Bayonetta 3

Bayonetta 3 closes out the long-awaited trilogy of the stylish action series about a witch fighting both angelic and demonic forces, this time on a far more cosmic scale -- the multiverse is under attack from an entity called Homunculus, destroying parallel worlds one by one, and Bayonetta must team up with alternate versions of herself to prevent the destruction of her own reality as well. Visually, the game travels across exotic locations from Chinese mountains to Tokyo streets and decaying alternate realities, giving the story a grand, genre-crossing tone.

The core of the combat system stays true to the series' trademark lightning-fast dodge, Witch Time, which slows time on a perfect evasion and opens a window for a devastating combo, but the game adds giant summonable Demon forms -- monstrous shapes Bayonetta temporarily transforms into, letting her wreck entire city streets and take on giant enemies at a kaiju scale reminiscent of Japanese monster movies. Controlling the Demon forms happens alongside controlling her own character, so the player must keep an eye on two bodies at once and find the right moment to safely shift focus. A newcomer to the roster of playable characters is the younger Bayonetta, named Viola, armed with a sword and her own demonic companion, with a different, more aggressive fighting style than the title heroine -- instead of dodging, she relies on precisely timed blocking, demanding a different rhythm and different habits.

Like the rest of the series, Bayonetta 3 is aimed squarely at an adult audience due to its violence, sexualized stylized character design, and dark themes; for more sensitive players it also offers an optional mode that tones down the most explicit elements. Technically it is one of the most ambitious titles on Switch, attempting massive set-piece scenes at the cost of occasional compromises in resolution and frame rate. Critics praised the boldness of the boss fights and the sheer scope of content, though the story and ending divided fans of the series with its exposition and the controversial resolution of the title heroine's fate. Today Bayonetta 3 is seen as a divisive but unmissable conclusion to one of the most distinctive action franchises around.