During the Sept. 23 Nintendo Direct conference, there were several announcements concerning remasters, DLC, and even a date for the final character reveal for Super Smash Bros. However, the conference signed off with one of its most surprising announcements yet: gameplay reveals trailer for the highly-anticipated Bayonetta 3. The trailer features all the exciting details fans have been looking for.
Bayonetta 3 was first announced back in 2017 during the Game Awards as a Nintendo Switch exclusive. The teaser first showed the titular character as she appeared in the first game. However, she was defeated by an unknown enemy and defeated. Before the sequel gets a number, the teaser faded in a puff. The only thing that was revealed in the teaser was the fact the game was still in development.
So… when is the release date for “Bayonetta 3”?
Interestingly enough, the developers at PlatinumGames were oddly vague about the game’s progress ever since the initial announcement. Hideki Kamiya, director of the first Bayonetta, often gave very brief update notes on how the game was coming along. The team wanted to show more footage, despite this.
“It’s not really our position to say but … it’s January [of 2021]. We’ve got to have something come out, right?” Kamiya told VGC.
When pressed on the topic to provide any snippet of information, he continued keeping silent. “… my suggestion would be that maybe we should all reset and forget about Bayonetta 3. Then when something finally does happen, it will be a nice surprise, won’t it?”
The PlatinumGames team was keen to talk about the game, even though they had kept their lips shut for nearly 4 years (that’s as long as it took Thanos to snap). It was worth the wait.
Today, gamers finally have their first look at the next installment. There’s much to learn.
The four-minute trailer begins with the Japanese military fighting against supernatural creatures in a destroyed Shibuya. After being easily overpowered by the monsters, Bayonetta arrives on the scene sporting updated weapons and a new look reminiscent of her childhood appearance.
“It seems I’m unfashionably late,” She says it as a joke reference to the studio’s radio silence. “But I’m ready to give you everything you want.”
The cinematic then sweeps seamlessly into gameplay, as Bayonetta takes on her strange new foes with a mix of gunplay, demonic fists, and over-the-top magic. The official logo of the game and a mysterious figure with a katana are then created.
After a long and uneventful wait, the end is nearly in sight for the release of Bayonetta 3. The trailer ends with the announcement that the game will be released sometime in 2022. It’s not clear when the game will release, but it’s great to see that it is coming out.