Sequels in gaming need to toe a very fine line. They need to be familiar enough with what has come before in order to not upset the fans that enjoyed those previous games. At the same time, sequels also need to innovate and tread enough new ground so that the experience feels fresh and exciting. The balance of familiar but fresh gameplay is even more important in the hack and slash genre, and games like Bayonetta and Devil May Cry continually add new mechanics with each new game. Bayonetta 3 has been a much-anticipated game for fans of the genre for a long time now, and they may want to know what new mechanics and additions they can expect from Bayonetta’s latest adventure.
What’s new in Bayonetta 3?
The story of Bayonetta 3 is relatively unknown at the moment. The trailers thus far have depicted Bayonetta and other characters fighting in locations like Tokyo and China, and developer PlatinumGames has teased that the game will feature other locales too. Instead of fighting angels or demons this time around, Bayonetta will need to use her signature guns and Witch Time ability to battle against human-created bioweapons called homunculi.
Bayonetta herself has a new look, which some fans have speculated is related to Cereza, the child version of Bayonetta seen in the original game. When it comes to gameplay, the fast and flowing action is returning and there’s a good chance that the game will have new attacks and combos to dig into.
Two new mechanics should add some welcome variety to combat. Demon Slave will let Bayonetta summon one of her Infernal Demons, such as Gomorrah or Malphas, and take direct control over them to deal out massive damage. There’s also the new Demon Masquerade mechanic, which will let Bayonetta fuse with her Infernal Demons to take on their powers and appearance for a limited time. So far, we’ve seen her do this with Madama Butterfly.
The new playable character Viola is a witch-in-training, and she will likely have entirely unique attacks of her own to dig into thanks to her own unique weapons, as well as her feline demon companion, Cheshire. We don’t know whether there will be other playable characters in Bayonetta 3 just yet, but this could be possible given that the previous game had plenty of characters to choose from, depending on the mode. The latest trailer for the game also briefly shows a new red version of Bayonetta, suggesting that Bayonetta’s from different universes may cross paths in Bayonetta 3 for unknown reasons. Perhaps these could be playable characters too.
Finally, players who have been concerned about the overtly adult themes of the Bayonetta franchise can rest easy when it comes to Bayonetta 3. The new game will include Naïve Angel mode, which will add more clothes to Bayonetta and her creatures to make the game less risqué and safer for playing around others.
Bayonetta 3 will be released as a Nintendo Switch exclusive on October 28 this year.
