Bayonetta Origins Review: Sometimes Different is Better

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is the latest installment of the Bayonetta franchise, which made its debut in 2009. The new title is a spin-off prequel that aims to tell the story of how Cereza, a young and inexperienced Umbra witch, became the powerful combatant we know as Bayonetta.

In contrast to previous entries to the series, Bayonetta Origins offers a much more casual and grounded gameplay experience within an imaginative new world, similar to popular strategy RPGs like The Legend of Zelda. The new title emphasizes problem-solving within the game’s rich narrative as opposed to the heavy-handed combat and gore we have seen in mainline Bayonetta installments.

While Bayonetta Origins is a far cry from what long-time fans have come to expect from the franchise, the new title accomplishes all that a spin-off aspires to achieve with effective yet enchanting sound design, a compelling narrative, a new and refreshing art style, and ample opportunities to exercise problem-solving both in and out of combat.

Sound Design

The voice acting and music throughout Bayonetta Origins serve as key components in building the world in which Cereza’s story takes place. Imbued with the childlike wonder of the young and naïve witch, Cereza’s voice effectively emotes her happiness and curiosity just as well as it conveys her most profound fears. From a player’s perspective, Cereza’s dreams and insecurities can be felt deeply as her voice lilts and shakes throughout the trials set before her. Voice acting like this manages to place the player in the shoes of a child whose greatest wish is to save her mother, and Bayonetta Origins accomplishes this feat with ease.

The spin-off also incorporates an enchanting soundtrack befitting for the journey of an Umbra Witch. Drawing musical inspiration from Celtic cultures, the orchestral soundtrack for Bayonetta Origins quite literally sets the tone for a gameplay experience that can only be described as magical. At its best, the game’s sound design flawlessly captures the whimsical nature of Cereza’s world. However, there is just one glaring drawback; the soundtrack is not present during the bulk of Cereza’s journey. While the chirping of crickets and rustling leaves are perfectly appropriate for the young witch’s adventure through Avalon Forest, incorporating the soundtrack might have added a greater sense of wonder to otherwise mundane tasks.

Score: 4.5/5

Narrative

Cereza enters Avalon Forest under the Chapter 2 title: Into the Unknown. — Screenshot by N4G Unlocked

The narrative of Bayonetta Origins fittingly follows the structure of a tattered and well-loved storybook. The game opens with a recurring dream in which Cereza attempts to free her mother from where she is kept imprisoned, but something sets this particular dream apart from the others. This time, she is met by a mysterious boy who calls out to her, insisting that she goes to Avalon Forest where the White Wolf will guide her. Narratively, this dream sets the stage for what’s to come, although its execution is standard and rather unoriginal.

Fragmented into 13 chapters, Bayonetta Origins follows Cereza as she endures the harrowing trials that stand between her and her imprisoned mother. However, the inexperienced Umbra Witch does not yet have the confidence and abilities of the Bayonetta we’ve come to recognize as the face of the franchise. Because of this, Cereza must look both within and without to find the strength that will enable her to save her mother, accepting the reluctant help of her demonic familiar, Cheshire.

Cereza’s origin story is compelling and, at times, heartbreaking. Despite the weaving together of whimsy and tragedy, Bayonetta Origins is ultimately rather predictable. This is both a pro and con when it comes to this prequel, as we already know Cereza’s fate. In any case, the predictability of the story does not remove the weight of its inevitability, and it’s still easy to get lost in the defining adventure of Cereza’s youth.

Score: 3.5/5

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Art Style

Cereza walking on a rope of vines to cross between two cliffs in Avalon Forest — Screenshot by N4G Unlocked

Bayonetta Origins introduced an all-new art style to the franchise with its storybook aesthetic. From the game’s opening, the player is immersed in a world comparable to Grimm’s Fairytales, where demons, faeries, and mandragora roam free. In fact, players will surely run into these magical creatures on their journey as the young witch, Cereza, but encounters with demons and the fae are of much smaller concern than the low quality of the game’s imagery.

Visually, Bayonetta Origins makes use of some stunning scenery, and the newly introduced art style captures the magic of Cereza’s origin story wonderfully in most cases. However, the graphics of the game are not impressive. While this can be accredited largely to the lesser capabilities of the Nintendo Switch system, there was certainly some room for improvement in design quality.

Much of the terrain within Avalon Forest can be difficult to distinguish during later hours of the day in-game—especially if the player’s Nintendo Switch system utilizes a lower brightness setting. This makes it tough to navigate the game very early on in the story, as Cereza first enters Avalon Forest at night. Because this is the player’s introduction to the game’s primary location, brighter and better-defined visuals would have strengthened the quality of the player’s experience. Given the game’s aesthetic, vivid and glowing objects used to light paths would not have been out of place within a magical location such as Avalon Forest. Unfortunately, the game’s fairytale-like art style lacks in-game practicality, falling flat when it matters most.

Score: 2.5/5

Problem-Solving

While previous Bayonetta titles have heavily relied on combat to drive the story forward, Bayonetta Origins has strategically placed combat on the back burner. Instead, problem-solving takes precedence as players must command both Cereza and her familiar, Cheshire, to defeat enemies and solve puzzles within Avalon Forest. In a huge way, this is not only appropriate within the context of Cereza’s origin story, but it’s also necessary.

While the amendment is sure to disappoint long-time fans of the Bayonetta franchise, Bayonetta Origins places Cereza’s childhood at the forefront of the story. As a young Umbran Witch, Cereza worries that she will never be strong enough to save her mother. With the help of Cheshire, however, Cereza’s powers improve as she ventures through the forest and powers through each trial in search of her strength.

Apart from serving the narrative well, the opportunities for problem-solving in Bayonetta Origins are thoughtful and stimulating. Traversing Avalon Forest with Cereza and Cheshire could not have been made more fun.

Score: 5/5

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Verdict – Sometimes Different is Better

All in all, Bayonetta Origins is a solid and refreshing new entry to the Bayonetta franchise. Combining elements of childlike wonder and magic that we have not yet seen from Bayonetta, the powerful witch’s origin story provides overdue enrichment to the series. The spin-off prequel offers meaningful and heartfelt insight into how and why Cereza became the version of Bayonetta made popular by the franchise nearly 14 years ago. This installment is capable of drawing fans, both new and old, into the fantastical world the iconic Umbran Witch calls home.