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Bayonetta 3 has been quietly gestating for years at Platinum, with the time-bending Witch finally returning to Switch later this year.
The first Bayonetta game was released to acclaim from both critics and fans, so it seemed reasonably safe to assume sequels would be on the very immediate horizon. Now, twelve years on from its original release, it looks as though the third game is finally on the way. Platinum Games retains the development rights, with series creator Hideki Kamiya remaining on board as the game’s Executive Director. Bayonetta 3 is also a Nintendo Switch exclusive, as Bayonetta 2 was for the Wii U (before later also being ported to the Switch).
The narrative structure laid out in the two previous games is actually quite nicely tied-up, so it will be interesting to see where the team decides to head with Bayonetta 3. Platinum has not been afraid to use time travel as a device to progress the story, so it may well come into play again here (and explain The Witch’s new look).
Bayonetta 3 Trailer
With four years between Bayonetta 3’s announcement trailer and the release of a formal gameplay trailer, it’s safe to say that fans were expecting a lot. For the most part, this trailer delivers some nice new additions for fans of the series to be excited about. The most significant feature on display here is the ability for players to directly control the actions of summoned Demons, which the game’s director Yusuke Miyata confirms is called Demon Slave. In previous games in the series, Bayonetta would use Climax Summons, calling on demons who would automatically attack the nearest enemy, which was beyond the player’s control.
The trailer also features a new ability which Nintendo describes as Demon Masquerade, which seems as though it will allow The Witch to take on some of the features of demonic entities she has a pact with. This means that multiple forms will probably feature in players’ arsenals. We also get to take a look at Bayonetta’s signature Witch Time ability, another core gameplay mechanic returning for the sequel. The final major element to notice here is the enemy Bayonetta and the humans are fighting. Visually it is neither Angel nor Demon, so the trailer leaves open the questions of what these creatures are and how they have come to cross into this reality.
What Is Bayonetta 3 About?
Bayonetta is a shapeshifting witch with amnesia whose journey puts her in direct conflict with Angels, Demons and shadowy figures from various organizations. There are three “realms” within which the lore for the game operates: Paradiso (where the Angels live), Purgatorio, which occupies the same physical space as the normal world but is unable to interact with it, separating humans and metaphysical beings, and Inferno (where the demons live).
Bayonetta 3 looks as though it will circumvent at least some of the lore above. The trailer shows the human military fighting with a new type of enemy, undoubtedly coming from one of the three planes. This conflict would have been impossible if these creatures continued to exist outside of everyday reality, which in turn means they must have discovered a way to cross through a Purgatorio portal to fight humans. Equally, this creature is unusually visible to humans, something that should require magic. It’s a reasonably safe bet to assume a good portion of the story will be dedicated to finding out what these creatures are, where they are from and what they want. Beyond that, story details are thin on the ground at the moment.
When Will Bayonetta 3 Release?
Sadly, the arrival of gameplay footage towards the end of 2021 did not bring a concrete date, but there has been confirmation of its release this year. Fall would serve as a reasonable estimate, with both previous entries in the series releasing in September or October. In a blog post, Miyata also confirmed that the game is in “the home stretch of development,” so eager fans should not have too long to wait before they can once again make use of Bayonetta’s four guns.
One thing to note is that Platinum Games do have several games in development at the moment, including the Square Enix-published Babylon’s Fall, all of which are scheduled to release this year. Also, the announcement of Project GG, the studio’s first title being developed and published entirely in-house, may affect projected dates.
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