Playing Bayonetta in 2021 for the first time is a weird thing really. It's easy to see how it must have felt playing it on release. This game is exhilarating, filled with so much over-the-top stylish action, so many insane set-pieces, creative boss fights and overall addictive fighting-mechanics. From a game-design perspective - even though it feels a bit dated - I had sooooo much fun beasting through the hordes of enemies. On the other hand it put me in a weird place. The cringeworthy oversexualization of her is something that threw me off just too often. The camera angles, the way she moves in preparation for basically any attack and her taking off her entire clothes for a super-attack. It's just all something, I wouldn't accept in any other game. It kinda gets drowned in the absolutely bonkers, yet forgettable story, but I just didn't feel comfortable watching those cutscenes and dialogues. The rest of the cast isn't that much better sadly: it's filled with basic stereotypes.
But maybe I shouldn't think about all of that any longer and just leave it at the fun I had for 15 hrs.