When Nintendo of America's Reggie Fils-Aime revealed Bayonetta 2 at the Wii U's launch date announcement festivities, we suspect he did so with a mischievous glint in his eye. No doubt the anguished cries and wails of those that actually bought the original were expected, and Nintendo was also showing that it wasn't afraid to dip into a little mature extravagance. Despite the original being only a modest sales success, prompting Sega to step back from funding the sequel on its own, we're in the fortunate position that the game is still being made.

Bayonetta 2's pretty much everything you could expect from a sequel. I've played through a significant amount of the whole thing, but am only allowed to tell you about the opening third. Know this, though: the combat crackles as satisfyingly as before, the jokes fall flat just as often and the narrative that drives the whole thing, well frankly I haven't a clue what's going on. The energy, though, is remarkable.

Regardless of that vocal disappointment, the Japanese developer have cracked on with precisely what they do best – crafting intense, high-octane action experiences that they are entirely unrivalled in creating across the industry. With Bayonetta 2 nearing its October release I have found myself lucky enough to play through the opening five chapters, and the sequel is promising to be every bit as frenetically exhilarating as its predecessor.

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.

Wow… just wow. It’s possible that in the four and half years since the original game’s release you’ve forgotten the pure insanity that Bayonetta brought with it. It’s safe to say that within moments of its sequel starting you’ll remember.

As for the game itself? Well, it’s Bayonetta to the core, and going by the areas of the game I’m currently allowed to talk about, it contains everything you would expect from Platinum Games: Action, Silky-smooth framerates, campiness, unique characters and enemy designs, and uncomfortably overt sexual themes.

The arrival of fellow Umbra Witch Jeanne on a motorbike coincides with a holiday parade that includes a flyover from the Platinum Stars, daredevil stunt planes that soon serve as a platform for the action when the Third Sphere Angels turn up looking for a fight. Fighting starts immediately, with no tedious tutorials to sleepwalk through, and a well-rounded selection of difficulty modes allows those unfamiliar with the hectic battling to compete without frustration.