Bayonetta 3 hands-on preview: Bewitching character action with some new ideas
Read our first impressions of the umbra witch’s return
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Your support makes all the difference.Bayonetta 3 is almost here. It’s the long awaited follow-up to the 2014 sequel from PlatinumGames that saw the umbra witch fight the forces of heaven and hell. And it comes with a familiar pattern of action-style gameplay that neatly combines the deft and daft in its precision and abundance of otherworldly forces.
Few series can boast that description, with Bayonetta comfortably going toe-to-toe with the likes of Devil May Cry and God of War. In fact, it warrants enough of a challenge for fans of the genre while still being able to relish in its outlandishness.
Bayonetta has always had a formula that works though. It’s dynamic fast-paced combat and steep learning curve all work in the series’ favour, as each climactic battle commands high levels of attention not just to survive it, but gradually master it.
And now, a new trailer, released on 13 October, has teased at the prospect of a new playable character: Viola. So, as the eponymous character waltzes back onto the Switch for a third outing, can its original charm be enough to carry that formula forward along with some meaningful improvements?
The Independent had a chance to try out the latest in the Bayonetta series in a hands-on preview. For our full first impressions, keep reading.
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‘Bayonetta 3’ for Nintendo Switch: £49.99, Nintendo.co.uk
- Release date: 28 October 2022
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch
- Age rating: 16+
Bayonetta 3 wastes no time in throwing a city’s worth of infrastructure and town planning at the eponymous witch in its early hours. Bayonetta works her way through against an unstoppable force of manmade weapons, known as homunculi.
Basic attacks are bound to three buttons, with punches, kicks and quadruple-wielded pistols, but even with these simple inputs, the familiar over-the-top chain combos are simple to execute in quick-succession. And, let’s be honest, the common tactic of simply mashing as many buttons as possible, leading to a few moves being correctly executed without a great strategy in place, still works.
But with some forethought – and a handle on what Bayonetta’s initial capabilities are in the early portions of the game – it is possible to memorise lucrative inputs that reward players with a quick dispatch of enemies. Something worth knowing as scores are tallied and each “verse” (Bayonetta 3’s take on level stages) is ranked based on performance.
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Dodges and “witch time” – which slows down the passage of time after a well-timed dodge – also reenter the game, as do slave demons. These can be summoned to battle at will as Bayonetta controls them from a distance.
Two of these demons, Gamorrah and Madama Butterfly, each possess their own forms of basic attacks. The former moves and acts at a more deliberate pacing, in contrast to the latter’s faster agility and movement speeds.
Viola is a new character that has also been added to the series. She stands in stark contrast to Bayonetta, both in personality and combat prowess. As a katana wielder, Viola’s strengths lie in blocking oncoming attacks rather than dodging them to activate witch time.
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Viola is also able to summon her own demon companion, Cheshire, at the expense of losing her sword for a limited time. Unlike Bayonetta’s own demons which require direct control, Cheshire is able to attack by themselves, allowing Viola to take enemies head on with her fists as long as he is still summoned.
Viola’s capabilities suit aggressive playstyle to match her fiery personality. Meanwhile, Bayonetta’s calm and collected approach to combat makes better use of her wider arsenal of tools that can be swapped out on the fly, to chain higher combinations together.
How both of these characters’ dynamics relate to their backstories will likely unfold as Bayonetta 3’s story progresses. Not to mention that it will be interesting to explore Viola’s character more and her place in the Bayonetta-verse.
Early impressions of Bayonetta 3 would indicate that this sequel could meaningfully build on its previous successes to create another compelling entry into the character action genre, to cement the characters legacy as one of the all-time great action protagonists alongside the likes of Dante and Kratos.
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