This change affects the game’s rating, as instead of a bombastic, titillating, and expressive adult fighting giant demons, it features a younger and less experienced version of the character who goes through a more whimsical and storybook-like adventure. The ESRB’s website has given Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon its rating before the game’s release on March 17, which gives fans an idea of what to expect from the spin-off in terms of violence and other elements during gameplay.

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The ESRB has given the game a T-rating, which is a departure from the last three games which had all been rated M for Mature. The Bayonetta series had these ratings beforehand due to its violence, blood, and gore, along with the strong language and suggestive themes that were on display. With Bayonetta Origins being a much more intimate fairytale, the ESRB reflects this through a tamer rating, including Animated Blood and Fantasy Violence instead.

Specific gameplay details for Bayonetta Origins were also shared on the Ratings Summary section, where it describes Cereza running around a forest solving puzzles and battling not only demons, but fairies. It also notes that combat is handled by the player controlling Cheshire for melee attacks while Cereza casts spells on enemies. The summary also describes finishing moves where a creature is placed inside an Iron Maiden, which suggests that torture attacks from the previous mainline entries will be usable in this spin-off despite its lighter nature. Other violent imagery includes a witch being impaled by a lance, with another describing a sequence that has a character’s corpse being dangled from the mouth of a monster.

Despite Bayonetta Origins focusing on a younger Cereza, it seems elements from the mainline games are still going to be included in toned down ways that better fit the game’s unique art style and direction. Despite the game being a far cry from the older titles in tone and gameplay, it’s looking to be a promising exclusive for the Switch.

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon will launch on March 17, 2023 for Nintendo Switch.

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Source: ESRB