- Publisher: Nintendo
- Release Date: Oct 28, 2022
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Nov 28, 2022Is Bayonetta 3 worth playing? If you’re already a fan, absolutely. Just don’t expect it to be the absurd larger-than-life addition than we all hoped it would be. If you’re on the fence about it – this isn’t going to be the one to change your opinion. The combat is still there, even if it is starting to rust up with age. There are still signs of that unhinged expressiveness the others are renowned for under the layers of bleak environments and flat out boring narrative. The whole thing can still often look colourful and eruptive, but is heavily anchored by the limits of the Switch – truly a cruel fate for what could be one of the craziest worlds to experience in a game if Platinum Games would be set free to do as they please. It really is a shame, especially after such a long wait. It’s not a bad experience by any means, and it did have fairly unreasonable expectations to live up to, but it ended up falling rather short in just about every way. For any other series that might be satisfactory, but not for Bayonetta. It deserves better than just ‘good’.
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Nov 21, 2022Bizarre and badly paced, Bayonetta 3 let us capture the DNA and outline of a fun game with great replayability, but weighed down by a slightly too messy energy.
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Nov 18, 2022Bayonetta 3 boasts improved combat with unique weapons and stylish combos, but it falls flat in nearly all other aspects, resulting in a disappointing mess.
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Nov 9, 2022Ultimately, we’re left a little conflicted with Bayonetta 3. This is the worst looking and performing Bayonetta yet, with a grander scale that both detracts and adds to the gameplay. We love the fact that we can finally take control of fearsome demons, for example, but we don’t like the fact that the camera struggles when fighting other gargantuan enemies. Add in some other frustrations, and you have a game that sometimes feel like the best the Bayonetta series has to offer, but other times the worst.
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Nov 9, 2022Bayonetta 3 vastly expands its scope and has the biggest enemies and set pieces in the franchise to date, but in the midst of the bombastic action - along with some dubious gameplay and narrative choices - it loses a bit of its soul.
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Nov 8, 2022While its action and exhilarating set pieces shine, Bayonetta 3 ultimately feels like a subpar port of a great action game.
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Nov 6, 2022An entertaining action orgy that doesn't quite live up to its predecessors.
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Nov 1, 2022Bayonetta 3 is a good time when it allows itself to be. It consists of an excellent core experience buried under superfluous bilge, an otherwise quality experience interrupting itself to such a degree as to drag down the entire experience. The high notes are high enough to ensure a genuinely quality game, but the incessant sidetracking into mediocre stealth gameplay, mundane alternate characters, and half a dozen other deviations holds it back from being truly great. Thank god for trainsaws and spider women though, because they do a heck of a lot to keep this game entertaining.
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Oct 27, 2022Those diehards mentioned in the opener above will be happy to know that the level grading system is back, and locked to the higher difficulty setting, which ties into those that want to learn the intricate and subtly deep nature of things. For everyone else who’ll still be scratching their heads at the ludicrousness of it all, from go to whoa, at least you can rest easy on the idea that it’s okay to mash your way through here, and that for Bayonetta, this is all pretty standard stuff -- OTT served with a side of sass, sexuality and style.
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Oct 25, 2022When the witch takes charge, this demonic fighter is better than ever. After eight long years, PlatinumGames has delivered a sequel which successfully celebrates the series, although it does have problems with pacing and a split-focus.
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Oct 25, 2022Bayonetta 3 may not reinvent the wheel, but its lightning-fast action and engaging gameplay push the Switch to its limits.
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Nov 17, 2022When it’s firing on all cylinders, Bayonetta 3 serves as a confident reminder of why we’ve been looking forward to its release for so long. Unfortunately, the number of misfires can’t be overlooked, making this easily the least enjoyable game in the series.
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Nov 16, 2022There seems to be an apparent disconnect between what fans loved about Bayonetta and what Platinum thinks fans loved about Bayonetta. Whether it’s the story that feels compelled to make sure the entire cast is by themselves or the gameplay that overly relies on giant enemies, everything feels like it could have used another pass. The game is enjoyable but isn’t an experience I’d like to return to, like the first two entries of the series. This is disappointing as dancing with Bayonetta has always been a wonderful time before now.
