Bayonetta 3 preview: More options than ever before

You can spend 15 minutes together. Bayonetta 3 at this year’s PAX West, here’s what sets this new installment apart from its predecessors: openness. This Bayonetta is all about offering more options without compromising on the series’ commitment to non-stop action, extensive combos, and linear core progression.

Diversifying the combat

First thing that I noticed was Bayonetta 3’s combat is that magic takes more of a back seat here. Now, the protagonist harnesses demonic power to power her weapons. Her new skills include demon masquerade as well demon slave.

Bayonetta can use the first ability to disguise as demons in order to acquire their abilities. Madama Butterfly is her rival and Bayonetta gets flight. Gomorrah grants Bayonetta a pair of sharp claws. These transformations don’t last forever, though. They draw from Bayonetta’s magical supply, and once that meter runs out, gameplay returns to the classic combos that players unlock as they progress.

Image by PlatinumGames

The demo showed that the game was well-balanced between the familiar Bayonetta elements and the new demon powers. The clothes-ripping finals made the heroine famous, or not, depending on who you ask. That’s where Bayonetta 3’s demon slave ability comes in — and where the demo truly shined. Bayonetta now has the ability to summon infernal demons that can crush her opponents, tipping the balances in her favor.

Bayonetta was able to summon demons the first two games of the series. However, this game allows the player to actually command them during combat. Of course, these titans aren’t infallible. These titans can be defeated in battle but they must be recharged before being summoned back. Bayonetta can be protected while being controlled by a summoned demon. This adds another layer to the challenge. Once a demon starts up a move, she’s left defenseless to other enemies, and if she takes damage, her demon(s) will disappear. However, I was able to queue up two demon attacks at once. I was able to keep the witch out of the middle of the combat and thus prevented the demons’ demise.

More playstyles supported

Bayonetta’s new demon-wielding abilities seem designed to entice different kinds of players and techniques. Each weapon supports a unique play style. Players now have more choices than ever, from the heavy-hitting Gomorrah tank to the stealthy and slow Malphas.

Image Credit: PlatinumGames

No more climax summons which instantly defeated your enemies. Now, players have to choose a demon and finish the fights themselves — and they get to choose the preferred demon for the job. Yusuke Miyata is the director. Bayonetta 3, put it this way in a message on Platinum Games’ website:

The mechanic allows players to control demons in gameplay, and trigger a variety of intuition actions. Each demon’s abilities vary and the kinds of abilities that are advantageous in a certain situation can change at any time.

As Miyata suggests, changing demons is encouraged — I know it helped me a great deal as I faced the different landscapes and homunculi in the demo — though it’s not technically required. You have the option to summon all or any of the demons you choose, depending on your combat advantage, environment conditions, personal preference, or simply your own preferences. (For example, if you used to find it hard to time a perfect dodge and set off Bayonetta’s Witch Time ability, you might take comfort in the slower, steadier speed of the tank-like Gomorrah.) You can find the perfect combination of demons and weapons to make this game even more enjoyable. Bayonetta 3They will allow you to meet any combat situation with them.

Having only spent 15 minutes with this demo, I’m not sure where the series’ story will head next, although the developers have hinted that this game is the beginning of a new era of Bayonetta. The Time Witch is the only one who will know what this means when it comes to Nintendo Switch, October 28.