Combat in Bayonetta 3 takes all the best things from the first two games, and polishes them to a sheen, while also addressing the flaws that people feel each of those two titles’ combat systems had. What this means, then, is the reliance on sudden QTEs (ala Bayonetta 1) and the oevrreliance on Umbran Climax (this was in 2) is gone here. You still have the same basic kick, punch, and gunshot attacks, and you still have Bayonetta’s stylish dodge, timing which perfectly still triggers the Witch Time state that slows all other enemies down and lets you let loose at them with a series of glorious attacks.

Bayonetta’s combat caught the imagination of people like it did for one very simple reason – it is just the right amount of prescriptive, allowing players to chain together moves and unleash some pretty stunning moves on screen in the process. Bayonetta 3 delivers on this concept spectacularly – it feels like no matter what combination of inputs you try, the game will reward you with something, and it almost seems to gently nudge you from starting out button mashing (if you’re a newcomer) to slowly starting to string together proper combos, by encouraging you to try to everything you can, and then rewarding you with some truly great looking moves when you happen upon one of the many combos that will become an ongoing part of your repertoire from there on out.

"Bayonetta 3 is a game that revels in a frankly absurd and ridiculous amount of excess, imbibing the kind of deranged and insane spectacle that, for example, modern God of War games do not, moving from one comprehension defying fight and set piece to the next, until very soon, it all really blurs into a glorious background cacophony of visual noise, all while you focus on what this series is best at – the combat."

This emphasis on the core fundamentals of the combat doesn’t mean that Bayonetta 3 doesn’t have any spins of its own on the series’ now well established and iterated upon core formula, mind you. The Demon Masquerade is this game’s big new addition to combat, allowing you to fuse with a demon and then letting you wreak havoc on everything in some pretty out there finishing moves; Demon Slave is a variation of this technique that allows you to summon and control a whole other demon and have it fight enemies for you. These techniques are both tied to the Magic Meter (which now fills in combat constantly) and add a whole other dimension to combat, for multiple reasons. Primarily, this is because these techniques require you to constantly maintain them, which means you have to balance their massive damage with making sure you’re not letting these demons dissipate from the field, but also because each demon has its own form, its own strength, its own weaknesses, and its own suitability to different kinds of combat scenario, and leveraging the right demon in the right battle can lead to some incredibly satisfying results. 

These demons aren’t the only change, either – also changing in this game is the weapon system, which now bestows a totally unique move set to Bayonetta each time you equip a new weapon (rather than relying on you equipping different weapons to her different limbs). This functionally means each new weapon is a whole new move set unto itself – and, once again, each weapon has its own properties, that make it well suited to some combat scenarios, and poor at others. Being able to mix and match your traditional combat with the demon summoning and the whole weapon system leads to a frankly dizzying array of options, each with the same amount of depth and versatility that you expect from the series. Finishing the campaign still only feels like you’re scratching hing the surface of everything this game’s combat has to offer – and, indeed, in true Bayonetta fashion, the true depths of what this game can allow you as the player to do will not be plumbed until you go back to its various combat encounters and really let loose.

And all of this is – somehow – not even considering Viola (the new character this game introduces, who lacks Bayonetta’s insane versatility, but has a really well fleshed out combat style centred on her Samurai Sword) or Jeanne (whom you take control of in some inspired 2D segments). The amount of gameplay variety Bayonetta 3 offers is mind boggling, given that it is the kind of game that it is. And all of it is wrapped up in some of the most deranged, over the top, absurd spectacle that I remember in a very long time, spectacle that is so outrageously audacious that it borders on being sheer lunacy (pun very much intended). I started this review by describing the New York City opening – and I cannot stress this enough, that is just the beginning. The game somehow goes bigger and crazier from there. You’ll notice that this video review itself doesn’t actually include many areas beyond the first handful, and that is because the insanity of those is best experienced by yourself. The constant “seriously, they topped that?” That this game constantly pulls may be its biggest asset, and is very much not something that should be spoiled.

"As effusive with praise for the game as I have been so far, it does make two very major stumbles that I think mar it more than I wish they did. The elephant in the room here is the game’s technical proficiency, which is… not the best."

As effusive with praise for the game as I have been so far, it does make two very major stumbles that I think mar it more than I wish they did. The elephant in the room here is the game’s technical proficiency, which is… not the best.

