Bayonetta 3 is the latest in Nintendo's creative freedom alliance with third parties

Bayonetta 3, the newest installment in the acclaimed hack & slash franchise from Japanese developer Platinum Games, is well into development right now.

Studio co-founder Hideki Kamiya recently did an interview, highlighting new details about the upcoming Nintendo Switch exclusive that's set to release in 2022. Here's everything fans need to know about the title.

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Bayonetta 3 development is going well says Platinum Games co-founder

In the interview, Kamiya reassured fans that Bayonetta 3 is in good hands:

“If you look at the (trailer we released in September), hopefully that should reassure you that we have been hard at work on development, and it should also show you that there are a lot of new elements in this game that were not in Bayonetta 1 and 2. I hope the footage released so far will fuel your expectations for this game."

His statement rigs true as the game features new finishers, enemy types, moves and never-before-seen systems like maneuverable demons.

He also touched on the new visual direction for Bayonetta 3:

“At the beginning of the trailer, viewers might have been confused about what game it was for, and then we introduced some enemies, and still it was kept unclear, and then Bayonetta appeared. I think the fact that we were able to pull off this misdirection in the trailer shows that the new game has its own color. Bayonetta 3 looks a little different, and it includes some new types of gameplay, so I hope players will find it fresh.”

The protagonist Bayonetta sports a different look to her usual self. Visually, it seems to borrow the dull grays and reds of the first game and throws in the vibrant blues of the second. It's no surprise that purple is the theme this time around.

However, this change in direction has had people wondering if the Mario and Zelda publisher is meddling with Bayonetta 3's development. Kamiya quells any worries about potential rumors of limited creative freedom, saying:

"When we released the previous trailer, some fans thought that maybe working with Nintendo had meant we were under some kind of restrictions in terms of creative expression, but that is absolutely not the case. This will be a very Bayonetta-esque Bayonetta game."

Nintendo funded the development for Bayonetta 2 and also gave the green light for the now-multiplat The Wonderful 101. In a nutshell, the two publishers have a great relationship and that continues with Bayonetta 3.

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Nintendo's third-party development shift

Nintendo has been collaborating with other publishers with regards to development partnerships since the Switch's launch in 2017. Their hybrid console is the go-to platform for indie games, alongside the PC platform. Even Xbox exclusive titles like Cuphead and Ori are now on the Switch.

To top it off, Nintendo has been actively pushing for uncensored third party experiences, something that their competitor Sony has been against lately.

They've also allowed popular third party studios to work on Nintendo IPs such as Fire Emblem (Fire Emblem Warriors by Koei Tecmo) and Star Fox (Star Fox Zero by Platinum Games). Even indie teams get an opportunity, like MercurySteam's work on Metroid Dread and Cadence of Hyrule (Legend of Zela spinoff) by Brace Yourself Games.

Ultimately, these partnerships have resulted in some very unique outcomes for the japanese corporation and their popular portable console.