After years of waiting,Bayonetta 3is finally being released this October exclusively for Nintendo Switch. The game has been the subject of much skepticism surrounding its development since it was first announced in December 2017, with many fans wondering what took the much anticipated follow-up to 2014’sBayonetta 2so long to release. Much of the longevity ofBayonetta 3’s development can likely be attributed to major changes within Platinum Games in recent years, as well as the cancellation of its Xbox One exclusive gameScalebound.
This connection withScaleboundseems to run a lot deeper than many fans realize, with much of the game’s staff and ideas seemingly making it into Platinum’s latest character action game. In many ways, it seems likeScalebound’s cancellation might have influenced much of what fans will see inBayonetta 3.
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How Scalebound Led To Bayonetta 3
Scaleboundwas first announced in 2014 as an Xbox One exclusivedeveloped by Platinum Games and directed byDevil May Cry,Viewtiful Joe, andBayonettacreator Hideki Kamiya. The game was intended to be Platinum’s first foray into the RPG genre (which would later come to fruition with 2017’sNieR: Automata) and would follow a young man known as Drew as he commands a dragon known as Thuban through a fantasy world. From gameplay footage released, Drew seemed to play similarly to other Platinum Games protagonists likeBayonetta, though the game’s combat would implement more RPG elements and focus heavily on the player’s ability to command the dragon during combat.
Scaleboundwas unfortunately cancelledon January 9th, 2017 after a tumultuous development cycle that saw the team struggling to implement the game’s online features and make a four-player co-op mode for the title as promised. This, alongside struggles with Microsoft, caused the project to fall apart.
That leads toBayonetta 3. WithScalebound’s cancellation in January 2017 andBayonetta 3’s subsequent announcement in December of the same year, the team at Platinum seemingly got right back on its feet after a devastating development cycle. This is especially evident in the fact thatBayonetta 3’s director is none other thanScalebound’s lead designer, Yusuke Miyata, with Hideki Kamiya returning in an executive producer role as he begins work on his next directorial title,Project G.G.
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What Bayonetta 3 Lifts From Scalebound
Nowhere doesBayonetta 3have most in common withScaleboundthan in its recently revealed gameplay mechanics. It seems Platinum has adapted many elements from its canceled Xbox One title, with the most obvious being the newly introduced Demon Masquerade mechanic. This sees Bayonetta summoning one of her Infernal Demons mid-gameplay while issuing commands and changing Bayonetta’s combat style. The game’s new character, Viola, even shares some similarities toScalebound’s Drew. When she was first teased, fans speculated that she might have even been the protagonist from the canceled game.Viola wields a sword and is able to summon and command demonsduring combat while also using advanced platforming mechanics.
While it’s even more impressive that Platinum Games was able to manage translating this from Xbox One hardware to the Nintendo Switch, it’s exciting to see that fans of the studio will finally get a chance to try this exciting gameplay mechanic in one of the studio’s flagship franchises. Furthermore, it’s comforting to see that even ifScaleboundnever resurfaces,Platinum Games is intent on reusing its ideas in future titles going forward.
As for whetherScalebounditself could resurface in any way, shape, or form, it remains to be seen. Hideki Kamiya has left the possibility open for a reboot of the project, claiming that Microsoft still owns the rights to the title andeven outright calling for Xbox head Phil Spencer to discuss reviving the titlewith the studio. There is certainly a possibility that Platinum and Microsoft could come to an agreement at some point for the future of theScalebound, but for now it’s just exciting to see its ideas being reused inBayonetta 3.
Bayonetta 3will release exclusively for Nintendo Switch on October 28th, 2022.