Look, the Nintendo Switch is nearly six years old at this point, and even when it launched, it wasn’t really a powerhouse. In and of itself, this is not a problem, and games designed around the Switch can and do still surprise (Monster Hunter Rise was just last year, and Kirby and the Forgotten Land was a gorgeous outing just a few months ago). But it’s a system the limitations of which must be kept in mind and worked around when you’re developing a game, and Bayonetta 3…. Doesn’t do that, really. Of all the many, many games I have played on the Switch, this is the first one that feels utterly beyond the console’s capabilities. The Switch does put forth a valiant effort to keep up, but we’re talking about resolution dips to sub-HD levels (in handheld mode, it often goes even lower), and a frame rate that does have random dips and spikes (which can be especially bothersome in a game like this). On the whole, both these problems are mercifully constrained – well, not the resolution as much, but the resolution is also something you stop caring about after the first ten minutes or so. The framerate is a bigger problem with actual implications for how the game plays. Thankfully, frame rate issues crop up infrequently – but they still occur far more frequently than it should. Very honestly, Bayonetta 2 felt like a better looking and performing game in 2014 than Bayonetta 3 does now, in 2022. And while on one hand it is admirable that Platinum did not let their ambitions be restrained by the Switch hardware, on the other, why on earth did they not develop or design around said hardware? That’s supposed to be the whole point and appeal of an exclusive game, it fully leverages the strengths of its host hardware, and works around its weaknesses. Bayonetta 3 is definitely one of the most technically impressive games on the Switch – but it shows the seams and runs into the limits of the hardware, visibly, far too often. It is officially time for new hardware, Nintendo.

Technical issues aside, the other big failing of the game is the story. Bayonetta 3 has an incredible opening, and it ups the stakes and teases a villain bigger and better than anything in the series yet, and then it just… doesn’t do anything with any of that? Not only that, but the resolution it volunteers for its titular character feels not the best, and I feel like in the long run, that conclusion is what will be held against the game the most. For whatever it’s worth, no one really cares about the story in Bayonetta (including the game itself), and the story is incredibly de-emphasized in this game, as with most other games in the genre, but… on some level, the ending feels like an unforced error, and a fumble that the series has shown us multiple times it is capable of avoiding (but somehow fails to this time around).

"While it fumbles with the story, and frequently butts heads with its host system’s technical limitations, Bayonetta 3 is masterfully accomplished at all the things that matter, and all the things it needs to be great at. You’re doing yourself a disservice if you don’t check it out, warts and all."

The story is probably something most players will be able to overlook, but the technical shortcomings of the Nintendo Switch, and the visible and tangible effect they have on the game itself, were harder for me to ignore. The Switch is my favorite system, and wherever and whenever possible, I choose to play a game on there – but this title marked one of the rare times I found myself wishing I could be playing it on something else, because as much as I like the Switch, it doesn’t feel like it was the right canvas for Platinum’s ambition. As mentioned, again, this is not as big of an issue as it could be, and most of the game maintains a steady framerate (and truly sells that aforementioned spectacle convincingly), but this is absolutely not the ideal way to play this game. I can only hope that a future Nintendo system will allow this game to really shine.

Issues and all, however, Bayonetta 3 is a spectacular game. If you’re a fan of the genre, this is a must play. If you’re a fan of the series, this is a must play. If you’re a fan of the kind of insane spectacle that the old God of War games had, but gave up with their modern entries, this is a must play. If you care at all about combat in video games, this is a must play. While it fumbles with the story, and frequently butts heads with its host system’s technical limitations, Bayonetta 3 is masterfully accomplished at all the things that matter, and all the things it needs to be great at. You’re doing yourself a disservice if you don’t check it out, warts and all.

This game was reviewed on Nintendo Switch.

Remember World of Demons, PlatinumGames’ mobile action title that it was working on with DeNA? It was slated to release in 2018 for iOS and Android but seemingly disappeared. However, shock of shocks, it’s now available on Apple Arcade and playable on iOS and tvOS. Check out the launch trailer below.

World of Demons sees players battling yokai as a samurai. While you can hack and slash to your heart’s content, it’s also possible to lead various yokai minions into battle. Various yokai can be utilized, each with their own unique abilities en route to battling the big bad Shuten Doji.

PlatinumGames had previously promised monthly balance and content updates with new playable characters, events and story chapters. It also touted in-app purchases but it’s unknown whether either of these features are still part of the game. Stay tuned for more details and impressions on World of Demons in the coming months.

