Joining the long list of Nintendo’s esteemed titles is PlatinumGames’ chaotic masterpiece Bayonetta 3.
Bayonetta 3 once again follows the titular Umbra Witch as she combats mysterious man-made threats known as Homunculi. Joined by a witch-in-training from another world within the Multiverse, named Viola, Bayonetta must defeat an entity Singularity.
To do this they must collect items known as Chaos gears while finding a way to defeat Singularity in its home world called the Alphaverse. Bayonetta 3 is an epic action rollercoaster where everything fans love about the series has been turned up a notch or two. It’s great to see many old characters return for a multiverse-shattering battle.
The introduction of new characters Viola and Chesire are great additions as they grant players a more naive perspective, as opposed to Bayonetta’s eternal overconfidence.
There’s a lot going on at all times in Bayonetta 3 but the game does a grand job pacing the story, allowing players to take it all in. PlatinumGames have done a great job at surpassing Bayonetta 2’s already stellar plot and cast of characters.
Bayonetta 3 features the series' trademark flamboyant gothic aesthetic, where all the characters boast grand styles that have been elevated for this title. The new locations have been nicely crafted to feel fresh, but still fall in line with the world of Bayonetta. That being said they can feel a little bare at times.
The Homunculi’s more melancholy colour scheme and stylings really accentuate their mysterious presence making them great otherworldly antagonists. There is a great variety of enemy character designs, which become much more diverse as players progress further into the game.
The Infernal Demons sport updated designs which are majestic while being frightening at the same time. For the most part, Bayonetta 3 looks and runs great on the Nintendo Switch, but there are moments in the game where the players will notice low-textured environments or frame drops during the busier parts.
Bayonetta 3 includes some of the series' best cutscenes that have been fantastically choreographed, showcasing insane set pieces that will leave fans of the series stunned.
Each chapter is split into multiple segments called Verse. After completing each Verse players will be given a rank, which will make up the chapter's overall rank.
The chapters will have hidden objectives for players to complete, which will only be revealed once a level has been completed. Chapters will be mainly combat-focused but there will be a fair bit to uncover between each battle segment.
Bayonetta 3 has also expanded its traversal elements that offer challenging puzzles which make use of the Umbra Witches Demon abilities.
These vary in difficulty but I found them a nice way to break up all the fast pace combat. There are challenges that will have specific completion objectives which will grant nice rewards. Level’s can feel a little linear but the developers have managed to cram in a slew of hidden battles and items to be uncovered like the Umbran Tears Of Blood.
Bayonetta 3 has a lot of different elements that make up its gameplay, from being able to play as multiple characters to Kaiju-Esque sequences that are simply epic. Players will be able to unlock different levels called Remnant Chapters that offer a timed challenge.
All the different elements flow together well allowing Bayonetta 3 to reach new heights not seen in past titles. Combat is the main feature in the Bayonetta series and this new entry includes new mechanics that add to the chaos.
Players will be able to once again chain combos together with various weapons while barraging enemies with bullets. Bayonetta’s legendary dodge mechanic Witch Time returns, which will please veterans of the series.
One of Bayonetta’s new techniques is called Demon Masquerade which allows her to utilise the powers of an Infernal Demon that is sealed within one of her weapons. For instance, Madama Butterfly is sealed within her Colour My World pistols while Gomorrah is in the G-Piller. Swapping between each of these Infernal Demons will change Bayonetta’s combat style while also granting extra traversal abilities.
Demon Masquerade will also dictate her Beast Within forms, giving her additional combat prowess. Bayonetta also has another ability which is more of a new version of the Climax moves rather than being a new technique altogether.
Demon Slave will give Bayonetta the ability to summon one of her Infernal Demons to fight for her. This technique is devastating but has a few drawbacks such as it drains her magic power and the demons can go into a rampage if they take too much damage, attacking everything in sight.
These new combat additions have been worked into Bayonetta's combat mechanics without diminishing her traditional gameplay, granting players more options than ever to dish out some crazy amounts of damage.
The new Umbra witch-in-training Viola feels drastically different from Bayonetta and so she should. She opts to fight with a katana and uses throwing knives rather than pistols. She has access to the Demon Slave technique that will see her summon a menacing cat called Chesire, who is as destructive as the others in the game.
She can also execute a different version of Witch Time that sees her blocking rather than dodging. Viola offers a vastly different experience from Bayonetta which is fully welcomed, adding extra variety to the game and keeping everything fresh.
As players progress through the game, they will witness Viola’s ascension into a powerhouse character, who is incredible to play with especially in the latter stages of the game. It's just great that developers have included a new character who is such a change from Bayonetta’s playstyle, elevating the overall experience.
Players will once again be able to upgrade their characters with the new currency called embryos, which are fragments dropped by defeated Homunculi. Bayonetta will also be able to unlock powerful abilities through her new skill trees by collecting orbs.
Each of her infernal demons will also have access to new skills, greatly increasing her combat prowess and strategic options. I didn't find this system too demanding as the game is very generous with the rewards needed to level up and having the ability to replay chapters means players can power up really quickly.
Bayonetta 3 review verdict: 4/5
Bayonetta 3 lives up to the hype with PlatinumGames delivering the best entry in the series. Fans are in for a wild ride that sees the series explore new territories that challenge and elevate what we have seen in previous titles.
Bayonetta 3 joins a long list of must-have exclusives for the Nintendo Switch that has been worth the wait.
