Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon releases next week, allowing players to experience the titular heroine's earliest adventure. Bayonetta Origins features dramatically different combat from the series' previous entries and takes place in a storybook-like setting. Given the significant changes to gameplay and storytelling in Bayonetta Origins, the title would do well to learn from the mistakes of other franchises' attempts at shaking up their setting and gameplay. Sonic the Hedgehog provides perhaps the most direct parallel to Bayonetta Origins, with Sonic's Storybook Series showcasing various critical mistakes the latter can avoid if it wants to be successful.
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon tells the story of Cereza's first interactions with the demon Cheshire as she journeys through the Avalon forest in search of her missing mother. The game features unique combat, with Cereza using magic to restrict or isolate enemies, while Cheshire does all the attacking. Players will have an isometric viewpoint, as they navigate Cereza through the game's various stages, combat arenas, and puzzles. With Bayonetta Origins approaching nearly every facet of the title with a fresh perspective, the risk of alienating long-time fans is high. Luckily, other series' attempts to dramatically shift their gameplay and setting can be used as a blueprint for what Bayonetta's newest title should avoid.
What Bayonetta Origins Should Learn from Sonic's Storybook Series
Following the disastrous release of Sonic 06, Sega followed up with a wholly original concept on the Wii, the Storybook Series, in which Sonic was transported into storybook worlds and tasked with saving them. In 2007's Sonic and the Secret Rings, Sonic was transported into the world of Arabian Nights. The premise was fun and unique, but the title's gameplay left a lot to be desired. Fans were hugely disappointed to find out that the entire game was on rails, with Sonic moving forward on his own. Players used the Wiimote to move Sonic side-to-side and attack enemies.
However, the subpar tracking capabilities of the Wii led to players experiencing increased difficulty, as Sonic would get stuck on objects, fall through holes, or fail to attack in time. Despite its issues, Sonic and the Secret Rings still sold well enough to garner a sequel, 2009's Sonic and the Black Knight. Though the title's boss fights were memorable, its further reliance on motion controls and on-rail combat made Sonic and Black Knight one of the worst Sonic titles of all time. A third title in the Storybook Series was once hinted at, but Sonic and the Black Knight's failure led to the end of Sonic's storybook adventures. Luckily for fans, the next entry in the series, Sonic Colors, put the franchise back on the right track.
Bayonetta Origins Needs to Balance the New and Familiar
Had the Storybook Series simply evolved Sonic the Hedgehog's classic 3D gameplay for its exciting new storybook settings, it could have been largely successful. However, the combination of too many new ideas, which removed much of what fans enjoyed about the Sonic franchise, led to its ultimate failure. Bayonetta Origins runs the same risk, as its aesthetic, controls, story, and combat all deviate from the Bayonetta trilogy, the last of which was released very recently. These changes could prove to be Bayonetta Origins' fatal flaw unless the title can connect its newest elements with those familiar to long-time fans.
Bayonetta Origins is set to depict Cereza's transformation into an Umbral Witch, leaving room for fan-favorite elements to make their way into the title's gameplay. Bayonetta Origins' gameplay during February's Nintendo Direct presentation heavily featured the use of Witch-Pulse to bind enemies to a location.
Perhaps other defensive powers such as Witch-Time will evolve from this foundation, while still adhering to Origins' combat dynamic. With Bayonetta Origins releasing next week, fans will be hands-on with the title soon. If Origins avoids the mistakes of Sonic's Storybook Series, by connecting new ideas with fan-favorite elements, Cereza and the Lost Demon could be the start of a new era in the franchise.
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon releases for Nintendo Switch on March 17.
