Marvel has poisoned more than the movie and TV scene with its emphasis on multiverses. Bayonetta 3’s plot also revolves around the multiverse, specifically about an evil entity known as the Singularity that wants to destroy every version of the universe for some sort of unification ritual. It should sound familiar to comic book fans.
After getting defeated in a familiar timeline to fans, Bayonetta sends a freedom fighter, Viola, to another universe. Viola must warn a new Bayonetta that danger is coming and a final battle for the multiverse ensues. Bayonetta 3’s premise is wild but so are the mechanics. The Umbra Witch's latest femme fatale-focused action game has a lot going for it, but it also has its fair share of flaws.
7 Best: Same But Fun Gameplay
The Bayonetta series has always been one of the best action franchises on the market ever since it began in 2009. Bayonetta is joined by one other major playable character, Viola, with some side characters thrown in for smaller experiences.
The biggest differences in the combat include Viola using a sword and darts as her main weapons plus both characters can summon demons in battle. Even with those changes, the game feels familiar. That’s not a bad thing as the weapon variety and abundance of enemies help keep things fresh throughout the many chapters of Bayonetta 3.
6 Worst: The Prologue
One of the biggest issues facing Bayonetta 3 is that it reuses a lot of the same surprise tactics. A great example of this is the prologue, which does not need to be in the game. Players go through it once and then again at the end.
Another example involves a Kaiju-like battle against a giant enemy which was cool the first time but lost steam the second go around. More missions involve using the demons sort of like vehicles for on-rail shooter segments. A lot of ideas overstaying their welcome is the overall point as the pacing was all over the place.
5 Best: The Scale Of Everything
The Switch is being pushed to the limit in Bayonetta 3. Sometimes for the good and sometimes for the bad. With tons of enemies being thrown at the player, the game remains stable and smooth on the plus side. The overall scale is great with giant monsters going off in the background while players fight smaller enemies on the ground.
Sometimes the boss battles, or structures in the environment, can be awe-inspiring. This may make one wonder if PlatinumGames could make a good boss-focused experience for the Switch akin to Shadow of the Colossus.
4 Worst: The Graphics
As great as the scale of everything is, the graphics don’t look much different than the PS3 and Xbox 360 original. There’s a lack of inspiration in some of the level designs but admittedly the characters and enemies do look good aesthetically.
The game suffers from that early HD era wherein browns, blacks, and grays ruled the action gaming landscape. There is plenty of color in Bayonetta 3 but it is somehow muted at the same time. It’s also a shame that this game still relies on animatics for some cutscenes which have plagued the series since the very beginning.
3 Best: Bombastic Cutscenes
Sometimes, Bayonetta 3 can feel more like a movie than an actual game. The first third will interrupt the gameplay for players to watch yet another cutscene. Fortunately, these cutscenes are well choreographed and are a blast to watch whether one enjoys action or they value some good slapstick comedy via Luka or Viola.
The dialogue is snappy, mirroring some of the greatest cheesy action one-liners. Some players may not appreciate the bombastic cutscenes in the game as much which affects the aforementioned pacing problem. Thankfully though, there is a skip button for those that don’t enjoy them.
2 Worst: Doesn’t Do Enough With The Concept
There has been a lot of great Multiverse-related content as far as movies and TV go. Rick and Morty seemingly revived this concept a few years ago and now movies like Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness are following suit. It’s great to see a game like Bayonetta 3 embrace the idea but it doesn’t go far enough.
Avoiding major spoilers, players will meet other versions of the Umbra Witch on their adventures. Tokyo is one example but instead of going to new wild universes, it’s more like players are just going around the world. It still has some cool fan moments to gush over but there just aren’t enough to justify the concept.
1 Best: The Music
The soundtrack offers a great variety of different styles. The series has always embraced jazz as one of its main influences and the new tracks in Bayonetta 3 showcase that perfectly. There are some great pop-punk melodies too like “Ghost” which is Viola’s theme. It should also be addressed that the voice work, in both English and Japanese, is on point as always.
It’s a shame PlatinumGames and the original English voice actor for Bayonetta, Hellena Taylor, got into a fight. However, Jennifer Hale taking over the role feels rather seamless. She’s been a pro in the anime dub and gaming communities for decades now, so it’s safe to assume she knows a thing or two about voice matching.
Bayonetta 3 was released on October 28, 2022, and is available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.