Hundreds of enemies to slash or hack? Approved. Some of the craziest scenes you will see and act out this year? Check. A grand finale for the game and trilogy? deep inside
You could say that after checking off this shopping list, no new installment in the Bayonetta series can go wrong, but keep in mind that this is a pretty unique franchise signed by a very cool studio that also insisted on keeping the old one Maintaining the hack-and-slash formula that once perfected it, even though it spanned several generations in time. In other words, exactly thirteen years have passed since the original of Hideki KamiyaFather of Devil May Cry, to be released on PS3 and Xbox 360, and eight years since Yusuke Hashimoto’s sequel debuted exclusively on Wii U. There is so much at stake for a PlatinumGames not having its best moment, and the silence that has surrounded the project for several years suggests some kind of development hell (of course these words could mean the opposite here), Yusuke Miyata I had to face the challenge on Nintendo Switch as I saw the great reputation of the series and the demands of the fans.
Well, both the director and his team Team Little Angels They were, I can confirm that. They had to be very careful not to mess up the core mechanics that defined the entire experience, which was always based on precision and pacing by the rules of the genre. But at the same time they had to expand and innovate, which basically meant ripping the witch’s corset off. The risks the team took on both counts make for a better and different game, but also push it over the edge at times.
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I’ll start with this “core gameplay” which is basically combat. The core moves you would expect from shooting, punching, kicking, jumping and dodging are still present regardless of gear, so fans of the series will feel right at home. Nail your dodges and you’ll activate them Weather Brujo in slow motion, then combine and chain different attacks and unlock new moves to vary and expand your combos. That’s Bayonetta in a nutshell, right? Well, the key and great innovation here lies in the possible equipment within the levels and in the playable characters that you choose among them. Why don’t you buy guns from the gun shop anymore? Gates of Hell by Rodin
So the weapon and demon pairs share a bond, but that doesn’t mean you have to stick to a specific combo, which allows for endless possibilities in the game final evolution of the formula. For example, your basic Color My World weapons are all about Madama Butterfly, while the Ribbit Libido BZ55 Wand Microphone comes with the singing toad Baal, right? True, but you can switch between two weapons at any time and independently summon a trio of demons, plus both weapons and demons have their own skill trees.
What if I told you that the weapon you equipped changes your kind Bayonetta moves across the stage (fly like a butterfly or jump like a Batrachian in the example above) might sound overly complicated on paper, but you’ll quickly get used to the system, and then few games can come to my mind that offer such freedom in customizing your playstyle Offer. Which is amazing because the enemies number in the hundreds and their types in the dozens, many so huge you’ll only see their feet. And that today I can only talk about six weapons and demons…
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The first toll the game pays for the added mechanics is that it has to sacrifice a few shortcuts previously assigned to buttons. You can no longer eat a chupachup quickly with the D-Pad, and having to pause the game in the midst of frantic combat is like a interrupt climax, you understand me. Pressing the right stick to target enemies isn’t optimal either, but I could live with that. Having said that, it must be acknowledged that the entire UI has been redesigned and now looks very clean and easy to use, both the paused menus and the in-game elements (e.g. the information displayed in secondary challenges like a triptych) . .
The other problem with these gigantic creatures is that they can make some of the combat too confusing, although I know Bayonetta is all about dancing through the chaos. Sometimes you can’t see where your witch or specific enemies are when you summon these beasts, or if they’re performing the right attacks, rather than mindlessly pressing buttons (although it gets a lot better from the moment you can Summon them as part of a combo). However, and this is the biggest “but”, it turns out that the whole demon theme completely changes the Bayonetta 3 experience in the long run, becoming the epicenter of incredible fights and mind-blowing sequences. I don’t want to spoil them here, but suffice it to say that PlatinumGames has implemented what is probably the finest tribute to Japanese kaiju culture, honoring monsters and their combat in a way that is as amazing as it is playable.
It takes a while to get to the point where everything flows better and the different situations are surprising considering how imaginative the previous games were. The more generic urban settings don’t help here (the gray rubble of New York or Tokyo might be a nod to the originals, but they end up reminiscent of old Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance), and there’s a concrete attempt to be more overt desert world. , in Egyptwhich does not fully work outdoors, especially because of the disturbing areas of quicksand, and even more so that come from the China more epic
And it is that the level design in general is classic, conceived in the old way with its invisible walls and everything, but the truth is that it makes you look for the many Secrets hidden by the map, including the aforementioned combat challenges, the Umbra Tears of Blood (Raven, Cat, and Toad this time), and other types of platform tests. For both the Tears and Platforming sections, you’ll have to choose the best weapon or demon, as the former can modify your movement options and the latter can take care of blocks and mechanisms in its beastly form. The bad thing is that some of these challenges have an irritating design, making you feel too clumsy or relying on a camera that’s too slow.
However, and this is the second big “but” of the day, no matter how upset one of these weaker designs gets you, the game quickly turns the tables to not only amuse you but never fail to impress you with many highlights, so you’ll want to keep beating the game to the max. Tradition has it that the first round of a PlatinumGames game is for practice and the second round is taken seriously when all systems are mastered. That’s not the case with Bayonetta 3 because it is fairly long and full of content already in the first game (I passed 20 hours of gameplay with only a few replays), and the range of ways to complete it is huge, including the mission medals (there are online leaderboards and points) or the three coins to unlock Abilities (orbs), passive attachment accessories (gametes), and collectible or customizable treasures (halos)
I mentioned the playable characters earlier and I wasn’t referring to the demon slaves when you take control of them in some sections, but to the Apprentice witch viola and companion and friend Jeanne. The first is quite a signature, very interesting, especially when you unlock his coolest skills, more traditional and close to the usual hack-and-slash, more based on the katana and the “parry” than dodge, while his demon Chesire it’s more autonomous. Gradually he won me over, which is also consistent with the plot.
later Jeanne attempts a totally original approach with its own levels of side-scrolling espionage action, surprisingly well-executed side-chapters which, together with Viola, offer a welcome change of pace and style from the already multi-disciplinary Bayonetta. In fact, the game flirts with different genres in a witty and comedic way from time to time, which leads me to believe that Grasshopper Manufacture has taken notice. Again, I can’t go into detail about how crazy it gets in the second half.
Speaking of the story itself, which is about compassion and destiny, and seeing its premise multiverse (after all, an excuse to create different characters, weapons, stories, enemies, worlds, designs and even fantastic music), it’s ironically easier to follow than its time-jumping prequels. While acting somewhat predictably, he knows how to pull off the silly jokes that are a hallmark of the house, contains several memorable scenes, and ends the game and trilogy in style, adding a good emotional charge fan service. By the way the voice output It’s top notch and helps bring to life some of the best character models you’ll see on the Nintendo Switch in stunning choreography. It also seems to push the hardware to the limit (looks a bit blurry and sawtooth on laptop) as it maintains a smooth and stable framerate no matter how many things and effects are on screen, a must for the genre.
All in all, Bayonetta 3 is just good news. For PlatinumGames to achieve another outstanding game and for the once successful genre to receive a work of great value. At first, don’t be put off by these dated or overwhelming designs, as the rest is quickly compensated for with stylish and sensual solutions, with a third third being quite a dizzying rollercoaster ride. I can say that Bayonetta 3 makes the genre and the franchise better, its freedom of combat is incredible and its amount of fun is ridiculous.
