Bayonetta 3 launched on the Switch in 2022 and received high praise from critics, but it’s fair to say that the reaction from long-time fans was decidedly more mixed. Criticism was raised against the title’s more approachable gameplay, lacklustre stealth segments, disappointing visuals, and more, and it apparently had quite the effect on series creator Hideki Kamiya.
Speaking with VGC, Kamiya said that seeing how folks reacted to Bayonetta 3 was a “perplexing experience”, noting how fans’ ideas of what a Bayonetta sequel should look like didn’t necessarily align with what developer PlatinumGames wanted to achieve.
“What I saw with those games was that, as each one was released, the fans’ idea of what Bayonetta is, and what a sequel should be, grew stronger.
“That created a gap between what we at Platinum wanted to do and what fans expected from the now firmly established image of Bayonetta. It was a bit of a perplexing experience for me seeing how fans reacted when Bayonetta 3 was released.”
He goes on to say that with the upcoming Okami Sequel – which Kamiya is working on at the new studio CLOVERS – he’s trying to think “more deeply” about what fans might expect from the game.
“So I don’t necessarily mean to fight that with the new Okami game, but it’s something that I’m trying to think more deeply about how to approach. It’s a very different kind of challenge compared to creating an original title.
“The one thing that I can say about making the Okami sequel is that it’s extremely fun. And just judging by the atmosphere of the office, I think everyone feels that way.”
It’s all a learning experience, right? We’re definitely optimistic about the Okami Sequel, and we’ve no doubt that it’ll at least be a worthy sequel to the 2006 original. Target platforms have not yet been announced, but we’d be surprised if the team, along with publisher Capcom, doesn’t have the Switch 2 in its sights.
Meanwhile, Bayonetta developer PlatinumGames is currently finalising work on Ninja Gaiden 4 for the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
