During the recent PAX West 2022, I got the chance to check out Bayonetta 3 behind closed doors, during that time I got to check out a few levels of the game. As a fan of the first Bayonetta and someone who tolerated Bayonetta 2, Platinum Games’ work with Bayonetta 3 gave us hope for the franchise. While we loved the first game, the second one’s controls, due to the Wii U, made the combat in the game feel tedious and uncomfortable. Two’s story also felt like a bridge story rather than a standalone title. Yes, two was good but it didn’t capture the same essence that the first game did.
With Bayonetta 3, the gameplay felt like a nice blend of one and two’s mechanics. Sadly, our time with Bayonetta 3 was short-lived; we only got to experience four combat experiences.
Bayonetta 3 Hands-On Impressions
Combat
The first fight took place in a narrow train car, so the use of witch time was key. There are many games that have timed areas to get through. This wasn’t anything new to write home about. After the homunculus are defeated, the train car is knocked off the track by a bigger enemy. This led us to a portion of controlling an Infernal Demon as we slid down buildings. For those new to the Bayonetta franchise, Infernal Demons are the supernatural inhabitants of the Inferno. They can be summoned by the Umbra Witches as part of their role in maintaining the darkness.
Familiar Feels
This part featuring the Infernal Demon was cool visually; From the moment it all started to the end of the level. We had expected that we would have to jump from building to building and would get smacked by an oncoming train car or another rolling object. This part reminded me of sections from other games, which had scenes of running away from a big enemy or leading into big fights.
Controlling the Infernal Demons
Once we reached a steady rooftop, we were able to fight off the enemies as Bayonetta, who was in control of an Infernal Demon; after the short battle, we were back to sliding down buildings and more. This area provided some quite unique ideas. For example, after some time, Bayonetta crashes into the waters below and then speeds through the level as if the boats were skis. From the start to finish, it was a nice and thrilling experience. Once in Shibuya, we were able to roam freely during fights and summon Infernal Demons to combat enemies.
Seeing a giant demon stomp around and kill Bayonetta’s enemies was exhilarating; you’d have to watch out for enemies while killing other enemies. Once we got inside the shopping plaza, we were ambushed by additional enemies. These enemies were easy to defeat but left us craving more. Sadly, this is where our hands-on preview ended.
Controls
Let’s take a moment to discuss the controls of Bayonetta 3. During our time with Bayonetta 3, the game was very responsive to our commands as I played. This ranges from Bayonetta’s combat when it came to fighting the enemies or during our time as an Infernal Demon. Our time with the build was short-lived, as we would’ve enjoyed more time to really dive into things and get a real good look, but with others coming to check out the game as well it’s all we could really get into.
Takeaways
Bayonetta’s combat felt smooth and was a lot of fun to switch between fighting styles. Controlling the Infernal Demons felt more like an extension of Bayonetta rather than a separate entity. Visually the game looked and felt great, with Bayonetta’s movements being smooth and well polished. Enemies were well defined with their hitboxes registering the hits properly. The game’s engine felt well polished and it was enjoyable to play rather than having to fight to get something to work.
With the little bit we got to play of Bayonetta 3, we look forward to the game’s release in October. Bayonetta will dance on the graves of her enemies. If you are a Bayonetta fan you will be bewitched and enjoy the torture sequences.
A special thanks to Nintendo for letting us preview the game at PAX West 2022.
