The upcomingBayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demoncame as quite the surprise for fans of the action-adventure series when it was revealed at the Game Awards. With the recent release ofBayonetta 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 traditionalBayonettagameplay may need to wait a little longer, asBayonetta Originsadopts a brand-new style of combat and introduces puzzle-solving mechanics that differ drastically from the series' established formula.
Bayonetta 3already played with this formula by introducing side chapters that had the player take onthe role of fellow Umbra Witch Jeanneand 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 theBayonettaseries, it’s very likely the gameplay will continue to grow and evolve with various mainline and spin-off entries.
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Bayonetta Origins Puts a New Perspective on the Series with Its Gameplay
As the firstspin-off game in the series,Bayonetta Originshas 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. TheBayonettaseries 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 Originssheds 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 Originshas a much greater focus on puzzle solving than previous entries. AlthoughBayonetta 3featured some time puzzlesscattered 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 usingBayonetta Originsas a testing grounds for new gameplay mechanics that would have been too risky to include inBayonetta 3. Depending on the success of this spin-off title, it’s possible some of these elements could see a return inBayonetta 4, with the most likely being its puzzle-solving mechanics. Although the series typically strays away from mandatory puzzles,the rumor thatBayonetta 3was originally plannedto 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 forBayonetta 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 toBreath of the Wild’s shrines. This way, fans of theBayonetta Originsstyle 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. UntilBayonetta 4is officially revealed, fans can only speculate on howBayonetta Originswill shape the series' future.
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demonwill launch on June 15, 2025 for Nintendo Switch.
