When a game comes out of nowhere and surprises fans with its announcement, many will wonder what it will be like. That goes double for when the announced game is a spinoff of a hit title but doesn’t play like the original. Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon was one such title. The game was revealed at The Game Awards last year, mere months after the release of Bayonetta 3. But what surprised fans wasn’t simply the prequel tale that was showcased but the visual style and gameplay that was teased. It was very different from the previous action-packed core gameplay, so would people like it when it came out?
That was the mystery. But with a few days before its release, the embargo on Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon regarding reviews has dropped, and things are looking very positive for the title overall. On Metacritic, when this article was written, the game was sitting at an 80 score, with over 50 reviews being submitted so far.
If you go through the reviews, you’ll see that many of the top scores, several of which are in the 80s or 90s, praise the game for its uniqueness and how it ties into the overall universe that features Bayonetta. In addition, multiple reviews gave props to PlatinumGames for taking this direction with the series and daring to change things up. So even if they don’t do this kind of thing again, they like that they did it this one time.
Some reviews highlighted how the visually charming world and fun story helped win them over even when some of the other elements didn’t work out as well as the rest. Showcasing that sometimes if most of your parts work, the rest aren’t a hurdle to overcome. One review specifically called the game “Prequel Perfection.”
But, of course, not everyone was on board. Several reviews blasted the title for certain reasons. One of them was that it almost bears no resemblance to the original trilogy of titles, though that was to be expected. Others said that while it was a unique experience to an extent, some of the systems were too easy for their liking.
But, as always, the critics are simply one voice in this matter. If you wish to play the game, you should play it. Or, if you wish to see what others think before you get it, do that. It is your choice, so do what you feel is best.
