Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon Reviews
A peculiarly pitched spin-off that has almost nothing to interest Bayonetta fans and instead offers an Ōkami Lite experience that is so undemanding it almost seems to run on autopilot.
Bayonetta Origins sometimes feels like an idea half explored. In combat two sets of fists are better than one, but adventuring never ignites in the same way. There’s a level of invention and style we’ve come to expect from the studio, but this isn’t quite Pure Platinum.
This cutesy origin tale replaces the guns and sex appeal of the original action series with fairies and cuddly toys
Bayonetta Origins is a sub-par experience marred by sloppy combat and only somewhat redeemed by an incredible visual style.
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is a prequel to the Bayonetta games. The game offers a different kind of gameplay than usual, but can certainly be considered entertaining. It may be aimed at a younger audience, but both fans and newcomers will have a good time.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is a fantastic and unexpected entry in the Bayonetta series. It has all the hallmarks of an experimental title from Platinum Games but sadly lacks the over-the-top action they have become synonymous with alongside their genre mixing. What is on offer is a charming tale with a unique art style, an addictive world to explore, and acceptable combat. It may feel initially daunting to series fans, but will soon warm to those willing to take a gamble on a Bayonetta title that feels more like a different title, wrapped in Bayonetta lore and namesake.
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is a weird beast. It’s a pretty decent game, with a neat level of presentation, and a nice change of pace from the tryhardish action seen in the main games. However, it’s also a game I simply cannot recommend at the suggested retail price.
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon brings with it a mixed bag of elements. While I enjoyed my time with the game overall, it does have some sizable shortcomings. Any player more interested in gameplay than the story should probably think twice about picking it up. At the same time, those who wish to experience a well-executed tale about friendship and overcoming one’s fear set in a unique, dark fairytale world may want to pick it up, as long as they can accept a few bumps in the road.
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is a fresh dawn for the franchise, spinning expectations on their head to great effect. It's a bright and charming storybook blast!
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is a delightfully stylish origin tale that sees young Bayo take her first steps on the road to becoming the badass Umbra witch we all know and love. This is a graphically stunning fairy tale with plenty in the way of atmosphere and charm. However, long-term Bayo fans beware, it's also a game that's aimed squarely at a young/casual audience, introducing plenty of fun puzzle and combat mechanics but never really evolving them to a point where they become in any way challenging. Repetition creeps in later in the game and, although it ends with some bombastic sequences and a few nice shoutouts to the main series, it feels like a little more challenge and experimentation in puzzles and combat could have made this one absolutely essential for all ages.
Even with some tricky controls, Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon offers a charming adventure with surprisingly satisfying solo co-op combat.
Bayonetta Origins shows a great new side of the Umbral Witch, in a tale that's heartwarming as it is enjoyable. Combat and puzzles are a great one-two punch, but Cereza's restricted role and Cheshire's unfaltering nature undermine a little of the former.
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is a well-made metroidvania spinoff, with solid - if not particularly imaginative or complex - gameplay. Targeting a younger audience through easy gameplay and a fairy tale aesthetic places it in an awkward spot within the rest of the franchise.
I wanted to love Bayonetta Origins. And I do, sort of. This is a beautiful game set in an enchanting world. You get a deeper look at the troubled past of a fascinating character. Everything is fed through this fairytale lens, one that cranks up the charm and wonder. The writing is whimsical, the art design is impeccable, and the mechanics are terribly clever. But the game loses something in its execution. Repetitive design and breezy challenges kept me curious, but not compelled. Still, this is a unique, unusual experience. If it’s fairytale wonder and whimsy you’re looking for, then Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is what you need.
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is, despite a few small issues, a pleasant title that tries to introduce the reach of the series to a brand new audience.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
It's a welcomed change of pace for the Bayonetta series that not every fan will find as fulfilling as the main games, but as a smaller project bursting with heart and creativity, Bayonetta Origins is a fun, charming diversion.
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is a really fun metroidvania and a possible new franchise in the making but dragged down by an awful map system that does more harm than good.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is a nice prequel that mixes storybook with elements of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons and suggestively parallels the Metroidvania genre, including a high focus on combat, by being much more linear than this. But there are many things providing the game to be a must-have. The main reason for that is the low aspiration for being at least half-way tough, especially in terms of fighting.
Review in German | Read full review
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is a quirky little diversion from the main series. Replacing swift combat with slow-paced exploration and puzzles, it's quite a different attraction. I love the storybook illustrations and narration, and exploring the atmospheric Avalon Forest with Cheshire's various abilities was great fun. Issues with the forest's discouraging mazelike map and the simplistic combat are easily trumped by the oodles of character and charm offered by this whimsical spin-off.
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is one of the most visually impressive games that I've ever played. It may not offer much of a challenge but its undemanding gameplay will allow you to more easily appreciate its gorgeous storybook world.