Bayonetta 3

Bayonetta 3 is a continuation of the famous fantasy slasher series, with Japanese studio PlatinumGames, headed by Devil May Cry creator Hideki Kamiya, behind its creation. The company itself is also known for its work on such titles as Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and Nier: Automata. As with its predecessor, Nintendo is responsible for the release of Bayonetta 3, making the game a Switch exclusive product.

Storyline

In the third installment of the series we once again play the title character - a long-legged brunette with sensual movements and an unconventional style, who confronts powerful creatures wreaking havoc in the human dimension.

In the past Bayonetta fought primarily for herself, but this time she decides to fight for others. When the world is overrun by giant creatures - biological weapons called Homunculi - the main character steps into the middle of the chaos to save humanity from a definitive destruction. With her help come allies we know from previous installments of the series - journalist Luka and Bayonetta's friend Jeanne. The part also saw the debut of a new character - the witch-in-training Viola.

Mechanics

Bayonetta 3 is an action slasher game, in which we have the opportunity to observe the ongoing events from a third-person perspective (TPP). The gameplay is based on the scheme developed for the earlier parts of the series. So, once again, we traverse diverse locations, fighting the opponents we meet along the way, among whom there could be no shortage of powerful bosses. In clashes we use both spectacular punches and kicks, but also white or ranged weapons (led by Bayonetta's characteristic pistols).

As befits a witch, the protagonist can also use magic, and in battles with formidable opponents she also enlists the help of equally powerful allies. With her unique abilities, Bayonetta is able to summon a demon from hell to the battlefield. Taking control of a demonic servant, she can easily knock down opponents much larger than herself, but in the process she herself becomes more vulnerable to attacks from lesser creatures. So while summoning, it is better to stay alert and keep an eye on her immediate surroundings. It's also worth keeping track of the magic bar displayed at the bottom of the screen, indicating the amount of power the heroine has left to control the demon. Infernal servants can also serve in strengthening her combos by stunning an opponent, whom the protagonist can then attack with one of her special blows.

While combat skill is important, precisely timed evasions also prove to be the key to success. When our witch manages to dodge an attack at the right moment, Witch Time is activated - a special function, for a few seconds slowing down the movements of opponents. In this limited time we have the opportunity to inflict serious damage to nearby enemies. The effect of Witch Time lasts longer if we avoid a blow at the last possible moment. For this reason, it is advisable to carefully observe the actions of the creatures attacking us in order to take full advantage of its potential.

Each of the weapons in Bayonetta's possession contains the power of one of the infernal demons. Absorbing the energy of one of them, the heroine not only assumes the appearance of a given creature, but also gains the unique abilities assigned to it. Demon abilities not only add variety to skirmishes, they can also prove useful when exploring hard-to-reach areas.

Viola - a new playable character

Although in this game we primarily play Bayonetta herself, we also have the opportunity to take control of a new character - the mysterious and warlike Viola. Unlike her more experienced counterparts, Viola is just exploring the secrets of magic. In combat, she uses a sword and magic darts, plus she has a slightly altered arsenal of special attacks. One of the differences is the way the heroine uses the Witch Time effect. In order for the special ability to be activated, the short-haired woman has to block the attacks of enemies attacking her at the right moment. In addition, she is able to summon a demon named Cheshire to the battlefield, which is bound to her sword. During the summoning, the fledgling witch fights her opponents using only her fists, while her spunky purr throws itself at any enemy unit that comes within range of its claws.

Difficulty level

Although the title features a relatively low entry threshold, over time the key to success turns out to be skillful juggling of Bayonetta's abilities and murderous arsenal. It is also worth remembering that the course of the struggle is supervised by a scoring system that evaluates our actions. The points obtained are added up after completing each chapter. If we care to raise the obtained scores, nothing prevents us from returning in the future to already completed levels.

The game has three difficulty levels (Casual, Standard and Expert), which we can adjust at any possible moment of gameplay. The simplest of them - Casual - will appeal primarily to those players who want to explore the storyline without spending hours on complex skirmishes with challenging opponents. The results obtained on this level are also not displayed in the ranking. Those interested can also take advantage of special accessories that will allow them to stay on top of the action without getting distracted from the storyline itself.

Technical issues

Bayonetta 3 boasts eye-pleasing three-dimensional graphics - compared to the second part of the series, the developers managed not only to improve the textures, but also to take care of better visual effects accompanying the struggles. The title runs at sixty frames per second, which is standard for the series.