Nintendo has unveiled its plans for Gamescom. The gaming trade fair kicks off in Cologne, Germany on August 20th, and starting then, up until August 22nd, Nintendo will be publishing videos showing new gameplay footage and sharing new information for several upcoming Switch titles.

These include Astral Chain (which releases days after Gamescom wraps up), Luigi’s Mansion 3 (which is due out in October), The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (releasing in September), Dragon Quest 11 S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition (also coming out in September), The Witcher 3: Complete Edition (which doesn’t have a release date yet- hopefully we get one at Gamescom), and Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

Other than these video, Nintendo will, of course, also have their own booth at the show. From August 20th to August 24th, several games will be playable at this booth. Other than the ones mentioned above, you can also get hands-on time with Pokemon Sword and Shield and Daemon X Machina.

With Gamescom right around the corner, stay tuned to GamingBolt for all the latest news and updates from the event.

BioWare – Anthem

Say what you will about Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age: Inquisition and even Mass Effect Andromeda – on some level, all of those games had something going for them. Not so in the case of Anthem, which released in a horrible state and probably has the worst post-launch support of any games-as-a-service title yet. It’s not the terrible loot drops, boring combat, lack of customization, barren end-game or plentiful glitches that gets us – it’s that BioWare, famous for some of the best RPGs ever made, couldn’t even string together a decent story to tell.

If you haven’t already bought some licensed games by Activision on PSN or other digital platforms, time has run out for you. Without any warning, a dozen Activision games, including Marvel Ultimate Alliance and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, have been delisted from the PSN Store, presumably because Activision’s license has run out, as noticed by the astute folks on ResetEra.

Other games in this batch include Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5, Deadpool, Ghostbusters: The Video Game, Transformers Devastation, and The Legend of Korra. The good news? If you purchased the games already, you can re-download them at any time. If you have them downloaded, you can play them without issue.

Sadly this is the kind of thing that happens with licensed games all too often. If the games were still in print, Activision would have been forced to recall any copies still in inventory; that said, these games are too old for that to be a consideration.

At least for Marvel fans, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 is due out exclusively on the Nintendo Switch later this year. You can see the full list of delisted games below:

• Angry Birds Star Wars
• Chivalry: Medieval Warfare
• Deadpool
• Ghostbusters
• Marvel Ultimate Alliance
• Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan
• The Amazing Spider-Man 2
• The Legend of Korra
• Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5
• Transformers Devastation
• Transformers: Fall of Cybertron
• Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark
• White Night

The latest Nintendo Direct was packed full of surprising announcements, and one of those was Platinum Games’ Switch exclusive action title Astral Chain. Shown off with an excellent looking trailer that showcases an interesting setting and some typically excellent action combat, Astral Chain has looked like an exciting prospect from the little we’ve seen of it. Now, thanks to developers Platinum Games having added the game to their official website, we have some interesting new details on the game’s story, setting, and how it will play.

Astral Chain, as we already know, will take place in a cyberpunk setting, in the Ark, which, as per the developers, is “a massive, prosperous, multicultural city”. The Ark is beset by the appearance of dimensional gates, which sees the city being attacked by “dangerous alien creatures”. We’ll be playing as a rookie officer in a special task force of the Ark’s police force, called Neuron, who’ve been tasked with taking on the alien threat head on.

You’ll be doing that with the aid of Legion, which is a “special living weapon”, with whom you’ll be solving cases across the Ark and attempting to fight back against the alien threat. Interestingly enough, you’ll be taking control of two characters at the same time – presumably the rookie and the Legion, but the game’s page doesn’t say that specifically – to make for some “thrilling Synergetic Action”.

It’s all sounding very interesting, in very typical Platinum Games fashion. With Astral Chain scheduled for a release on the Switch on August 30th, there’s bound to be a lot more details released on the game in the coming months, so stay tuned to GamingBolt for all the latest updates.

In related news, Astral Chain and Bayonetta 3 might not be the only Platinum-developed games that are in line for a Switch exclusive launch. If recent reports are to be believed, the previously-cancelled Scalebound might be getting revived by the studio and Nintendo as a Switch-exclusive title. Read more on that through here.

Given that Nintendo has made it a habit to revive previously announced titles that entered development hell or limbo for a variety of reasons — they previously did it with Bayonetta 2 and Devil’s Third — it should have come as a surprise to no one when we reported earlier today that Nintendo may be looking at reviving a “dead and buried” game as a Switch exclusive.

