“Bayonetta 2″ is an action sequel for the Nintendo Wii U. Credit: Nintendo of America Inc.

“Bayonetta 2” is insane. I mean that in the best way possible.

The hack-and-slash game for the Nintendo Wii U is a bloody, hallucinatory romp through lush set pieces where you play as a witch (Bayonetta) who is fighting to rescue a friend from Hell.

The game wastes no time in dropping you in the middle of the action. From the get-go, you’re fighting bad guys on top of jets, pulling off over-the-top brutal combos and shooting dragons in the mouth. All of that literally happened within the first 10 minutes of play. “Bayonetta 2” combines all the best parts of Japanese developer craziness with a dash of extra Japanese developer craziness.

The game is easy to pick up; a tutorial shows you the bare minimum of combat and then immediately throws you back into battle. Even if you’re just mashing buttons, you can pull off some impressive stuff. And by “impressive” I mean “throwing bad guys into sentient threshers” or “crushing your enemies with a gigantic high heel.”

Does this sound like your cup of tea? Are you a budding serial killer looking for ideas? Then you’ll love this game.

As for the story, I don’t know where to begin. You play as a gun-wielding witch in fetish wear fighting all manner of demons as you try to rescue a friend. Sometimes you get naked while your hair turns into a dragon and eats people. Mostly, the game feels like the designers of “Final Fantasy” stayed up all night doing meth at a strip club.

Needless to say, “Bayonetta 2” is hilariously out of place in the Wii U’s family-friendly lineup. But that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t rule.

"Bayonetta 2"
$60 for Nintendo Wii U
Rated M for Mature

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