Bayonetta Origins hands-on: A charming tale of a witch and her demon cat
Even though Bayonetta 3 just came out last fall, there’s already another entry in the franchise due out in March starring everyone’s favorite gun-toting witch. However, for its next release – Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon – instead of a continuation of the story, PlatinumGames has created a prequel featuring a charming new art style and gameplay twists that shed light on a younger version of Cereza, before she became the over-the-top enchantress we know today.
After a short explanation of Bayonetta’s lineage, the game introduces its first major twist when it asks you to control both Cereza and her stuffed cat Cheshire, who serves as a vessel for a recently summoned demon. That’s because instead of switching between each character independently, you’re meant to control both at the same time, with the left Joy-Con responsible for maneuvering Cereza while the right Joy-Con is dedicated to directing her cat. (Don’t worry, you can also play the game with the Switch’s Pro Controller if you prefer.) So on top of the game throwing various puzzles or hack-and-slash encounters your way, you often have to do battle with your own mind as you try to get both sides of your brain on the same page.
For me, this setup drew immediate parallels to one of my favorite games from 2013, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. (Sorry youngins for the somewhat dated reference, but if you haven’t played Brothers, you should really give it a go.) Granted, Brothers is much more of a true puzzle platformer, but even after playing it for less than an hour, Bayonetta Origins delivered the same sort of deeply satisfying solo co-op vibes. Also, while Nintendo claims the title is meant to be a single-player experience, I get the sense that this might
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