As fans continue recovering from the controversial ending of Bayonetta 3, an announcement for a prequel debuted during The Game Awards 2022. The prequel is called Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon and centers on Bayonetta when she was only a girl. Contrasting to the fast-paced hack-and-slice action that the mainline Bayonetta series is known for, Origins is a slower pace adventure game where players take control of a young Bayonetta, who is protected by a monstrous teddy bear.
Bayonetta Origins have an eschewed top-down perspective, which is different from the third-person perspective of the Bayonetta trilogy. The game also has a more storybook art style, making Bayonetta’s origin seem more like a fairy tale rather than the ultraviolet spectacle that fans are accustomed to in the main series. The monster teddy bear is Bayo’s first demon named Cheshire, and the game is more focused on puzzle solving and traveling than combat. Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is slated to release on March 17, 2023, for the Nintendo Switch, and fans can pre-order the game now in major retailer chains and on the Nintendo eShop.
Bayonetta 3 was released in October this year and received somewhat divisive reviews. While the title was praised for its combat and gameplay, the main storyline — the ending received heavy criticism. One of the game’s writers and vice president of Platinum Games, Hideki Kamiya, has opened up about the controversial ending, stating that he feels fans have misinterpreted the finale of Bayonetta 3 and even hinted that more games with Bayonetta will release soon.
Many fans assumed that Kamiya was hinting at a Bayonetta 4 announcement; he was probably referring to Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon. It’s unknown when a proper Bayonetta 4 will get released or if the next major title in the series will continue the story where Bayonetta 3 left off. The finale of Bayonetta 3 ended things in a very peculiar situation for everyone’s favorite witch.
