The recent trailer for Devil May Cry.
This trailer showed off an enticing new look at gameplay, as well as the long-awaited fall 2022 release date. Fans on Reddit were thrilled with the news, reacting over the impressive technical and visual feats it looks to achieve, the new character, and more.
Visually Pushing The Nintendo Switch's Limits
It's no secret that the Nintendo Switch is vastly inferior to the likes of Sony's PlayStation and Microsoft's Xbox consoles when it comes to hardware power, but developers have always used its form factor and artistic flair to make the console a surefire hit nonetheless.
Lighting and art direction work wonders for a game regardless of the hardware it's running on, and Bayonetta 3 is impressing on all fronts. Redditor Chinchillin09 was pleased with this new showcase, saying "Fluid, visually appealing, and gorgeous animation is all I wanted, looks like it's pushing the switch to its limits."
A Long-Awaited Release After Years Of Silence
There have been several video games that have suffered in development limbo, and Bayonetta 3 has been one of the more recent examples. The game was officially announced by Platinum Games half a decade ago, with near radio silence until Nintendo's fall 2021 Direct presentation.
Redditor BunnyTengoku was thrilled at the game's time finally coming, exclaiming "We went from 'there is no news' to 'HOLY S**** IT'S LAUNCHING IN OCTOBER.' This autumn is going to be lit! Can't wait." The first part of the comment comically references the daily Bayonetta 3 "there is no news" meme.
Excitement Over A Stacked Fall 2022 Game Schedule
Nintendo is known for packing its slate with games that prove to be major crowd-pleasers, and the release date trailer for Bayonetta 3 has gotten fans even more excited for indirectly related reasons. Redditor TheRoyalStig expressed excitement over what the publisher has in store for the rest of 2022, sarcastically saying "Dear lord. How the **** am I supposed to pick which of these **** fall games [to wait with] all the way into 2023 at this point?"
For Nintendo fans, it's an embarrassment of riches this year. Players have already dug into Pokémon, Xenoblade is just around the corner, and the fall is looking stacked yet again.
Comically Longstanding Pre-Orders
Bayonetta 3's gruelingly long development cycle and lack of news had become a meme over the years. The first two games were widely well-received and developed plenty of goodwill among the fan base, which has made the wait even tougher.
Redditor thebetabruh amusingly suggested how long a wait this was, saying "lol I've had this preordered back when Amazon still did 20% off video game preorders." The wait is almost over, and though it's been difficult, plenty of fans are comically taking it in stride.
Viola Looking Like An Amalgamation Of Beloved Action Characters
Aside from the anticipated return of the titular fan-favorite Umbra Witch, the release date trailer also gave fans a look at a new character in the series. Redditor JokerCrimson "Viola looks like someone mixed Nero, Raiden from Revengeance, and a hot punk rock girl together and I love it."
On top of being some of Capcom's best games, the acclaimed Devil May Cry series has cemented itself as one of the best action franchises in the industry, and part of that is due to its colorfully over-the-top characters. Nero has become a fan favorite since DMC4, and Bayonetta fans are happy to see Viola's design seemingly take a page from him.
Just Missing Out On The Bulk Of Halloween Season
Fans are certainly thrilled over Bayonetta 3 finally being just a few short months away, but some can't help but think that Nintendo only just missed out on the timing. Redditor Crazymangonemad32 said "I'm not sure why Nintendo keeps releasing its "Halloween" games at the end of October. I want to play as a witch during the spooky season."
The game is set to launch on October 28th, but the sentiment is understandable. It arguably would have been more festive for Nintendo to set Bayonetta 3's release date a week or two earlier to take full advantage of the Halloween season.
Delightfully Unapologetic Chaos
Part of what makes the aforementioned Devil May Cry series so beloved among the gaming community is its pure, unapologetic chaos and blend of edge with a campy atmosphere. As another prolific Japanese action series for a new age, Bayonetta has done well to highlight that bombastic tone while simultaneously carving its own identity in the process.
Redditor Dat_Boi_Teo was satisfied with the new trailer, saying "Looks as bat**** insane as you would expect from Bayonetta. Inject it directly into my veins." It's a testament to the series' quality that its popularity has endured through such a long development cycle, and Bayonetta's signature sense of style is a big reason for that.
Encouraging Second Look After Last Year's Trailer
The gameplay trailer from 2021's fall Nintendo Direct was showcased to expected excitement from starved fans, but some worried over the potential technical performance on the Switch from a game that looks to be fairly demanding.
Redditor TheRidiculousOtaku was impressed with this second look, saying that the "game looks much better than what we got last year. Performance around the giant Kaiju looks better as well." It's renewed some confidence in fans, and given the Switch's hardware limitations, it'll need every boost in performance it can get.
Proving The Doubters Wrong
After spending five years in development limbo, some thought for sure that the game wouldn't see the light of day in 2022, while others wouldn't put it past Platinum Games to cancel the project down the line. However, the optimists won the day after last year's gameplay trailer and especially after the release date trailer cementing its fall 2022 launch.
Redditor PhilosophicalPhil commented with a funny dose of sarcasm, saying "Shout out to everyone who said that this game was getting delayed out of 2022." To be fair, it wouldn't have been a surprise to see this pushed into 2023, but it's nonetheless satisfying to see this announcement.
Spontaneous Bombshell Announcements
Given the immense excitement and hunger for news surrounding Bayonetta 3 after going years without proper updates, many fans thought that featuring in a solo Direct or a more general one would've been fitting for whenever it made its grand entrance. And while last year's gameplay trailer did do just that, the recent release date trailer seemingly came out of nowhere.
Redditor The-student- funnily said, "Welcome back to 2020, where Nintendo's announcements can just be a Twitter drop." Nintendo certainly has opted for bizarrely timed marketing tactics before, and announcing Bayonetta 3's release date along with new gameplay out of the blue on Twitter is one of them.
