Following some notable pre-release drama which would make a good case study on why ‘crisis communications’ is an important thing to every public relations issue, and where nobody walked away the ultimate victor, we finally have Bayonetta 3 on store shelves for the Nintendo Switch. Continuing the partnership between Platinum Games and Nintendo, this third chapter is easily the most ambitious yet. It brings brand new ideas to the table, while refining the series’ staples, diversifying the locales and enemies you fight your way through. All these improvements are bundled together with both an overhauled battle system, and a multiverse concept that – even if done a bit too much in the gaming industry – is a delight in bringing together many unique forms of Bayonetta into one game. The action-hack’n’slash genre really is Platinum Games’ bread and butter, and with this being the third and potentially (??) last instalment in the franchise, they really have gone all-out with providing players with everything that made the series so approachable – a small but dynamic cast of characters, a creative array of weapons that are different from previous games, and really taking advantage of the uniqueness of its titular main character.
In a similar approach to Bayonetta 2’s opening, we have our gazes cast on New York City once more, with the hapless Enzo forced to do chores for Bayonetta despite a ball game happening in the city. However things quickly escalate – a girl falls out of the sky, a tsunami almost completely obliterates the city, and the trio of Bayonetta, Jeanne and Rodin must work together to stem a new threat threatening not only themselves but their entire reality. While previous games have focused on pitting players against angels and demons, this time around the threat comes from beings and homunculi from another world, having successfully destroyed many realities beforehand. With only vague ideas of how to tackle the threats, Bayonetta and the newly introduced Viola make their way into other parallel universes also under threat, while Jeanne hunts down a professor named Sigurd – who may hold the key to put a stop to this threat. While built on solid foundations, including offering a spectacular first chapter, narratively Bayonetta 3 is probably the weakest of the three games to date. Visiting the different realities with its own unique Bayonetta was interesting, but felt like it could have offered much more if not confined to its playtime of approximately 12-15 hours. The ending was one for long-time fans, with fanservice aplenty, but even then, everything felt a bit too rushed and felt less complete than Bayo or Bayo 2. On the plus side, however, the dynamic and development between all characters was well handled, especially the newly formed relationship between the protagonist and her new “kitty“, Viola – with each’s unique personalities playing off one another brilliantly.
The battle system of Bayonetta 3 is a more polished version of what was offered in the last game, encouraging players to fight against a variety of enemies using a diverse range of combo attacks that are specific to each weapon. While you start with the basic set of guns at first, you quickly unlock a range of weapons from the heavy-hitting G-Pillar plinth, to the Ignis Araneae Yo-Yo to more weapons both exclusive to Bayo 3 and from previous chapters. As with previous games, each weapon has a demon associated with it, that is involved in some of the finishing moves of combos. This time around, however, Bayonetta can use only one type of weapon at a time, with a range of her other skills being imbued with the powers of the demon. While these are only available to Bayonetta, on several occasions you will play exclusively as Viola, where her weapon combo of a katana and darts are all she has access to.
The biggest twist in Bayonetta 3 is the ‘Demon Slave’ system, where Bayonetta can dance to take control of these demons directly (provided she has enough built-up magic), using button commands to perform a punch, kick, ranged attack or a special ability. It is an interesting break from the typically fast-paced combat of the Bayonetta series, for better or worse depending on how much you like the button-mashing gameplay, with an added risk and reward system where the summoned beast can rage and become hostile towards you instead. Other mainstays of the series such as Witch’s Time, torture attacks and more make an appearance, and whilst not receiving the same level of overhaul, are efficiently done once more.
While Bayonetta and Viola take on the traditional 3D action-hack’n’slash gameplay, Jeanne is directly controllable through her own series of side-scrolling action platformers reminiscent of classic games like Elevator Action. Slower-pace and more skill-driven, these missions are highlights of Bayonetta 3, with lots of retro charm and continues Platinum Games’ tendency to pay homage to classic games in each Bayonetta release, such as the original game which featured a homage to SEGA’s 1985 arcade game Space Harrier
Bayonetta 3 tests the limits of what the Nintendo Switch is capable of, with the development team delivering a delightful cornucopia of visual feats, with more expansive environments, more enemies on screen, and just more ambition in general. But with this level of visual fidelity, the performance takes a hit – with lag, instability and dips in texture quality sometimes putting it on par with the ill-fated release of Bayonetta on the PlayStation 3 all those years ago. It is clear that while the developers have put everything they could into the game, I can’t help but wonder what would’ve happened if Bayonetta 3 were not locked to Nintendo consoles and instead had life on the newest generation of Xbox / PlayStation / PC platforms. I feel it could, potentially, have been a console generation-defining experience. In saying all this, however, for what they had to work with, Bayonetta 3 was a visually pleasing game, and it is clear that the artistic team had lots of fun designing the different Bayonetta for each period or locale.
Where the game does not falter however is its soundtrack, and while some series leitmotifs are scattered throughout the OST, there is much original music for players to enjoy. Following ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ and ‘Moon River’, the classic moon-themed song getting a remix in Bayonetta 3 is Glenn Miller’s Moonlight Serenade. While I feel the other two songs were more enjoyable to listen to, I appreciate the increased usage of the song throughout pivotal moments in the game, the fact they adapted four verses of the song and the wonderful performance by Chess Galea. The game’s main theme, on the other hand, titled Al Fine, is easily the best of the three – proving to be a catchy theme that can get you hooked into any fight. On the other side of the game’s audio is the voice acting. The English dub features a majority of the main cast returning, including Yuri Lowenthal, Grey DeLisle-Griffin, Dave Fennoy and John Kassir slipping perfectly into their returning roles. A newcomer to the series, Anna Brisbin as Viola was a perfect match, and I hope to see much more of them in the future. The biggest controversy around the game pre-launch was around the recasting of Bayonetta – the role changing hands from long-time voice actor Hellena Taylor to Jennifer Hale. Jennifer Hale is an incredible voice actor who shines in pretty much every role she tackles, and the same can be said for her taking on the role of Bayonetta, and while noticeable, the difference between the VAs wasn’t too jarring. However, it is a shame that Taylor didn’t reprise the role and that compromises and a mutual agreement could not be formed between the parties, as – being their most iconic video game voice-acting role – it is clear they gave the character 110% passion.
While not a flawless experience, mostly due to it seemingly pushing the boundaries of what my original Nintendo Switch console was capable of, Bayonetta 3 shines in many of the ways that have kept fans wanting more instalments since first launching in 2009. Incredible music and vocals, an enhanced battle system offering a varied and challenging experience, and the iconic and delightfully devilish character of Bayonetta make this an enjoyable playthrough from start to finish – and is a highlight of the Nintendo Switch first-party library to date.
