You remember back in the early days of console gaming, during the wars between Nintendo and SEGA, where Nintendo put out games which were based upon timing and puzzles and cute characters, and SEGA released games full of flash graphics and button-mashing?

Then you've probably got an idea of what Bayonetta is like. For all the glowing reviews it receives, these are essentially just from the people who loved Devil May Cry - a game from which Bayonetta essentially steals everything.

The leather-clad dominatrix heroine takes you on a pointless jaunt through a nonsensical plot as you mash buttons to perform combos you were never even aware of against enemies you frequently lose track of - thanks to the perverse camera controls and fight mechanics. Between frantic bouts of insane zero-G violence you're treated to special combo moves that take heavily from Pokemon attacks and serve no apparent purpose other than to give the eight year old playing it the feeling of having achieved something before he goes back to staring at the Bayonetta's boobs.

The pluses of this game are few and far between, as it comes across more as a failed adaptation of a manga writers wet dream than a serious attempt at a game, but: It is very pretty. The physical action is very fluid. The characters and levels are all very well designed.