After years of anticipation, Bayonetta 3 finally has a release date: October 28, 2022. If you’ve been eagerly awaiting a sequel ever since Bayonetta 2 debuted in 2014, your long wait is almost over. A new trailer finally told us when to expect Platinum’s upcoming Switch sequel, but it also introduced us to a few new gameplay elements — and an intriguing new character.
The “Bayonetta 3 – Release Date Revealed” trailer launched on Nintendo’s YouTube channel earlier today (July 13). It’s three-and-a-half minutes long, and covers a healthy mix of gameplay and cutscenes. While the release date is the big focus, there are a few other cool tidbits in the trailer, from Bayonetta’s new butterfly form, to the katana-wielding witch Viola.
Nintendo also put out a press release with some clerical information about buying the game. A standard edition of Bayonetta 3 will be available both digitally and physically. But at the My Nintendo Store, players can also purchase the Trinity Masquerade Edition of the game, which includes a 200-page art book and three reversible game cases, one for each Bayonetta title. The Trinity Masquerade Edition does not include copies of Bayonetta or Bayonetta 2, however.
The press release also includes some additional information about Viola, whom we saw in the trailer slicing bullets apart with a sword:
“In addition to Bayonetta, players will also control the feisty witch-in-training Viola, who is ready to unleash hell on the Homunculi with her sword and her capricious companion, the feline demon Cheshire.”
So far, Bayonetta 3 looks a lot like the first two games: a fast-paced, stylish action game with a big focus on unbroken combos and showy set pieces. In the trailer alone, we saw Bayonetta riding a giant spider, firing off shots from a moving train and transforming into a demonic butterfly. We have to imagine that the full game will include some even more bizarre moments.
The game also comes at an opportune time, as the 2022 game release schedule has been a little dry so far. Apart from Elden Ring and Horizon Forbidden West, we haven’t seen that many standout big-budget games this year. Bayonetta 3 could be just the thing for Switch players, who haven’t had a big exclusive action game since Metroid Dread last year.
