Bayonetta 3: 9 things to know before starting

Bayonetta 3It is also the most popular game in the series, not just because of its marketing potential. The chapters are set in wide open spaces with many hidden paths, combat encounters and collectibles. Between a new playable character and secondary objectives everywhere, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But don’t fret, here are nine Bayonetta 3Tips to help you prepare for ancient rituals.

Witch Time: Magic recharges quicker

“Get used to Witch Time” is the go-to advice for the entire series, but even more so in Bayonetta 3. Witch Time places enemies in slow motion for a short period of time, which allows Bayonetta and Viola to score more hits. Bayonetta may enter Witch Time after a successful dodge. Viola can get it by parrying.

You won’t be able to keep Slave Demons summoned forever, so whenever you’re using Witch Time, make haste and attack enemies as much as possible to recharge your magic faster. If you’re having trouble with an enemy and they’re either off the ground or far away from you, spamming your ranged attacks is a good option to recharge it as well, albeit at a slower pace.

Summon slave Demons in order to collect materials

I recommend summoning your Slave Demon when there are several objects around you, as it’ll allow you to destroy most of them — trees, buildings, street items, you name it — at once. What’s more, once you get your hands on the Spider demon, crawling around buildings and other crowded spots is key to gathering materials in quick succession.

Be aware that enemies may try to kill your summons by pining them down. To stop this, you can use powerful weapons like the G-Pillar to literally knock them down and interrupt their execution. You should remember, however, that cancelling summons can be a great defense technique.

Materials don’t stack up forever

It took me until Chapter 4 to realize that you don’t have infinite room for materials. Material types cap out at 99 each, which sounds generous enough, but it’s an allotment that easily get filled up without you noticing. Don’t be like me. Make crafts whenever you can. It is a good idea to start crafting at the beginning each chapter. But in the worst-case scenario, you can always pause during combat to craft a few items when you’re in dire need of some help.

Flashes will be used for follow-up attacks on Demon Slave

Whenever you perform a certain combo with your weapons, you’ll see and hear a flash — this indicates an opportunity for a follow-up attack with your Demon Slave. While you’re free to dive into the combos list and learn each sequence to make this happen, I recommend just paying attention to the screen while you’re still learning the ropes. Get used to reacting to a flash with a push of the LZ button each time as soon as possible, and you’ll be making the most out of each situation from then on.

Image: Platinum/Nintendo via Polygon

Viola can wear Bayonetta’s accessories

As you make your way through, Bayonetta 3’s story, you’ll be able to purchase different accessories for Bayonetta. That said, you can also use them whenever you’re playing as Viola without any restrictions. Just make sure to manually equip them, as the game won’t do so automatically whenever a chapter switches between characters.

Once the main story has been completed, you can unlock customization

Speaking of irresponsible purchases, you’ll notice that Rodin has multiple cosmetics in his shop. All of these items are related to the customization option, which is available after you’ve finished the main story. This allows you to modify a few options for Bayonetta or Viola. So, yes, you’ll have to hit the credits at least once for this menu to become available. You can save your Halos and concentrate on the other menu items. You can ignore it! I’m not one to judge somebody for spending money on things they don’t need!)

Loot can respawn in certain circumstances

Materials and orbs can respawn if you have to restart a chapter due to health issues or simply because you want to replay the entire chapter again. This also applies if you have completed a trial, and return to it. If you’re short on any specific item type and you find a good spot with tons of them — such as cities with abandoned cars — you can go ahead and farm for a bit by replaying these sections.

Image: Platinum/Nintendo via Polygon

The rule also applies to Umbran Tears and chests that you’ve collected already. Although it can be tedious to repeat the steps, particularly for tricky items, they will still grant you some useful items.

Don’t worry, there are tons of weapons and demons to unlock

During the first few chapters, it’s hard to gauge exactly how many weapons you’ll eventually have access to. While I won’t spoil the surprise, just know that they’re all tied to the main story, so just progress through the main chapters to find more. There isn’t a metroidvania-esque element of needing specific weapons for certain situations, but if you’re looking to gather every collectible or hidden item, some demons will definitely make traversal easier. If you get stuck at any point, just know that you’ll be able to come back with different tools later on.

Image: Platinum/Nintendo via Polygon

Photo Mode can be made to look blurrier

Let’s wrap with one for the digital photographers. If you’re wondering how to make Bayonetta 3’s photo mode less blurry, this tip might help. The default zoom, called Subject Distance, isn’t going to do much. To take closer shots, press the L + D-Pad Up/Down to adjust it.

To open the Detail menu, click Y, then select Motion Blur and turn it down. I recommend getting rid of Film Grain as well, and touching Sharpness just a bit to find the clarity you’re looking for. Yeah, you’ll have to repeat these steps each time, but trust me, those selfies will look much better.