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Oct 31, 2022For a game made by the same studio responsible for the previous two Bayonetta games, it’s strange how often Bayonetta 3 feels like a poorly made fan project. The story that has been built up has been thrown to the wayside to introduce a tired “multiverse” concept. All the confidence and character development has been completely scraped in favor of turning her into a loving motherly type character in constant need of saving. Wonky camera angles and visuals make it look like this game should have gone back into the over for another year. It’s playable and, at times, fun, but as part of a series, it’s quite possibly the weakest chapter.
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Nov 14, 2022Despite featuring what's arguably the best combat system in the series, Bayonetta 3 is nothing short of disappointing. Bayonetta's core gameplay is outstanding, weaving fluid controls together with incredible weapon variety and tons of fun mechanics to play around with. The combo potential is high and battles just feel great to play… as Bayonetta. An unforgiveable amount of playtime is dedicated to newcomer Viola, stealth segments that make poor use of Jeanne, and relentless gimmick stages that wear out their welcome immediately. Tossing in mediocre level design, lacklustre performance, and a flavourless story that panders towards the current multiverse craze, it's clear PlatinumGames has lost its magic touch when it comes to the Umbran Witch. Bayonetta 3 is simply mediocre, at best.
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| This publication has not posted a final review score yet. | |
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Nov 5, 2022Bayonetta 3 is chaotic, spectacular and as funny and changeling as you can expect from Platinum Games. Is a must have. [Recommended]
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Oct 25, 2022In all of the best possible ways, Bayonetta 3 is leaning into the parts of itself that are more earnest than ever—all while going harder than ever on doing whatever it takes to simply be cool as hell. If you're looking for a strong, coherent storyline, this was never the series for you. But if you are a fan of flashy spectacles, a varied and creative arsenal, and larger-than-life characters, Bayonetta 3 more than delivers.
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Oct 25, 2022Bayonetta 3 might not be as consistently brilliant as its predecessors, but when it's good it's next to godly; playing as Bayonetta with her entire suite of toys unlocked is as electrifying as it's ever been, a spectacle of sinewy combat and S&M excess that's uniquely, defiantly video games. It's so over-the-top that trying to make sense of it would be a mistake, and while the rough edges are a disappointment if you embrace the chaos there's a lot to love here. Bayonetta 3 is overstated, in parts underbaked - but it's rarely less than a thrill. [Eurogamer Recommended]
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Nov 4, 2022Platinum makes Bayonetta wilder and more unpredictable than ever, mostly for the better. [Quick Look]
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Oct 25, 2022I don’t know what to tell longtime Bayonetta fans about this game, let alone the newcomers hoping to come aboard with this installment. If all you care about is button-ramming combat that’s similar to Devil May Cry, you’ll have a ball. But if you ever wanted to believe that there was something deeper to Bayonetta’s story — some grander statement about femininity and sexuality and power dynamics — you’ll find the truth to be quite a disappointment. Viola did tell me at the very beginning of this game that it would reveal this fundamental truth to me. I only wish I could have lived in ignorance for a little while longer.
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Oct 25, 2022When Bayonetta first came out, everything about her — her extreme sexuality, the way she dressed, her exaggerated movements — became this incisive parody about female video game characters. Bayonetta leaned so hard into those old stereotypes of the male-gaze-defined video game heroine that they became her strength. Her sexiness makes her powerful. It’s right there in the text, because the harder she fights, the more naked she becomes. She delighted in this empowerment and so delighted me for a whole decade before the last 30 minutes of Bayonetta 3 erased all of that to fit her into the box she once stomped on in four-inch, gun-strapped heels back in 2009.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 419 out of 657
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Mixed: 86 out of 657
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Negative: 152 out of 657
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Oct 29, 2022Best Platinium Games Entry! Bayonetta is back with more weapons, demons, style, and charm.
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Jun 20, 2023
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Dec 21, 2022I dont really get all the great reviews, it's the worst game in the series by far.