The difference in direction in the middle the Bayonetta Trilogy and the recent entry in the series, Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon, cannot be ignored. In place of the confident dominatrix we know and love, there is a shy young girl who feels much more comfortable clutching a stuffed animal than a gun. Instead of large-scale, action-packed settings and the unapologetic exaggerated style of the main series, we are treated to enchanted woods, worn book pages adorned with soft illustrations and a gentle, childlike curiosity. Therefore, the first hours I spent with Bayonetta Origins were full of complete confusion. I could not find the link in the middle Bayonetta Origins and the Bayonetta Trilogy or the threads that connected the two experiences. But fortunately, the team behind Bayonetta Origins was able to.
Bayonetta Origins is an achievement, both in the Bayonetta series and in the games as a whole. This is proof that the rules and restrictions imposed on certain big-budget series must be broken, especially if you can do it so creatively and tactfully. The charming adventure puzzle game is also simply delicious to play and is much more than it appears on the surface. As its story unfolds, it slowly builds into a recognizable Bayonetta game-full of excitement, darkness, subversions and female liberation – while maintaining an identity of its own. All this combined with a touching story of camaraderie and maternal love – which may or may not have made me cry – makes this a game where I urge you not to neglect whether or not you are a Fan of Bayonetta games.
Long before Cereza slips into Bayonetta’s puffy shoes, Origins is best described as a “Half-Lumen Sage” story. After witnessing her mother’s captivity due to a forbidden romance with cereza’s father, the girl is forced to take refuge under the tutelage of a powerful witch living on the edge of the forbidden forest of Avalon. Her teacher is firm but friendly-clearly intended to show in part where Bayonetta’s cool behavior comes from-but is often frustrated by cereza’s cowardice. So, when a ghost visits Cereza and tells her that the courage she needs to become a real witch and save her mother lies deep in Avalon, the young witch quickly goes in search of her.
In Bayonetta Origins, you control both Cereza and Cheshire at the same time, with all of Cereza’s controls assigned to the left JoyCon, while all of Cheshire’s are on the right. Similar to any Hazelight production (It Takes Two, a Way Out, Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons), the game is filled with asymmetric puzzles that force you to explore your environment and use the different talents of the two characters to progress. For Cereza, this means using her Magic to bring useful plants to life and stun enemies, as well as using her small frame to cross the vineyards. Cheshire, on the other hand, uses his raw power, his greatness and his elemental powers, which he slowly releases to move ahead. When Cheshire cannot cross a certain area, Cereza intervenes to create a path. When Cereza cannot reach a high ledge, Cheshire reduces to his stuffed animal form and throws himself on the once inaccessible ledge. Although the puzzles are not particularly difficult, they are balanced, interesting and are continuously being built up in small ways to properly prepare you for the state of mind that the next obstacle might require.
With this style of play and the type of control, there have been a few matters where I felt like my wires were crossed a little and I accidentally moved Cheshire instead of Cereza or vice versa. Fortunately, the consequences of this are never terrible and I have found that these confusions occur less and less over time. Considering all the actions you can perform as members of the demonic duo – the game’s ability tree is quite dense – the mapping is actually incredibly intuitive, making it the smoothest and most exciting one-catch action I’ve ever seen.executed in a game.
A big reason why the game’s action is as satisfying as it is is that the Puzzle aspect of the game also extends to your experiences. The vast majority of the enemies you face need the elemental abilities of Cheshire or the Magic of cereza – which takes shape as a kind of little rhythm game -to make them vulnerable. This makes the action – and in particular the difficult stages of Tir na nOgs that seem a little more focused on actioning in wild sanctuaries – require quick thinking and careful coordination on the part of the players. To make things even more exciting as the types of opponents and the number of waves you face increase, the same goes for the feeling that you are really playing an action-packed Bayonetta game-although very different from what preceded it.
That said, gamers might find the Bayonetta Origins action to be where the aforementioned cross-wire issue is most common – and most frustrating. Although I have found the technique of remembering Cheshire frequently to limit my attention to one character to control, most of the time you have to play as both, which can sometimes lead to a rather inelegant gameplay. Moreover, this complexity may seem a little at odds with the light and inviting nature of the game. Although the story and the game world make it an easy recommendation for young players, the controls could make the experience a little more difficult.
This feeling continues to grow as you progress through the game. Although I’m not diving into spoiler territories – honestly, the game’s story and callbacks are too special to want to ruin them – it struck me how Bayonetta Origins starts in one place and easily dances to another that we know superior. Fortunately, however, crossing this bridge does not correlate with a change in tone. I was afraid that when Cereza became more competent and confident, the game could impose veneral on the girl and deprive the game of its childish miracle. I can assure you that this is not the matter, but allows Cereza to be a child who discovers his strength and confidence in different ways before diving into the world of weapons and leather.
