Bayonetta Origins: Cereza And The Lost Demon Release Date, Trailer, And Gameplay - What We Know So Far

After roughly eight years of waiting, fans of the "Bayonetta" franchise were treated to the release of 2022's "Bayonetta 3," which had critics saying the same thing regarding its extravagant action gameplay. The continuation of the titular Bayonetta's story and the addition of new mechanics, such as the Demon Slave attacks, were met with praise as well, and some fans may be wondering if another eight years will keep them from the next entry in the series. 

However, "Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon" was announced at the 2022 Game Awards. This entirely new adventure for the franchise is once again being developed by Platinum Games, published by Nintendo, and will focus on who the young Cereza was before she began going by the name Bayonetta. Fans didn't even have to wait three years just to learn about this new game — which was the case for the announcement of "Bayonetta 3" back in 2017. In fact, fans won't even have to wait long at all before they can play "Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon" for themselves. Here's what we know so far.

"Bayonetta 3" was released on October 28, 2022, and, less than six months later, "Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon" will arrive on March 17, 2023. Of course, as one could safely assume due to Nintendo's name on the game, the title will be available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch when it arrives. Pre-orders for the game are already live, and while the game may be more of a spinoff title, it will still cost a full $59.99. 

It's interesting to see Platinum Games not only release a new "Bayonetta" game so soon after "Bayonetta 3," but based on the ending of Bayonetta's third outing it didn't seem as if fans could be expecting more from the series.

This doesn't seem to be the case for series creator Hideki Kamiya, however. In an interview with IGN, Kamiya said, "I personally can't conceive the Bayonetta series ever ending. I want to make a Bayonetta 4 and Bayonetta 5, and I intend on pitching them to the company. We often talk internally about how we could make nine of them." It seems that if Kamiya gets his way, fans craving more Bayonetta will have nothing to worry about.

At the moment, the only trailer for the game is its announcement trailer from the 2022 Game Awards. The trailer begins with a quick and brief timelapse of some key events from the "Bayonetta" trilogy as viewed through the pages of a book while a ticking clock is heard. As the pages of the book flip back through time, the title "Bayonetta Origins:" appears, and the game's unique art style is revealed. Additionally, Bayonetta is now a young girl and is going by her given name, Cereza. 

The flipping pages, water color-esque visuals, and even the lilting song that begins playing in the background all evoke a fairy tale-inspired setting for the title. Cereza is even cautioned, as many fairy tale children are, not to enter the forbidden Avalon Forest. As the trailer continues, however, we see that she does venture into the forest before being attacked by nefarious-looking foes. However, Cereza manages to accidentally summon a demon into the body of her stuffed toy Cheshire, and the unholy entity proceeds to help her fight her way through the woods.

Near the end of the trailer, an unknown voice speaks to Cereza saying, "I will give you the power to save your mother." It's unclear what type of danger Cereza's mother is in, but saving her is likely the primary goal for players throughout the game.

Details on the game's combat are a bit sparse, but snippets from the announcement trailer show action-focused combat of the demon Cheshire smacking enemies to and fro. According to the official Nintendo Website's description of the game, Cheshire isn't simply a summon like the Demon Slave attacks in "Bayonetta 3." Instead, players will assume control of both Cereza and Cheshire for combat and puzzle solving. 

As the site states, players will, "Use the Left Joy-Con controller to move Cereza and bind enemies with her magic. With the Right Joy-Con controller, move Cheshire to slash and chomp foes." It sounds like Platinum Games is continuing to experiment with unique ways to shake up the action in Bayonetta titles.

While the game doesn't feature any multiplayer, the sharable nature of Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons combined with this game's two controllable characters could provide a unique, couch co-op experience for those that wish to venture through Avalon Forest with a friend. Additionally, the game's Teen ESRB rating also makes it easier to share the game with others without the need for the Naive Angel mode of "Bayonetta 3."