Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon

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Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon
Once upon a time, there was a young witch named Cereza... This is her story...
Protagonist(s): Cereza Cheshire Genre(s): Action-Adventure Puzzle Platform(s): Nintendo Switch Release Date: March 17, 2023 Developer(s): PlatinumGames Publisher(s): Nintendo Country: Japan Series: Bayonetta Predecessor: Bayonetta 3 (by release date) Successor: Bayonetta (chronologically)

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is an action-adventure/puzzle game developed by PlatinumGames and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. As the title implies, it is a prequel to the Bayonetta trilogy, set 600 years before the first game.

Why It Isn't Lost at All

1. The shift in gameplay from a stylish hack-and-slash platformer to an action-adventure puzzle game was handled very well, and shows how Bayonetta's Umbran powers grew and changed as she matured.
2. As the title suggests, the two main characters you play as are a teenage Cereza (the original Bayonetta) and the demon known as Cheshire, the latter of which is bound to Cereza's plush toy due to her hair not being long enough yet. Each character has a different playing style to help them explore the Avalon Forest:
   • Cereza can't attack her foes directly, but can use her Umbran magic to Thorn Bind them so that Cheshire can take them out, and can also make Umbran Roses bloom by casting a rhythm-based spell.
   • Cheshire can attack his foes in Unleashed Mode using his claw swipes, bites, and elemental techniques once he obtains the four Elemental Cores (Wood, Stone, Water, and Fire), or help Cereza move more quickly while regaining his Mana power in Hug Mode. However, he can't stand rosemary, which is toxic to Infernal Demons, so Cereza must help him find another way around those plants.
3. Controlling both Cereza and Cheshire at once, with the left Joy-Con controlling Cereza and the right one controlling Cheshire, is decently-executed (much better than Astral Chain) and is also good for multiplayer or single-player.
4. As always, the graphics are phenomenal, and this game utilizes a storybook aesthetic for character and setting designs.
5. You can concoct items for Cereza's use at Sanctuaries, along with taking a rest to save your game and teleporting to any Sanctuary in Avalon Forest.
6. The game's main enemies, Faeries, are just as creative in design and attacks as the Angels, Demons, and Homunculi before them. This time, they take their names from Celtic mythology.
7. You can unlock and upgrades for Cereza and Cheshire using Avalon Mirrors' skill trees, provided you have Onyx Roses (Cereza) or Avalon Drops (Cheshire).
8. Lukaon, aka the White Wolf, plays a much bigger role in this game in that Cereza and Cheshire must follow him to each of the Elemental Cores. It also serves as possible foreshadowing for how Bayonetta and Luka Redgrave become an official couple in Bayonetta 3, despite being poorly executed in that game.
   • You also get to fight him towards the end of the game, in a werewolf form that resembles Strider once he absorbs Cheshire's powers.
9. A major side quest throughout the game is saving the Wisps, souls of humans who were killed by the Faeries. You can then view them at the Wisp Playground having fun thanks to Cereza's rescues.
10. Late in the game, there is a shocking plot twist that Morgana is Lukaon's mother and Queen of Avalon.
11. After beating the main story, you gain access to a secret chapter where you play as Jeanne and the demon possessing her plush doll Charles. It also features the return of Singularity from Bayonetta 3 as the final boss.

Qualities That Got Lost

1. Cheshire himself is unlikable throughout Puca's Fortress saga, to the point where Cereza even decided to abandon him and explore the place herself. Thankfully, when Cereza uses her braid as a bandage for his paw, he does start to warm up to her.
2. After being largely absent from Bayonetta 3, the storybook cutscenes once again go back to being still images. While it does fit in with the storybook aesthetic the game goes for (just like the comic book cutscenes from Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.), some fans may be baffled by this decision.
3. Plot Hole: How did a chunk of Singularity make it to Cereza's past when she and Gomorrah clearly killed him in Bayonetta 3?
4. Some fans dislike this game due to poor taste of sexism for Bayonetta.

Reception

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon received "generally favorable" reviews from critics and users, according to review aggregator website Metacritic (scoring 80/100 and 8.6/10, respectively).

Triva

• Thus far, this is the only Bayonetta game to receive a T rating instead of the usual M rating.
• It's the only Bayonetta game on Switch to run at 30 fps rather than the usual 60 fps.
• The story as a whole references Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, with Cereza even gaining an outfit based on Alice's iconic blue dress and Cheshire getting a mad top hat.

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