The upcoming Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon came as quite the surprise for fans of the action-adventure series when it was revealed at the Game Awards. With the recent release of Bayonetta 3, most were not expecting a new entry is the series so soon—and a series-first spin-off was something not many could have predicted. However, fans of the traditional Bayonetta gameplay may need to wait a little longer, as Bayonetta Origins adopts a brand-new style of combat and introduces puzzle-solving mechanics that differ drastically from the series' established formula.
Bayonetta 3 already played with this formula by introducing side chapters that had the player take on the role of fellow Umbra Witch Jeanne and play out as side-scrolling stealth missions. While this addition was met with mixed reactions from players, its inclusion shows that PlatinumGames is willing to take risks with the series' gameplay for the sake of branching out beyond tired mechanics. As director Hideki Kamiya has stated that he has no intention of ending the Bayonetta series, it's very likely the gameplay will continue to grow and evolve with various mainline and spin-off entries.
Bayonetta Origins Puts a New Perspective on the Series with Its Gameplay
As the first spin-off game in the series, Bayonetta Origins has a lot of room to innovate both with its art style and gameplay. While its storybook aesthetic is beautiful, the real standout change comes from a shift in genre due to its new gameplay mechanics. The Bayonetta series has always focused on third-person action with combat involving chaining attacks together to build combos as the player takes on massive angels, demons, and homunculi. Bayonetta Origins sheds these elements in favor of a top-down adventure-puzzler with combat elements, leaving many curious as to how well the series will be able to adapt to these changes.
From what can be seen in its reveal trailer, Bayonetta Origins has a much greater focus on puzzle solving than previous entries. Although Bayonetta 3 featured some time puzzles scattered throughout each level, puzzle solving has never been a core mechanic of the games and has typically been optional content. Combat seems to have drastically changed as well in this spin-off with Cereza not partaking at all, being relegated to the role of a bystander. Instead, it appears the demon Cheshire will be the one players will control during combat scenarios, which could allow for an interesting story-telling opportunity surrounding Cereza's growth in confidence as a witch.
Mechanics from Bayonetta Origins Could Make Their Way into Bayonetta 4
It's clear PlatinumGames is using Bayonetta Origins as a testing grounds for new gameplay mechanics that would have been too risky to include in Bayonetta 3. Depending on the success of this spin-off title, it's possible some of these elements could see a return in Bayonetta 4, with the most likely being its puzzle-solving mechanics. Although the series typically strays away from mandatory puzzles, the rumor that Bayonetta 3 was originally planned to have a semi-open world like that of PlatinumGames' previous title—Astral Chain—suggests that more puzzles could be incorporated in future entries should they re-imagine the series' world design.
If they end up going with an open world for Bayonetta 4, PlatinumGames could draw inspiration from the gold standard of open worlds—The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild—and offer players various puzzles and combat challenges dotted around the world similar to Breath of the Wild's shrines. This way, fans of the Bayonetta Origins style of gameplay would get the best of both worlds, as the core gameplay of the series could still be the main focus, but be supplemented by more robust puzzles that pave the way for unlocking areas of a semi-open world. Until Bayonetta 4 is officially revealed, fans can only speculate on how Bayonetta Origins will shape the series' future.
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon will launch on March 17, 2023 for Nintendo Switch.
