Bayonetta 3 finally got a gameplay trailer and Nintendo thanked fans for their patience

We’re coming home in 2022

Today’s Nintendo Direct ended with the game we’ve been waiting to see for too long. In Yoshiaki Koizumi’s own words, “We announced this game in 2017, and we thank you for your patience. This game will launch next year.” Why yes, it’s none other than Bayonetta 3!

“After what seems like 500 years, we’re proud to finally show the trailer,” said Platinum.

The main upgrade for Bayonetta 3 — or at least the first big one we’ve been privy to after finally getting a three-and-a-half-minute glimpse of this long-awaited Switch game — is the Demon Masquerade ability, which lets Bayonetta take control of beefy demons.

More than anything, I’m most stoked about the continuation of this wild, witchy world. We love this studio for its top-tier action gameplay, and I’d put Bayonetta in that bucket. I also really like the story, which seems like it’s ~going places~. I need to consult the lore.

I have no real doubt that Bayonetta 3 will be another sweet game for action fans, and I trust in Platinum, but at the same time, this showing didn’t do much for me.

The big demon clashes are an interesting focal point, and I get why Nintendo would want to point at them for this showcase, they just don’t seem all that fun — so far, anyway. Granted, we’re missing the wider context, and we don’t know how prevalent this stuff will be in comparison to everything else the game is cooking up, so I’m trying not to judge too harshly here. As a show closer, even just as a “Bayonetta 3 trailer,” I’m underwhelmed.

It’s nice to have this reveal out of the way — so we can all finally chill for a bit — and I look forward to seeing more footage in the lead-up to the 2022 launch.

What do you think the shadowy tease at the end is getting at? And how do you feel about Bayonetta’s new look? Bayonetta 2 is a tough act to follow, and I’m rooting for Bayo 3.

“We’re in the home stretch of development right now, working on making the core of the game even more fun and test playing nonstop,” said director Yusuke Miyata. “As the culmination of this series loved by all of you, we’re giving our all to make it a masterpiece worthy of the name Bayonetta so please wait and anticipate just a bit longer!”