Bayonetta 3 Reviews
But these issues didn’t really impair my enjoyment of the game. It would take a lot more than this for me to not have fun with a Bayonetta game. I think they’re worth remarking on, especially if Platinum is planning to continue the series. I’m not sure Bayonetta 3 will ever feel as special to me as the original was, but it’s still wonderful in its own way. I’m glad to have it after such a long wait.
Bayonetta 3 takes what worked about the first two games and continues to refine it, from the balletic combat, to the diverse assortment of wacky characters, to the snarky sense of humor. Aging Switch hardware means that the performance is uneven, however, and the difficulty curve can sometimes swing a little too far toward “punishing.”
Platinum Games' latest full throttle action romp is a spectacle of hyper-feminine ultraviolence, writes reviewer Chad Sapieha. Read more.
Bayonetta 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.
Bayonetta 3 has a lot of issues, especially in terms of story, but is well worth playing for the core combat. While the game seems to be doing its best to get you away from that, once you're fighting, there's nothing like it out there.
Bayonetta 3 is an over-the-top thrill ride from start to finish, with incredibly fun gameplay that outshines its few shortcomings.
Bayonetta 3 is an outrageous and fitting return to form for the umbra witch and her posse of occultish heavy hitters. Substantial improvements and additions to combat mean there are seemingly endless options for different styles of play, as well as making the prospect of revisiting each stage, verse and hidden objective more compelling than it ever has been, with the crowning jewel being Viola’s introduction into the franchise.
Platinum's strutting witch returns with expanded combat and the same delirious lack of restraint
Too much game is never a bad thing for some 'pennies to enjoyment ratio' players, but Bayonetta 3 overstays its welcome and dips from being an all-time classic to just being a very, very good video game. It's not the all-time top five Switch game that I think it might have been with a few different decisions here and there, but it's still a must-play title.
Where many western games yearn to be seen as the height of sophistication, craving the critical kudos of an HBO drama, Bayonetta 3 stands defiant in its absurdity. Like its predecessors, this is destined to go down as a cult classic – a dizzying dance of demon-dicing delight. Its crude, whiplash-inducing narrative means it certainly won’t be for everyone, but the best things in life rarely are.
Bayonetta 3 is the series’ best entry yet, offering an engaging universe-hopping story, bombastic cinematic moments, and refined action that’s both accessible and deeper than ever before.
Whether or not you enjoy this game is dependent on what you’re expecting from it. In the world of hypersexual, campy, insane action games, this sets a new standard. Every successive boss fight raises the bar, the action is always intense, and it oozes charm. There’s more move variety, the characters are beautiful, and the tone is impossibly over the top. If you’ve bounced off of Bayonetta games before, I can’t promise this time will be different. The pacing and core gameplay loop remain largely intact. But for fans of the franchise, Bayonetta 3 is easily as good as it gets. If you loved the first two games, you’ve got to check out this one.
Bayonetta 3 undoubtedly ranks among the best action games around, and is one of the most ambitious projects to emerge from the forges of PlatinumGames. Such weight makes the technical realisation creak, itself constrained by Switch's limitations, yet the end result is a feast for all fans of these games and the charismatic Cereza.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Everything about Bayonetta 3 is ridiculous – from the dimension-hopping storyline to the devastating finishing moves and the Infernal Demons you can possess. But that’s exactly what fans have come to expect from the franchise, and it makes for an exhilarating experience that only Bayonetta can deliver. It’s hard to see how anyone could leave disappointed; just remember to take a breather every now and then.
With hysterical excessive action, Bayonetta 3 is unlike anything else. Even the predecessors are in the lee. The adventure constantly surprises with new elements and mighty battles, but not always to the good. On the one hand, the whole becomes fragmented and uneven, and on the other hand, the Nintendo Switch does not really mess with the developers' ambitions. But a damn entertaining action game it is nonetheless.
Review in Swedish | Read full review
Bayonetta 3 is an ode to the longtime fans who’ve stuck with the game since 2009. While it’s certainly not without its obvious flaws and missteps, I can’t imagine that fans would be very disappointed with how this third, explosive entry has turned out.
It's impossible not to fall under spell of Bayonetta 3. More extravagant, frenetic, rich, varied and with even more monstrous and epic bosses, the game is the franchise at its best. However technical weaknesses, the few underwhelming environments and the readability issues can't counter the avalanche of the superlatives. A dance mastered without almost any misstep and a must-have on Switch.
Review in French | Read full review
Bayonetta 3 cranks up the chaos, improves the combat, polishes the level design, and adds a ton of new mechanics to the mix, making for the very best entry in this storied series to date. PlatinumGames has absolutely nailed it this time around, carefully layering on more ways to engage enemies, piling on the OTT gameplay sequences, and giving us multiple protagonists without upsetting the balance of what makes these games amongst the very best examples of their genre. With excellent performance in docked and handheld modes, incredible visuals, non-stop action, and a hugely replayable campaign that's a joy from start to finish, this really is a huge celebration of everything we love about Bayonetta, an action all-timer and one of the biggest highlights of 2022, on Switch or any platform.
Bayonetta 3 is pure Platinum again.
Review in Italian | Read full review