Angel Summoning

Lore & Background

Set within the Trinity of Realities—comprising Paradiso (angels), Inferno (demons), and the World of Chaos—the narrative of Bayonetta 3 centers on a multiverse threatened by man-made bioweapons called Homunculi. Led by an entity named Singularity, these forces seek to destroy all alternate universes to conquer the realms. Bayonetta, also known as Cereza, returns as the protagonist alongside Viola, a witch-in-training. Unlike previous conflicts where angels were the primary foes, this story sees Bayonetta and Viola fighting against Homunculi while navigating a multiverse where alternate incarnations of themselves are hunted by Singularity's vessels. The lore reveals that Singularity is actually the Alphaverse's Sigurd, an artificial human who impersonated his counterpart to gain absolute power.

In Their Own Story

The conflict escalates when Viola watches her universe's Bayonetta die fighting Singularity, inheriting her remaining power before escaping via a world bridge to New York City. There, she joins forces with the original Bayonetta and Jeanne as Homunculi attack the city. To stop the multiverse collapse, they travel to Thule, an island serving as a gateway between universes, to collect Chaos Gears. Along the way, Bayonetta pursues alternate versions of herself who are protecting their worlds; each is killed and absorbed by Singularity's vessel, which views them as 'Arch-Eve' incarnations capable of influencing reality. In the climax within the Alphaverse, Singularity kills Jeanne and traps Bayonetta. However, aided by Viola, Luka (who transforms into Arch-Adam), and the spirits of her fallen counterparts, Bayonetta defeats Dark Adam and finally destroys Singularity with a final Demon Summoning.

Reader's Guide

Combat in Bayonetta 3 relies on two new mechanics: 'Demon Slave' and 'Demon Masquerade.' The 'Demon Slave' system allows players to take direct control of an Infernal Demon, utilizing their specific attacks and special abilities which vary depending on the demon controlled. This differs from the 'Climax Summon' in previous games where demons were temporary summons. 'Demon Masquerade' enables Bayonetta to fuse with a summoned demon, granting her new magic-based attacks and traversal options. A new playable character, Viola, utilizes these powers differently; she can only activate Witch Time through parrying, and her demon familiar, Cheshire, cannot be manually controlled by the player. When Viola summons Cheshire, her fighting style shifts from sword-based to fist-based. Additionally, a 'Naive Angel Mode' is available to conceal nudity and graphic enemy designs during gameplay and cinematics.

Did You Know?

• The game was released on October 28, 2022, for the Nintendo Switch after being announced in December 2017.
• Series creator Hideki Kamiya served as supervising director, while Yusuke Miyata directed and Yuji Nakao produced the title.
• Bayonetta's original voice actress, Hellena Taylor, was replaced by Jennifer Hale following a payment dispute.
• By March 2023, Bayonetta 3 had sold 1.07 million units worldwide.
• The new 'Naive Angel Mode' specifically conceals displays of nudity, such as dances used to summon Wicked Weaves.