Here’s a closer look at Bayonetta 3 gameplay, where you can change the difficulty at any time

As promised, Nintendo put up an extra video after the Direct

During this week’s Nintendo Direct presentation, Bayonetta 3 made a brief appearance, essentially reminding us that it exists, and will finally arrive on October 28, 2022. However, there was a promising line about getting a more in-depth Bayonetta 3 gameplay video later on, which you can now watch here, or below.

A full breakdown of the post-Nintendo Direct Bayonetta 3 gameplay video:

• After a quick intro to the character, we get a look at some of Bayonetta’s traversal skills and enemy types. Homunculi will be some of the cannon fodder, and the “ease” of the combo system is highlighted, with a focus on accommodating new players. The Witch Time mechanic returns, which rewards players who perform perfectly timed dodges with a temporary time slow ability. The video reiterates that the better the dodge is timed, the more Witch Time you’ll be able to work with.
• Infernal Demons can be summoned, which serve as companions in battle. The video notes that “Bayonetta is vulnerable when summoning,” which brings a punish-like consideration into play. When summoned, demons constantly consume your [purple] magic meter. Proper play will involve oscillating between your abilities and demon summon use.
• Bayonetta can “transform her appearance” with the demon masquerade mechanic (that phrase also ties into why the special edition is called the “Trinity Masquerade Edition”). It’ll also grant extra abilities, which include more damage and a bigger moveset. Demon traversal skills are shown off too, like gaining extra jumps via butterfly wings, or crawling around and swinging on webs as a spider. The video also hints that secret areas can be reached this way, like in prior games.
• You’ll be scored once again after each stage, with point considerations for combo efficacy, verse [encounter/portions of a stage] time, and damage dealt.
• The video also goes into detail regarding Viola, the “mysterious witch in training, who is a key to the game’s story.” She’s an additional playable protagonist, and can use Witch Time through blocking attacks in a timed fashion. Chesire, her personal demon, can be summoned. But unlike Bayonetta, she can’t use Witch Time while it’s out, and she “fights barehanded.”
• We even got a look at the game’s various menus, which include options for a gallery, online rankings, play history, training mode, a save feature, and a difficulty select screen. You can change the difficulty at any time, between casual, standard, and expert. There’s also a “special accessory” you can use called the Immortal Marionette, which can “perform combos and defense automatically by pressing punch and kick repeatedly, but penalizes battle results when used at standard or higher difficulty.” It’s very similar to the “easy automatic” difficulty some action games have used throughout the years, including the Devil May Cry and Bayonetta series.

Chris Carter

Reviews Director, Co-EIC – Chris has been enjoying Destructoid avidly since 2008. He finally decided to take the next step, make an account, and start blogging in January of 2009. Now, he’s staff!