Something about Bayonetta just makes her special. She has all the characteristics of a virtual Lady Gaga for the action genre. A svelte physique, a reckless and uncompromising fashion-sense, a take-no-prisoners attitude, that trendy hairdo, and some radical fighting abilities set her apart from so many other characters.

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Where her first adventure introduced a combo-friendly ballet of guns, swordplay, and some wicked weaves – portals to the netherworld made of hair that unleash soul-crushing demon accomplices – so far this sequel builds a better combat framework, with weapons and abilities that can be used to absolutely wreck angel and demon enemies alike.The combat in Bayonetta 2 maintains the same elegant foundation of the first game. One button controls the weapons in her hands; the other controls the ones on her feet. Customization allows players to mix and match weapons like the Rakshasa blades, a poisonous bow called the Kafka, guns, flamethrowers, and more.The ability to quickly swap between two sets of accessories for Bayonetta’s killer outfit sets up some fun combinations. While facing enemies at a distance, I used the poison effect of the Kafka bow to slowly whittle away health as I closed the gap between us. Then, I’d quickly switch to a combination of blades and guns to finish them off.Bayonetta’s attacks whittle down enemy health as she builds up energy. Previously, she could release it into gory torture attacks that finish off just one enemy, but now she also has the Umbran Climax, a new powered-up state that spreads out attacks in a wider radius, ultimately hitting more enemy threats at once.The power of choice offers more opportunities to perform some satisfying combinations. On normal difficulty, I felt empowered to handle anything that dared to move, including a two-story miniboss. On the harder difficulties, I probably won’t have the same success. But once you factor in the ability to use Witch Time, a slow-motion payoff for dodging at the last second, the beauty of the Umbran Climax becomes apparent: Do you want to embarrass a single opponent, or take down the whole room in a dizzying display of punches, kicks, sword swings, and whatever else happens to be around.And far be it from Bayonetta to be humble or even subtle. On perfectly timed dodges you’ll hear taunts like, “So close…” or “Almost…” before punishing enemies with an unrelenting display acrobatic moves and melee combat. Whether torturing enemies or turning them into lunch for her demonic companions, Bayonetta’s combat is as fluid as it is outrageous.If you came looking for a fight, Bayonetta 2 seems happy to oblige your desires with an out-of-this-world take on the character action genre. Don’t underestimate this heroine or this sequel. Based on our time with the first four chapters, it has plenty of action and surprises to keep fans satisfied and hopefully hook a whole new legion of fans too. Bayonetta 2 is a combat ballet laced with gold armor and red blood gushing everywhere. More importantly, it’s a sequel to one of the greatest action games ever made.

Jose Otero is an Associate Editor at IGN and host of Nintendo Voice Chat . You can follow him on Twitter