Bayonetta

Bayonetta (ベヨネッタ) is an action game for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, directed by Devil May Cry and Viewtiful Joe creator Hideki Kamiya at Platinum Games in cooperation with publisher Sega. Set in a fictional city in Europe, the game centers on its eponymous character, Bayonetta, who uses pistols and magical attacks to defeat enemies. The game has five difficulty settings; its two easiest settings contain a game mode playable with only one button, similar to a mode used in Devil May Cry. Its developers designed its characters with modern style and fashion in mind, and composed for it a largely upbeat and feminine soundtrack.

Development of the game started around January 2007, and it was released in Japan in late October 2009, with a U.S. release following in January 2010. It has been promoted through a television commercial with music by Japanese pop singer MiChi, look-alike searches, a theme for the Google Chrome Web browser, a photo book, and soundtracks. Critical reviews have praised its easily learned moves, fast pace, boss battles, time slowdown or "Witch Time" mechanic, and character and stage designs.