Credit has to be given to PlatinumGames for having what it takes to create a prequel/spin-off that radically supercharges the hallmarks of the original games. The fact that Cereza and the Lost Demon strays so far from the original Bayonetta trilogy is something we should celebrate, because that’s exactly the kind of risk one should demand in these derivative works: something that gives fans a whole new perspective to the saga but that retains its basic essence.
Despite the fact that I myself admitted two weeks ago that this story starts so slowly that I almost fell asleep, I can now assure you that I enjoyed almost the entire adventure, considering its systems and the progression of the game dynamics captured my attention as did his watercolor art style from the start.
In fairness, from the outside, Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon might seem like a simpler and cheaper attempt at adapting triple-A hack-and-slash games in the worst possible way. First, it suggests some odd, almost stilted, two-stick controls: the stick and top-left buttons control Cherry and her right-hand equivalents of Cheshire the Demon (now familiar to those who’ve recently played Bayonetta 3). Cheshire is the first invocation to come out to the 10-year-old apprentice witch, accompanying her as she learns the customs of Umbra in the Forest of Avalon under Morgana’s close supervision.
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Without a hint of the complex, over-the-top combat or popcorn cinematics that characterized the original series, the shift to a quieter, more exploration-based Metroidvania experience had to work perfectly to be a long-term win. However, it takes about 4-5 hours to get to this point, no matter how nicely the pages of this story are told (the voiceover in English, too bad, but the lyrics are great translated into Spanish). Luckily, once you get used to the different mechanics and find more challenges and new skills, the gameplay becomes fun and even quite unique compared to other games of the same genre.
In other words, to be blunt, many might dismiss this game as some indie Metroidvania, nothing special among PlatinumGames games. However, turning the pages, and even more so after finishing the story, I felt that I could compare it to games like Ori and the Blind Forest: it’s charming and even memorable at times, although it’s not that inside to stand out in this new genre.
As you might have guessed with the references to Avalon and Morgana, Cherry’s story presents a different vision of the King Arthur myth, just as the main series does with the eternal struggle between angels and demons, deities, creators, and so on. I won’t reveal anything about what happens in the game, but I will say that it acts as an origin story to learn more about the witch character we all know and love. He naturally opts for a more direct story, in contrast to the time warps and convoluted plots of the original trilogy. That being said, the game has some nice twists up its sleeve and I enjoyed the differences and the clash of Cherry and Cheshire’s egos. Speaking of twists, the fairy performance in this game is one of the most mesmerizing and twisted I’ve seen.
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The Forest of Avalon creates a great sense of disorientation and the deeper you go the more lost and haunted you feel. That’s both good and bad, as the map is deliberately drawn indistinctly, somewhat confusingly (especially when it comes to otherwise subtle verticality) to entice one to personally explore every nook and cranny of the natural environment and organically seek out Secrets, Treasures and Improvements. Cherry’s spells and Cheshire’s powers break new ground and can sometimes be used together in the platforming sections. This combo usually works, except for a few minor detection errors (which also cropped up in combat).
In my experience, the exploration is good enough as long as you stick to the main path and take the most obvious detours, but it can feel a bit unfair or even boring when you want to fully play through the game before and after the credits roll. In these cases, the game forces you to take long walks the old-fashioned way, instead of making it easier and faster for you with shortcuts (despite the fast travel option opening up mid-game).
However, the overall level design is very good and the same goes for many of the puzzles. So much so that I would have loved it if more Tír na nÓg (the enchanted stages you must solve to clear the map) focused on puzzles rather than combat as some left me with the best Zelda aftertaste, but with a peculiar focus to two levers of this game.
Most of these zones are combat-oriented. Although it starts out as slow as all the other mechanics, in the long run the combat system becomes varied and fun, both within the Tír na nÓg and during the many sudden encounters that take place in the forest. If you’re looking for quick reflexes and the ability to quickly move your character across the stage to bash huge creatures, it’s better to go back to the original trilogy, because in it you’ll have to learn little by little to keep an eye on the girl and another on the demon, literally. With the witch you cast spells on enemies (mainly to tie them up with zip ties) and use potions, and with the demon you damage them using their vicious bites and claws or choosing the appropriate attacks and elemental abilities.
As the game progresses, both Cherry and Cheshire get stronger thanks to a nice skill tree that grows more branches. The bond between the characters makes their combination really strong. As much as we love Cherry (and this 10-year remake this installment brings us), Cheshire turns heads both story-wise and gameplay-wise. His movement and the amazing elemental powers and various transformations of this precariously sewn grumpy plush cat are fantastic. You’ll have a hard time choosing your favorite Cheshire among its Plant, Stone, Water, and Fire forms.
I ended up finishing more than 80% of the game in about 20 hours after spending a few hours trying to finish it (to no avail) before the final battles. Which, by the way, are very good and sometimes brilliant. Also, there is a lot of fan service towards the end for Bayonetta fans, not just in the story but in the gameplay as well. It must also be added that this title is not difficult at all for a fan of the series or of the action genre up to the last pages of the story and that it offers very good accessibility options to make it easier for the apprentices. And while I insist that it’s not the best game for completers and that I wanted to leave as soon as I finished it, after all it’s a Metroidvania and now I’ve almost finished it (I can’t help it).
What looked like a pretty standard and slow-paced indie Metroidvania ended up enchanting me by combining a spooky fairy tale with some original ideas, all under a great visual finish. This quirky concept makes for a very personal origin story for Team Lost Faeries, despite their different sources of inspiration (and I didn’t even mention their own Okami). It’s a story worth playing on its own.
