Hideki Kamiya shares message about Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon
Original (12/19): Supervising director Hideki Kamiya has shared a message about Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon. Earlier this month, Nintendo and PlatinumGames unveiled the project at The Game Awards.
Kamiya noted how the title “is something very new for PlatinumGames, made by a team of young ambitious developers with just a few vets to help along the way.” Abebe Tinari is acting as director while Tomoko Nishii is the art director.
Another notable part of Kamiya’s message is how he mentioned that Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon was made “with the hope that fans of the series to date will enjoy this unique take on their favorite badass heroine, and also endeavor to deliver an unforgettable experience to players who may not be comfortable with action games… or even players who are unfamiliar with the Bayonetta series in the first place!”
The full message from Kamiya is as follows:
Hello everyone, my name is Hideki Kamiya and I am the Chief Game Designer at PlatinumGames and the Supervising Director of Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon. Phew, that was a mouthful! Simply said, I am the supervising director of the Bayonetta series, where I mainly oversee the game lore and write the game scenario, among other things.
I am elated that Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon has finally been announced to the world! I think many of our fans were caught off guard with this sudden announcement, as Bayonetta 3 was still hot off the press in a way. With that in mind, I am sure that everyone has noticed the magic word “Bayonetta” in the title’s name. And many of you must be surprised to see Bayonetta taking a step away from her regular gun-toting fair to visit a strange illusionary world that looks like it’s straight from a fairytale!
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is something very new for PlatinumGames, made by a team of young ambitious developers with just a few vets to help along the way. Abebe Tinari spearheads the effort as a first-time Director and Tomoko Nishii brings the game’s unique visual style to life as Art Director.
The protagonist of Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is a young apprentice witch by the name of Cereza. Yes, you’re correct. It’s THAT Cereza. Our very own Bayonetta (albeit in her childhood years).
I am guessing that some of you out there may be intimidated by the word “Bayonetta” in the title name – perhaps you’re not an expert at hardcore action games, or maybe you’re not familiar with the Bayonetta lore because you haven’t played any of the games in the series up to now. Rest assured! This game is a brand-new gameplay experience, different from anything in the Bayonetta games so far. We created Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon with the hope that fans of the series to date will enjoy this unique take on their favorite badass heroine, and also endeavor to deliver an unforgettable experience to players who may not be comfortable with action games… or even players who are unfamiliar with the Bayonetta series in the first place!
I implore you to take your guard down and approach this title with a fresh, open mind, as you take a plunge into an adventure set in the depths of a mysterious forest, controlling the weird and wonderful duo of a slightly timid and inexperienced young witch and a rough-and-tumble stray demon.
Yes, you read that right! There is one more protagonist in this game! His name is Cheshire, a demon who wandered into the human world. In a forest filled with peril, this demon’s raw power is essential for your survival. Players must combine Cereza’s magic abilities and Cheshire’s ferocious power in order to progress through the game. The way you control these two is truly a one-of-a-kind experience and I’m certain you’ll love sinking your claws into the gameplay.
The story deals with two inexperienced souls growing up and finding out who they really are. Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is a chance for you to return to your childhood and see for yourself where Cereza’s and Cheshire’s adventure takes them as you turn to each page of this enchanting picture book.
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon launches for Switch on March 17, 2023.
Update (12/20): Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon director Abebe Tinari has also shared a message – we have it below.
Hello, my name is Abebe Tinari. I am the director of Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon. After keeping it a secret for so long, it feels great to finally be able to say the title in public! I’ve been reading everyone’s reactions to our first trailer online, and I haven’t been able to wipe the grin off my face since.
I played the original Bayonetta back in high school. In fact, it was one of the games that made me decide to move to Japan in the first place. Years later, when I was looking for a job after university, development had just been announced on Bayonetta 2, prompting me to apply to PlatinumGames. When the third game entered production, I was champing at the bit to join the project as a game designer. However, Kamiya and Inaba had something else in store.
They had secretly begun work on a spin-off, showing a different side of Bayonetta, back when she had no guns, no infernal demons under her control, and was lacking even her signature swagger. Imagining the potential for new types of gameplay born from these limitations, I knew I had to be involved! I wrote a proposal for the game and after a couple nerve-wracking presentations, I became the director!
I envisioned a Cereza between the tiny child who appeared in the first game and Bayonetta, the formidable witch we know she grows up to become. What went through her mind the first time she tried to summon a demon? She must have learned the spell to control that infernal beast, but there’s no way the demon would sit idly by while being bossed around by a pipsqueak! How would Cereza grow over time, taking her first steps towards becoming a full-fledged witch?
The answers to those questions came in the form of Kamiya’s scenario. It is the tale of Cereza’s adventure as a fledgling witch together with Cheshire, the first demon she ever summoned. As the game director, it was my job to guide the development team to bring each aspect of the story and world to life, and make sure that every action players perform with their fingers works in harmony with the narrative beats.
In many ways Cereza and the Lost Demon is unlike any game PlatinumGames has made before, including all the past games in the series. In place of jaw-dropping Hollywood movie-esque spectacle and non-stop climax action, this time we are focused on telling an intimate story in a world inspired by the subtle lines and pastel colours of an illustrated fairytale. At times quiet. At times dark…I want the player to gradually grow attached to both Cereza and Cheshire as they (hopefully) guide them to the end of their adventure.
A good fairytale transcends age, and a story your parents read to you as a young child can stay with you your entire life. We did our best to make Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon an equally unforgettable experience. I hope you will crack the cover, and discover the magic that awaits on those pages…