However, just what the exclusive may be may surprise you. According to a report by Nintendo Insider, citing “sources”, the “dead and buried” game Nintendo is reviving is none other than Scalebound, the Platinum Games developed action RPG that was exclusively Xbox One bound before Microsoft pulled the plug and cancelled it. It’s unclear in what capacity this new Scalebound, should it exist, will resemble the older one—remember, the Switch is far less capable as hardware than the Xbox One—but it may be that Nintendo and Platinum are working on reviving at least the core conceit of an action RPG surrounding dragons with the game.

The very interesting thing here is that Microsoft no longer owns the Scalebound IP, so that’s not a consideration getting in the way here either. For what it’s worth, former Platinum Games executive JP Kellams registered his skepticism about the report being true on Twitter.

We’ll just have to wait and see whether or not there is any veracity to this rumor. Until then, Switch owners have the excellent-looking Astral Chain, which launches on the console later this year, to look forward to, if nothing else. 

Shit. I don’t know. I don’t work there anymore and haven’t talked to anyone about it, but I’d highly doubt this is a thing. https://t.co/lM1iypFzwy

— JP Kellams (@synaesthesiajp) February 18, 2019

Yusuke Hashimoto, the director of Bayonetta 2 and Star Fox Zero, who also worked on the first Bayonetta as a designer, has left Platinum Games as of January 31st. He made the announcement on Twitter yesterday, confirming his departure from the studio after a thirteen year-long tenure, saying that he’ll be taking his experience there and using it on “whatever I work on in the future”.

What impact his departure will have on the ongoing production of the upcoming Bayonetta 3 is currently unknown. Besides a teaser trailer that announced the game back in December 2017, there haven’t been many updates on the game’s development. Recently, however, during their Direct presentation, Nintendo confirmed that development on the action title was coming along well.

Nintendo of America’s Bill Trinen has also suggested that Bayonetta 3 could launch earlier than expected – maybe even as early as later this year. Read more on that through here. Meanwhile, Platinum Games are also currently working on another Nintendo Switch exclusive, the recently announced cyberpunk action title Astral Chain.

An announcement from me: pic.twitter.com/aXPUfJY6sp

— 橋本祐介 Yusuke Hashimoto (@yusuke8shimoto) February 15, 2019

Platinum Games had teased that they would have a lot more stuff coming for 2019, and while many may have hoped that that would be referencing Bayonetta 3 or Babylon’s Fall, both of which are previously announced Platinum Games projects, the developer ended up throwing a curveball, and announced something entirely new today.

The game is called Astral Chain, a cyberpunk action game supervised by Hideki Kamiya and directed by Taura Takahisa, the director of NieR Automata. It looks utterly bonkers, with some high octane Platinum action, some great character design from Masakazu Katsura (of ZETMAN / Video Girl Ai / WINGMAN fame), and a very intriguing premise that I assume won’t go anywhere, because that’s just how Platinum’s games often are.

The best part is that it’s out this year. In fact it’s one of the few games to get a definite release date at the Nintendo Direct today- specifically, August 30 this year. Make sure to check out the trailer to witness its insanity for yourself.

Bandai Namco has announced that Nier: Automata’s 2B will be available in Soulcalibur 6 on December 18th. As a DLC character, 2B can be purchased standalone, but is also included with the Season Pass. There are quite a number of benefits that you will get along with the popular android.

Along with 2B-themed parts and stickers, players will also receive access to an additional costume. 2B will also gain additional weapons, while the game’s background score and a themed stage are also included with the package. From what we’ve seen of her moves thus far, 2B’s moveset is a pretty faithful recreation of that seen in NieR: Automata. Even the faithful Pod is along for the ride.

Soulcalibur 6 is currently available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. As for Nier: Automata, it will receive a special Game of the YoRHa Edition in February 2019. This will include the base game, the 3C3C1D119440927 DLC, four pod skins, and a Machine Mask Accessory.

Stand ready for battle: @NieRGame’s 2B will bring her blades to the stage of history on December 18th! Get your copy of @SOULCALIBUR VI: https://t.co/MRVo8jf5nX pic.twitter.com/5y4FZ4BwFy

— Bandai Namco Europe (@BandaiNamcoEU) December 13, 2018