Though it does not have an official release date set yet, Bayonetta 3 is still on many players' minds, especially series creator Hideki Kamiya. Recently, Kamiya took to Twitter to remind fans that if they want to enjoy Bayonetta 3 "100 times more" then they should revisit Bayonetta 1 and 2, leaving many to infer that the previous two games are going to inform the upcoming third entry more than had been previously anticipated.
While it wouldn't be unusual for Kamiya to build hype about the upcoming release of Bayonetta 3, which fans hope will be sometime this year, it is odd that he would feel compelled to remind fans about replaying the previous games twice. After all, this wasn't the first time Kamiya had told players they would enjoy Bayonetta 3 more if they had played its predecessors, as earlier this year in an interview with IGN Japan he said the same. From what's known so far, the current theories from Bayonetta fans, and now Kamiya's advice to boot, there could be a better picture of what to expect from Bayonetta 3.
What's Known So Far
Little is known about Bayonetta 3 in terms of the story despite there being ample footage to showcase some of Bayonetta's new combat mechanics and the changes from previous games. However, a huge part of the latest trailer gave a few big clues as to what fans should expect from the game: the enemies, a new mysterious character, and Bayonetta herself. For a start, not only do these enemies appear neither demonic nor angelic, but unlike in previous games, humans are able to see them, leading to a war-torn Tokyo as soldiers attempt to fight off these "monsters" to no avail. Not much is known about them at the moment, but many theories are suggesting that they could be hybrid or artificial creations of some kind or something altogether new from beyond Paradiso and Inferno collectively.
Not much is known about the mysterious figure seen at the end of the trailer, either, but some fans believe it's the same figure who appeared in the teaser in some fiery purple phantom-like form. Some sharp-eyed fans noticed the paw print on the hilt of the figure's sword too, leaving some to suspect that much how Bayonetta is able to shape-shift into animal forms, this figure will parallel this in some way. But one prevailing idea is that this individual is in some way connected to Bayonetta's past, as they are bringing in another theory sparked by Bayonetta's apparent redesign. Bayonetta's new hair is uncannily similar to the younger version of herself all the way back in the first game, which is what first prompted speculation that the Bayonetta players will see in Bayonetta 3 is actually an alternate timeline version of her.
Going Back To Replaying Bayonetta
Overall, there are clearly a lot of unknown variables at work, and with little else to go on fan speculation will always run wild with ideas. However, when lensed by the fact that Kamiya has twice now requested that players revisit Bayonetta 1 and 2 in order to maximize their enjoyment of the upcoming third game, it seems like there's going to be some greater connection between the first two games and the third. Kamiya confirmed as much in the same IGN Japan interview, explaining that Bayonetta 2 had been designed to be a game that could be enjoyed by everyone, even if the first game hadn't been played, leaving it open to new players to join the series. Bayonetta 3, however, appears to be breaking ranks on this.
The big question then is which part of the first two games' stories will continue on to inform Bayonetta 3. Fans believe the smart money is on the idea of an alternative Bayonetta timeline, as the series has heavily used the concept of time travel by either taking Bayonetta back in time or Balder and Cereza forwards in time. It is Cereza, a young child version of Bayonetta, that fans have zeroed in on, theorizing that her involvement in the events of the first game has led her down a different timeline to Bayonetta 3. While Platinum asking fans to replay the first two games could just be marketing considering that Bayonetta 3 has been in development limbo for some time, it could also be an effort to help set the stage for this theorized time travel story.
Bayonetta 3 will release in 2022 for Nintendo Switch.