Bayonetta 3 -Switch- 9.5

November 11, 2022

I just beat Bayonetta 3 on the standard difficulty. This was a marvelous follow-up to the action masterpiece that was Bayonetta 2. These games has some of the absolute best 3D combat around, along with the various Team Ninja and the From Software games. It feels like you’re in complete control during all the bombastic chaos. Very fluid and varied. This third entry in the series introduces a bit more variety with occasionally letting you play as two other characters that play very different than Bayonetta herself. I thought they both were a lot of fun, too. Also new is the summon spells. In the first couple chapters, I did not like them at all. It felt like you could just summon a big, slow monster to fight the enemies the whole time, while Bayonetta herself was just dancing in the corner. But then I just chose to only tap the summon button at the end of a combo as a finisher, and the game became great again. It’s like the combat has all of what made part 2 fantastic (emphasis on witch time and fast combos), plus the ability to summon if you want it. You don’t have to abuse the summons. The game is very beatable without them. Play this just like you played part 2, and it is pure bliss. Everything else about the game was also first rate. The graphics are gorgeous, the music fits perfectly, the style is just as over-the-top as part 2, and I love Bayonetta’s new hairstyle. (She looks like Dorothy from Wizard of Oz.) Even the nonsensical multiverse story was entertaining and fun to watch unfold! Furthermore, the switch hardware handled the game perfectly in docked mode the whole time. I think part 2 might still be my slight favorite, but I’m still confidently giving Bayonetta 3 a 9.5 out of ten. Definitely my second favorite game of 2022 so far (after Elden Ring.)