This connection with Scalebound seems 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 like Scalebound’s cancellation might have influenced much of what fans will see in Bayonetta 3.
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How Scalebound Led To Bayonetta 3
Scalebound was first announced in 2014 as an Xbox One exclusive developed by Platinum Games and directed by Devil May Cry, Viewtiful Joe, and Bayonetta creator Hideki Kamiya. The game was intended to be Platinum’s first foray into the RPG genre (which would later come to fruition with 2017’s NieR: 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 like Bayonetta, though the game’s combat would implement more RPG elements and focus heavily on the player’s ability to command the dragon during combat.
Scalebound was unfortunately cancelled on 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 to Bayonetta 3. With Scalebound’s cancellation in January 2017 and Bayonetta 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 that Bayonetta 3’s director is none other than Scalebound’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 does Bayonetta 3 have most in common with Scalebound than 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 to Scalebound’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 demons during 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 if Scalebound never resurfaces, Platinum Games is intent on reusing its ideas in future titles going forward.
As for whether Scalebound itself 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 and even outright calling for Xbox head Phil Spencer to discuss reviving the title with the studio. There is certainly a possibility that Platinum and Microsoft could come to an agreement at some point for the future of the Scalebound, but for now it’s just exciting to see its ideas being reused in Bayonetta 3.
Bayonetta 3 will release exclusively for Nintendo Switch on October 28th, 2022.
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