More importantly the load times are faster, the frame rate is sturdier, and the game has amiibo support – which is useful if you want to unlock the various wacky Nintendo costumes more quickly. In terms of the Switch version alone this retains the touchscreen controls of the original version (as does the port of Bayonetta 1), which seem completely unnecessary to us but they are at least entirely optional.

Other returning features include special moves like punishments and torture attacks (ripping an enemy in two with a giant bottle opener never gets old), and the ability to pick up dropped enemy weapons. She can hold them or attach them to her legs, and you can switch between two different set-ups with the touch of a button. The basic combat is still largely the same as the original, but the range of collectible weapons are different and each one changes the nature of the combat (and the combos) dramatically, as Bayonetta wields everything from a sword to a whip to a pair of chainsaws.

And as your confidence grows you go from mashing the punch button and nibbling away at boss character’s knees, to launching yourself into the air and pummelling them in the face with giant hairball fists. Once this is added to the equation your options are increased even further, and despite the lightning fast action you’re always thinking several steps ahead.

Witch time remains the key to your success though: a slow motion effect that can be triggered if you dodge an enemy attack at just the right moment. Instead of worrying about remembering every button press for a combo your primary concern is analysing your attackers deciding which one to take out first, where you’ll land after you do so, and whether that will accumulate enough magical power for you to use an Umbran climax on that big one at the back. The basic controls were already fairly simple – punch, kick, and dodge provide the essentials – but the game now goes out of its way to emphasis tactical skills.

Download bayonetta 2 metacritic