In many ways, Bayonetta 3 is PlatinumGames’ Grand Theft Auto 6. Although Bayonetta 3 has been confirmed for quite some time now, unlike GTA 6, the fan demand for it has been, at times, overwhelming. In fact, the director has been quite open about his displeasure with fan complaints concerning Bayonetta 3 after events like E3.

Now, with it officially getting an epic gameplay trailer, it seems that the wait has been well worth it. The trailer ended with Bayonetta 3 confirming a 2022 release date, though exactly when next year wasn’t stated. It could be that it’s a mid-to-late 2022 game and Bayonetta 3 is the exception to Nintendo’s “mostly releasing in Winter” window. Or, it could just be a stealthy way of suggesting that Bayonetta 3 is releasing before March 2022, which is the end of the upcoming “winter” window. Nothing official is known yet, but at the very least, there’s one thing fans should do.

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It’s Time to Play Bayonetta 1 and 2 Again

The simple truth is that, particularly for more casual fans, not too much about the trailer may have looked familiar. Sure, Bayonetta herself could be spotted a mile away and the enemies fit into similar aesthetics, but the world and all will have surely changed. The threequel could be taking fans in an entirely new direction, yet at the same time, it’s possible that past events will still impact the titular character. And, on the chance that it does, it may become apparent how long it’s been since some have played Bayonetta.

Bayonetta 2 was released in 2014, five years after the first game did in 2009. Bayonetta 3 is releasing roughly 8 years after the second game. This large amount of time between games isn’t necessarily uncommon nowadays, but as the third title in the franchise, it may be a bit harder to know what to expect going in if players haven’t recently checked out either time. Even something like the Bayonetta series, especially as the first game has been hailed as one of the best games of all time, is subject to the flow of time.

The good news is that both games are widely available, with the original Bayonetta even getting the remaster treatment back in 2020. Now, it could be that fans don’t need to play Bayonetta 1 and 2 to pick up Bayonetta 3, as the latter could offer a thorough recap or take the story in a completely new direction, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. More Bayonetta is never a bad thing, and it is a good way to pass the time until more information regarding the threequel becomes available.

Bayonetta 3 releases in 2022.

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