The first Bayonetta offered free with Bayonetta 2, a royal gift. Spectacular action, deep and satisfying combat system, Bayonetta herself is an icon. The WiiU version remains the best way to own both episodes in one.
Your verdict
Category
Action Adventure1 player18+
Description
Bayonetta, an Umbra Witch whose powers flow from her own hair, battles legions of angels in ultra-spectacular combat blending gunfire, heel kicks, and summons. Published by Nintendo and PlatinumGames, released in 2014 in the United States and Europe. Exclusive Wii U port of the action classic with graphical enhancements, exclusive Nintendo costume content, and a GamePad-only play mode.
Bayonetta review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
Swirls of hair, baroque lace and angels sculpted like gilded frescoes: everything overflows with a flamboyant, wicked elegance. The smallest fight turns into a stylised ballet where excess becomes a visual grammar. This assumed extravagance, refined to the point of vertigo, signs an identity nothing matches.
Striking, the music combines supercharged jazz-pop and frenzied covers like "Fly Me to the Moon", in the service of extremely stylish action. The hit "Mysterious Destiny" embodies this unhinged elegance that sticks to the whirling fights. This unique sonic identity, chic and exuberant, is the whole panache of the game.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Dodging at the last instant to trigger Witch Time, slowing the world and punishing the enemy with a rain of stylish blows: the action reaches an exhilarating fluidity here. Combos chain with flair, carried by over-the-top staging and a rare sense of rhythm. Spectacular, demanding and terribly classy, a peak of the modern character-action game.
Bayonetta, PlatinumGames' frenzied action game offered here alongside its console-exclusive sequel, which makes it on this platform a rare object despite the game's fame. On an already coveted library, its desirability rests on this status as a port tied to a major exclusive and a measured run rather than mere availability. A prime piece for stylish-action fans on the console.
Memorable bosses
Between elegance and chaos, the climaxes staged by PlatinumGames turn each boss into a circus act: split-second dodges triggering Witch Time, colossal demonic summons and fiery duels against the rival Jeanne. The witch chains her counters with insolent flair. The precision of the system and an unbridled staging make these fights as exhilarating as they are theatrical.
Is Bayonetta still worth playing in 2026?
A Wii U adaptation by PlatinumGames, Bayonetta offers a stylish action where witch Bayonetta faces angels with deep combo combat system and Witch Time. The sublime cinematic art direction, acrobatic handling and delirious scenario make it an absolute stylish action reference on Wii U. For anyone fond of stylish action games or seeking an absolutely essential PlatinumGames, an absolutely essential recommendation today still without any hesitation on the Nintendo machine for fans truly here indeed.
