Bayonetta 3

Wildly creative set pieces and excellent fast, flashy core combat are undercut by a story that takes itself too seriously and squanders its fun ideas. The barrage of sluggish platforming and minigame segments disrupts the pacing, and the chaotic, visually noisy battles often leave the camera unable to keep up. Ranked the weakest of the three Bayonetta games.

The best entry in the series, refining the already top-notch core combat while layering in infernal demon summons and multiple playable characters like Viola and Jeanne without upsetting the balance. The reworked level design opens up exploration, the campaign is hugely replayable, and it runs beautifully in both docked and handheld modes. A celebration of everything that makes the series great, capped by a maddeningly goofy, emotional climax.

A flamboyant action game whose spectacle and combat have escalated so far they now undercut themselves, with summonable giant monsters that make encounters easier rather than more thrilling and a constant flood of new weapons before old ones are mastered. A multiverse plot leans on repetitive cycles of the heroine being threatened and pulling out new powers, while wonky platforming and tedious side challenges drag. Fun ideas are nearly all pushed just past the point of becoming tiresome.

The series' most outrageous and ambitious entry, with spectacular set pieces and the new demon slaves mechanic delivering ludicrous scale, but it is also its scrappiest and messiest. The distant camera makes combat often illegible, the new character Viola is underwritten and underwhelming, and clumsy platforming plus an inelegant tangle of currencies and menus drag it down. When it hits full flow it is electrifying, but the rough edges leave it inconsistent.

PlatinumGames delivers once again with refined, over-the-top combat and a diverse, insane arsenal that is a blast to use, while taking direct control of summoned giant demons is a standout new addition. The multiverse story is only serviceable and ends unsatisfyingly. Technical setbacks, chiefly an unstable framerate in combat and a screen that zooms out too far, take a toll, but there is still plenty of fun here.

PlatinumGames nails its blend of interesting levels, huge set-piece sequences, and fast-paced, visceral combat, with the new summonable demon-slave feature a strong addition and a striking sense of cinematic style throughout. A camera lock-on that sometimes acts on its own, minor pop-in, and early sections that lean too heavily on cutscenes are gripes, and the Switch framerate dips into the 50s. Overall it holds up well as an all-out action game.

A fantastic, ridiculous action spectacle that feels like a major leap forward for the series, with directly controllable Infernal Demon summons, deep new weapons, longer and more varied levels, and the standout best presentation in the franchise. Less punishing than past entries and packed with creativity. Downsides are some bland, washed-out environments and forgettable new enemies, but the package more than delivers.