I often have to keep reminding myself that Bayonetta 2 was originally a Wii U game.

While I owned and loved that console dearly, it was here and gone again in a blink of an eye and its library soon merged over to the Switch, finding a more natural home there for the most part.

So Bayonetta 3 is the first – possibly last – instalment for a twelve-year-old franchise, built from the ground up on Switch and it regularly shows. On OLED the game absolutely sparkles with sparse deserts, glistening lava, explosive action and colossal encounters that just defy the imagination.

It’s an absolute wonder in handheld form, one of the very best looking games on the hardware, though it does tend to pixelate and breakup a bit when docked. No doubt, this is a game best played snuggled up under the duvet in the long winter nights ahead.

This is a full-blown out sequel in every sense of the word. One that fulfils ambition, that charts new directions, that freshens up everything and modernises a game and systems that were cutting edge back on the Xbox 360.

And it does all this in a very Nintendo way. Where Bayonetta 2, I personally felt, was more of the same with some expanded elements, Bayonetta 3 really embraces its exclusivity to craft a game that feels right at home in the house that Mario built.

That seems quite a statement for a franchise that is absolutely full of sexual innuendo – and for those worried that may be missing, it’s certainly not – but this time Platinum and Team Little Angels have gone beyond the standard move from one Verse screen to the next, fighting waves of enemies, and explored their creativity to the full with new possibilities.

For instance, in one moment you’re fighting in a typically Bayonetta way, gunning down facey-creatures, pulling off Witch Time and dazzling with a couple of combos. The next you’re trying to steer a train around a confined circuit to make sure you hit a series of switches at the same time.

Then there’s swinging between buildings like you’re Spider-Man and a random game when you’re suddenly in the clouds acting like it’s bath time and hitting enemies with bubbles.

I am just scratching the surface here, trying not to be too spoilery, but there’s even side-missions in between the usual fare which presents things from a whole other perspective. With these sudden, swift changes, the game kinda feels like a WarioWare, a compilation of short, snappy, yet great games smashed into one.

It may also surprise you to learn that Bayonetta 3 is less linear that its predecessors. While certainly not open-world, you can go off the beaten track a lot more during your mission, finding moons, cards, and collectables to fill out your collection. Some require big jumps, some necessitate you to drop behind cliffs for secrets.

And the other big change is that this is a game played from multiple perspectives. Bayonetta, of course, is front and centre, but you sense there may be a changing of the guard in the future with Jeanne reprising her role from the first two games, and a new face for the franchise, Viola, joining in the action. Each playing very differently from the other.

What is very clear is that the ambition of this game far exceeds the others, which certainly goes some way to explaining why Kamiya and his team have spent many years working on it behind closed doors. To the point where I would say Bayonetta 3 is like a series reinvention.

And to me, that’s what makes this the best in the series. From a gameplay perspective, this is much more enjoyable than anything that came before it. Well, aside from the aforementioned train sequence, that can do one.

This is a game full of experimentation, some things work far too well and you want to see more of them. Some are serviceable and make sense within the context of the story. Some do miss the mark.

The important thing to note is the game doesn’t just try to recreate more Bayonetta like the sequel did. It gives us more, it unlocks the potential in unimaginable ways and where before it wasn’t always clear how there would be a sequel, after playing Bayonetta 3 you can easily see future franchises and spinoffs for years to come.

Especially since the characters core abilities are also noticeably different, with Viola not able to pull off Witch Time, but still having her own distinct abilities, using a katana to deflect attacks and darts to attack from range.

The differences are accentuated further with new playable and interchangeable Infernal Demons. Where before Bayonetta would summon them during a Climax or in special scenarios, you can actually bring them into the fray during battles now and even control them temporarily. These are also interchangeable at any point and can add something more to battle strategy with unique special abilities that work well against some, not others.

These changes are all made possible by really bringing the multiverse into the storytelling this time. It’s certainly a popular concept these days, with the MCU really delving into that with their storytelling as well as many other games and movies, but it’s always been a present element in Bayonetta as well.

New characters can pop up, as well as variants. But there’s also familiar faces, too. If you remember Rodin would often delve into a portal to retrieve a new weapon or treasure when brought into the Gates of Hell, and so, unsurprisingly, this is now at the forefront of the narrative here, really letting players see what he’s been seeing all these years.

Of course, we’ve also lost a few people, too. Hellena Taylor is gone from the franchise – which is a whole story in itself – and in their place is the rather brilliant Jennifer Hale. I think the most impressive thing is how well Jennifer does with a role that’s been defined by Taylor over many years. There’s a change, no doubt, and it will take a minute to get used to – some may never – but within a scene or two, I really dug Hale’s take on Bayonetta and thought it came across really well.

The other VO’s also do really great work here, bringing life to their new characters and keeping things suitably authentic Bayonetta with others. Yes, Enzo is also back.

And even in the gameplay, familiar haunts return like Rodin’s shop, which is actually a lot easier to navigate with less to wade through and more clearly defined options. It also includes the option to save in between sections which certainly breaks things up a bit.

Bayonetta 3 is more approachable in that sense. And, in a way, it very much serves as its own standalone game, despite there being a lot in here about good, evil, dark, light, and umbran witches which many people may not fully be able to interpret or grasp.

While I certainly wouldn’t say don’t play the first two games as both are considered among the very best in the genre, Bayonetta 3 is special and stands apart as a whole other evolution and reimagining. For me, it’s not just the best of Bayonetta, it may be among the best work Platinum have ever done. And I adore Astral Chain, which may or may not get a reference in here too.

Verdict

Bayonetta 3 is, in the words of Rodin, beautiful! It’s the sequel you’ve been waiting for, with some smart experimentation, clever gameplay evolutions, and variety for days that just keeps interest levels up throughout. Not every Verse works the way Platinum hoped, and through and through, this is very much a Bayonetta game so won’t be for everyone, but for the rest of us, you’ll revel in every facet and find this one of the most stunning games to put on your Switch OLED.

It feels both strange and relieving to say Bayonetta 3 is finally here and it really was worth the wait.

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Pros

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Bayonetta 3 is exclusive to Nintendo Switch

Played on Switch OLED

Code Kindly Provided by Nintendo