you to properly learn the game's mechanics and when it finally clicks, it's a lot of fun. The bosses are big highlights as per most of Platinum's works, with each boss feeling like a proper spectacle, with Temperantia and Balder being my favourites.

I don't know if I'd come back to it to play hard mode and above, but I'm at the very least convinced and excited to play Bayonetta 2 and 3 now.