Bayonetta 3
Third Bayonetta game released in 2022 for Nintendo Switch.
Bayonetta 3 is an action-adventure game that came out in 2022, made by PlatinumGames and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It’s the third main game in the Bayonetta series. The story follows the witch Bayonetta as she fights artificial bioweapons called Homunculi, which are controlled by an entity named Singularity that wants to wipe out the multiverse. Yusuke Miyata directed the game, Yuji Nakao produced it, and series creator Hideki Kamiya served as supervising director. The game was first announced in December 2017, but news went quiet while PlatinumGames worked on other titles like Astral Chain, which was being made at the same time. The first full reveal with gameplay happened in September 2021 during a Nintendo Direct. Hellena Taylor, who originally voiced Bayonetta, was replaced by Jennifer Hale after a dispute over payment. Critics generally liked Bayonetta 3, praising its gameplay, visuals, and extra content, but they criticized its story, character development, camera controls, and performance issues. By March 2023, the game had sold 1.07 million copies worldwide.
In terms of gameplay, Bayonetta 3 is a hack-and-slash action game where players control Bayonetta, mixing melee attacks with gunplay. Dodging enemy attacks at the last second triggers “Witch Time,” which slows down enemies and lets Bayonetta attack freely or solve puzzles. New to this game are “Demon Slave” and “Demon Masquerade.” Demon Slave lets players directly control one of Bayonetta’s Infernal Demons to use special attacks and abilities, which can be useful in certain situations. Demon Masquerade lets Bayonetta fuse with a demon, giving her magic-based moves and new ways to attack or move. A new character, Viola, can only activate Witch Time by parrying attacks, and her demon Cheshire can’t be controlled directly. When Viola summons Cheshire, she switches from using a sword to using fists. The game also includes “Naive Angel Mode,” which hides nudity during gameplay and cutscenes, like Bayonetta’s dances that summon Wicked Weaves, as well as graphic designs for some enemies and demons.
The story takes place in the Trinity of Realities, which includes Paradiso (angel realm), Inferno (demon realm), and the World of Chaos (human world). The World of Chaos has multiple alternate universes, which is the main setting of Bayonetta 3.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Bayonetta 3
- Developer
- PlatinumGames
- Publisher
- Nintendo
- Director
- Yusuke Miyata
- Producer
- Yuji Nakao / Makoto Okazaki / Genki Yokota / Toyokazu Nonaka
- Designer
- Akiteru Naka
- Programmer
- Daichi Amano
- Artist
- Yuki Suda
- Writer
- Hideki Kamiya / Yusuke Miyata / Yuya Jin / Akiteru Naka
- Composer
- Naofumi Harada
- Series
- Bayonetta
- Platforms
- Nintendo Switch
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Bayonetta 3 follows the angel-hunting witch Bayonetta as she faces the Homunculi, artificial weapons created by Singularity. She is assisted by alternate universe counterparts of herself and a new witch-in-training named Viola. The game introduces new mechanics: Demon Slave, allowing direct control of Infernal Demons, and Demon Masquerade, fusing Bayonetta with a demon for enhanced abilities. Viola uses a parry mechanic for Witch Time and her demon Cheshire cannot be manually controlled. A Naive Angel Mode conceals nudity during gameplay and cinematics.
Reader's Guide
Bayonetta 3 received generally favorable reviews from critics, praised for its gameplay, presentation, and supplementary content, but criticized for its story, character development, camera controls, and performance issues. It sold 1.07 million units worldwide by March 2023. The game was announced in December 2017 at The Game Awards, with news going dormant while PlatinumGames worked on other titles like Astral Chain. Its first full reveal came in September 2021 during a Nintendo Direct. Bayonetta's original voice actress Hellena Taylor was replaced by Jennifer Hale after a payment dispute. The game's plot involves traveling across alternate universes to collect Chaos Gears and reach the Alphaverse, where Singularity resides. The story concludes with Bayonetta and Luka dragged to Inferno, and Viola inheriting the Bayonetta title.
Did You Know?
- Bayonetta 3 was announced in December 2017 at The Game Awards alongside Switch ports of the first two games.
- Hellena Taylor, the original voice actress for Bayonetta, was replaced by Jennifer Hale due to a payment dispute.
- A new display mode called Naive Angel Mode conceals nudity during gameplay and cinematics.
More in Characters & Allies
Elsewhere in Bayonetta
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