It doesn’t take an observant person to realize that there are a lot of open-world games out there. You could even undersell it a bit by stating that open-world titles make up a large part of our gaming world right now. Even the titles that start as basic RPGs, FPS games, and so on soon invest in open-world aesthetics because they know that people really gravitate to those titles. Look at the latest mainline games from 343 Industries and FromSoftware for proof of that. But, then, there’s a game like Bayonetta 3, which has big worlds but not exactly open-world content.

That being said, a new report from journalist Imran Khan has noted that this wasn’t the case initially. Instead, at first, PlatinumGames wanted to fuse what they had done with Astral Chain into Bayonetta 3. To recap, the former title had a large city where you could do various side quests. You would also help free people from the infections that the natural world caused them. Doing these would boost your character, give you more items, etc. It seems natural to do that with the Umbra Witch’s world, given that you wander around it anyway to find all the “verses” for battles.

However, over time, things kept “falling apart.” First, the pacing was a big issue with the semi-open-world content, and eventually, Nintendo had to step in to scale it back. It also didn’t help that the extra content overtaxed the Nintendo Switch, which, as many are more than happy to note, isn’t the best console in terms of graphics and processing power.

While PlatinumGames didn’t get to make all the additions they wanted, the game’s big sets are loaded with collectibles. From trading cards and other “insights” into the world to the Umbran Tears that you can use to unlock more parts of the level and chests that can deliver various items/rewards, you have a lot to do.

The lack of open-world aesthetics didn’t seem to mind the critics and fans. Bayonetta 3 got rave reviews, and fans can’t stop talking about it online. They praise the story, the action pieces, the variety of the title’s weapons and moves, and so on. Naturally, we won’t spoil anything, but there is a lot to love in the game. Not to mention, PlatinumGames went full ham and fanboy on specific elements that you have to see for yourself.

The game is available right now on Nintendo Switch.

Source: Nintendo Everything