Cheshire attacks with the right trigger and Cereza can trap enemies in thorns with the left. That slow-build structure doubly applies to Bayonetta Origins’ combat. That’s exactly the kind of feeling a good adventure game needs to keep the wonder alive from start to finish. The initially simplistic exploration has become much more engrossing the more I’ve played, and I’m already itching to see what Cheshire’s next two forms can do. That setup makes for an adventure game that excels at momentum building, but also requires some patience to enjoy. Each ability is like several Zelda items in one, so the game significantly evolves every time I grab a new one. That ability has several uses too, as it lets the demon smash through unstable floors, break rocks, block lasers to let Cereza safely pass sections, ground-pound springy platforms, and much more. At the end of chapter 5, I gain Cheshire’s second form, which turns him into stone. The more abilities I get, the more I can interact with parts of the forest I previously thought were just set dressing. Image used with permission by copyright holder So far, I’ve used it to break open resource-carrying objects, drag train cars to solve platforming puzzles, carry bombs to break rocks, and more. When equipping that by simply pressing the Y button, I can use his vine-like tongue to grab objects. The first one I’m tasked with collecting gives the demon a grass form. Those two ideas are actually linked, as each elemental sphere grants Cheshire a new form complete with various new powers. Like Link in previous adventures, the duo here need to hunt down elemental MacGuffins hidden within loose dungeons and acquire abilities along the way. Controlling two characters at the same time can always be a challenge, and it definitely takes some getting used to here, but the idea has already made for some clever environmental-puzzle solving. Cereza’s Witch Pulse power is mapped to the left trigger, while Cheshire’s attacks and abilities are on all on the right Joy-con. At any time, I can separate the two and control each on the left and right stick. Once it opens up, I’m traveling around the woods with my cat demon, Cheshire, who can be controlled independently alongside Cereza. The more I play, though, the more I’m delighted to discover a full-fledged traditional Zelda game with a unique twist. The early hours have me repeating that action a lot to grow plants that reward me with resources or build platforms. The bulk of Cereza’s toolkit early on revolves around Witch Pulse, an object-altering spell that’s completed via a simple button-timing minigame. At first, it seems like a short narrative adventure about a little witch wandering through a spooky forest with some simple controls and puzzles.
That’s because Bayonetta Origins takes its time to show what it really is. I’m not sure that I fully know the answer to that after five chapters, but I can confidently say that my tune has changed with each passing chapter. As I listened to a young Cereza run around the woods shouting in a squeaky voice, I kept asking myself, “Who is this for?” Its opening chapter is an odd culture shock, as the world of Bayonetta is presented like a cute fairy tale complete with a storybook presentation. For fans of the series, that fact might be hard to get over initially.
Bayonetta origins cereza and the lost demon series#
The use of IP is admittedly baffling here, as the M-rated series about a witch who gets naked to cast spells is turned into a straight-up children’s game. On paper, Bayonetta Origins is a baffling project, and that left me with sour feelings as I began the game. With its striking visual style, rewarding exploration, and a distinct battle system that takes a little time to get fully cooking, Bayonetta Origins is already feeling like the kind of game that’ll totally surprise players that go in with an open mind. That’s because the deeper I’ve gotten, the more I’ve had that Okami feeling while playing it. After playing five chapters (a sizable chunk) of the unusual Bayonetta spinoff, I’ve found myself hooked on an adventure game that I had nearly written off within its first 10 minutes.
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