The name “Bayonetta” paints an extremely clear picture in our minds: a Cherry sexy, with a tight leather suit, very long hair and weapons in hand.
Yet there was a time when our heroine was just a frightened, parentless girl haunted by the memory of her imprisoned mother.
Telling us about this Cereza is the task of Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demonthe prequel signed PlatinumGames that will land on Nintendo Switch on March 17, 2023.
The title was announced just a few months ago, during The Game Awards, and it quickly warmed the spirits: players wondered if it was indispensable, if it made sense and how Bayonetta could ever marry such a delicate and watercolor art style far from what we are used to.
To find an answer to these questions, we previewed it for a couple of hours and now we’re ready to share our first impressions with you.
Bayonetta Origins – Cereza and the Lost Demon: previewed
Cereza is the fruit of a forbidden relationship, the one between a Witch of Umbra and a Sage of Lumen. A relationship that, as you may have already guessed, does not culminate in a happy ending.
It is with this sad story that Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon opens.
Image after image, slide after slide, the game shows us a woman imprisoned in a dark place and a devoted daughter who sneaks in to visit her until, one day, the woman is transferred to an unreachable place.
Cereza is thus placed in the care of Morganawho acts as a strict mentor and caring parent.
Days go by and our heroine seems intent on learning all she can from her austere teacher, listening, obeying and training night after night.
However, a dream changes everything: a mysterious figure invites her to venture into the Forest of Avalon in search of a wolf, promising her in exchange the powers necessary to free her mother from her captivity.
Cereza gives in and, under cover of darkness, leaves Morgana’s castle to enter the dense forest that had been forbidden until then.
Alone? Not exactly. A little accident with magic allows her to summon a powerful demon who, in order to survive, takes possession of his Cheshire puppet.
One step to two
Cheshire is not only a friendly presence but a real co-star.
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon thus re-proposes a dynamic that we had already learned to appreciate with titles such as Brothers: A Tale of two Sons.
In practice this translates into clear assignment of the two Joy-Con: with the one on the left you control Cereza, with the one on the right Cheshire. At first being able to coordinate the movements of both will not be easy but the title tries to introduce the different mechanics gradually, giving you time to practice and practice so as to never be overwhelmed by information and movements.
Once you learn the basics, you will be able to manage the two protagonists both in the exploration parts and during the fights, creating a series of combos that will make your life a little easier. Cheshire, who can transform into a giant wild beast in an instant, can use her claws to destroy enemies while Cereza and her bramble binding manage to block her fearsome Fairies to give her partner time to destroy them .
It’s an unusual pairboth in appearance and in character. On the one hand we have the very young witch in her little black and red dress, who moves in a dance step and is easily frightened, on the other we have a nameless demon who looks like a giant stuffed animal patched over and over again, aggressive and ready for anything to stay alive.
Two opposites that work and who, with their skills and peculiarities, manage to solve environmental puzzles and defeat the fairies within the Land of the youngdimensional faults that transport you to another place and often require a little wit.
To help you in all this there is an additional game mechanic: lbeast mode and hug mode. “Belva” allows Cheshire to transform into a real demon, gaining autonomy compared to Cereza, while “Embrace” brings your adventure companion back to its original size, so you can literally hug your puppet and continue together.
It seems trivial but in reality the alternation of these two modes will be essential to continue in the game.
Cores and skills
Bayonetta Origins still has one more trick up its sleeve: the elemental cores, that is, orbs that you can feed to Cheshire and which allow him to gain new powers.
The demon will thus be able to alter its shape to solve new puzzles and be even more effective in clashes.
Cereza for her part can also count on a useful skill tree and the possibility of using the game currency and the Luna Pearls to acquire new skills.
The heroine can also create items, potions and upgrades that will undoubtedly come in handy during your adventure.
Delicate and charming
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon ci ha ricordato un po’ Child of Light: the watercolor brushstrokes give shape and life to the characters and the world around them, making everything more fabulous and enchanted.
The feeling is that of being in a delicate, fascinating and colorful universeeven when night falls.
It’s definitely an unusual approach to the series but it works and catches the player’s eye, without ever feeling out of place.
The tried of Bayonetta Origins – Cereza and the Lost Demon: conclusions
Two hours are certainly not enough to judge a video game but at least they allow us to say that Bayonetta Origins – Cereza and the Lost Demon has dispelled our perplexities. We are not dealing with a filler or an attempt to ride the success of the franchise, Origins is the result of a desire to expand the saga, to give it further depth and to attract a whole new audience.
Maybe it won’t be a game for everyone but we are sure it can give pleasant hours of fun to those who want to give it a chance.