I thought Bayonetta Origin: Cereza and the Lost Demon was a great film, but I was also concerned about the gameplay for Cereza and Cheshire. After spending a few hours establishing the duo's journey, it becomes clear that PlatinumGames paid attention.
In Bayonetta Origins, you don't have to sit down and talk about Cereza and Cheshire simultaneously. A series of routine chores explains why the young Cereza is training under the Umbra Witch Morgana and is tempted to explore the Avalon forest. She'll be accustomed enough to her actions by the time they're ready. And, just in case they aren't, you spend a bit of time alone before Cheshire makes his appearance.
PlatinumGames' handling of Cereza and Cheshire was shockingly pleasant. Actions are straightforward and tend to be easily identified with L, R, and ZR.
With Hug Mode, Cereza can carry Cheshire in a stuffed animal mode with a tap of the L button and send him back out by hitting R. However, the level design in these early stages is such that it's never difficult to keep track of both characters' movements at the same time.
In Bayonetta Origins, the gameplay makes managing both relatively painless. Cereza is often danced to deflect an opponent's attention with magic. This could be done as a brief rhythm game, or you could send her to deflect an enemy to focus on others.
Even though this is a highly stylized game, Cereza and Cheshire both look strikingly distinct. Very easy to notice details early on, such as what can be seen as an item that can be engaged with, hazards, and enemies
It's great to see how true the term "approachable" is in the marketing for Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon. Especially since there are other games that have explored this concept and mechanic and executed it poorly.
On March 17, 2023, Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon will be released for Nintendo Switch.
