PlatinumGames has revealed it has "various announcements" planned to help celebrate the 15th anniversary of its PS3 action game Bayonetta, which initially released in October 2009 in Japan. It made its way to the USA and Europe a few months later in January 2010, so the latter Western launch is being used as the official marker for the anniversary celebrations.
To mark 15 years of the franchise, which has gone on to receive two sequels on Nintendo hardware, PlatinumGames is set to share a number of announcements throughout 2025. "Starting from today, we would like to celebrate this momentous occasion with everyone around the world – and officially kick-off our special 'Bayonetta 15th Anniversary Year' lasting for one full year," a post to the developer's website reads.
So far, a commemorative Bayonetta music box has been revealed, available for pre-order now. It plays the Bayonetta theme and costs €220.00. New mobile phone wallpapers will also be available every month, and can be claimed from the official website.
The PlatinumGames team said: "Since its inception, PlatinumGames has continued to push the boundaries of action games. In 2009, we were able to deliver a brand-new action experience with the release of Bayonetta, which is a title that we are still very proud of to this day." As it looks to the future, the studio will "continue to take on new challenges to create games that surprise and delight our fans. We look forward to your continued support of Bayonetta and PlatinumGames!"
Originally released for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC in the final months of 2009 (in Japan) and start of 2010 (in the west), Bayonetta is regularly cited as one of the most stylish action games around. The release was remastered along with another PlatinumGames title Vanquish in 2020 for PS4, though its two sequels haven't been made available outside of the Nintendo Wii U and Nintendo Switch.
Are you looking forward to celebrating Bayonetta throughout 2025? Share your memories of the game in the comments below.
[source platinumgames.com]
Comments 35
Still the best character action game ever made imo! Sorry, Dante!
How about a Bayonetta / Stellar Blade crossover to follow the Nier Automata one?
I'm sure Eve would look lovely as Bayonetta.
Failing that, all three re-rereleased on PS5 would be nice in a trilogy set (I know, Nintendo own 2 & 3, so not going to happen).
I don't get fan service like this. You want to celebrate a much-loved game by releasing a product that's outside the price range of the majority of the fanbase. What's the point other than to create some aspirational, grail-like marketing that only serves the most impulsive or affluent of gamers. 15 years isn't even a special anniversary to memorialise. Give me something I can appreciate that doesn't make me chose between it and a Switch.
The PS3 version was so shockingly bad. The trilogy on Switch is incredible though with 2 being my favourite of the three.
@Overmind do you mean the best character in an action game, or the best action game mechanics?
One of my favourite action games ever! Lovely mechanics, charismatic lead and lots of SEGA’s history sprinkled on top. It would be lovely if they somehow managed to buy back the publishing rights from Nintendo and were able bring the second game to PC and other consoles as they did with the Wonderdul 101, huh!
I am super grateful that Nintendo published the sequel when everybody rejected it but I feel like this would do much better as a brand in other platforms.
Number 2 was my favourite!
Still one of my action games, together with Stellar Blade and Nier Automata.
There's not really a lot to "celebrate" with here. I might give the game another run through this year though.
An announcement for an announcement, great stuff 👍🏻
Hopefully Kamiya will get someone involvement despite no longer working for Plat, the series is his baby after all
@riceNpea
The latter.
@Overmind OK, that makes sense to me now. It's good but it's not as good as Metal Gear: Revengeance or Batman, for me. Or Nier Automata. Or Bayonnetta 2. On par with Sekiro.
@riceNpea
MG:R never really clicked for me, but I love the rest of the games you mentioned. The first Bayonetta's combat system has a certain depth to it that the second game lacks. Ninja Gaiden and Devil May Cry are more similar in that regard.
@Overmind I forgot about Ninja. I'd also put From Software games in there for the reason that its so fairly implemented. Mistakes are punished justly and study and patience are rewarded.
Don't Nintendo own the IP now? So don't get your hopes up for anything playstation related.
I honestly wouldn't be too surprised to see the trilogy release on other platforms. first party IP use is evolving a little bit, with what Playstation and Xbox have been doing, though I still doubt it. with the OG Bayonetta being multi platform, who know's, maybe Nintendo will do it? Not much of a precedent when it comes to Nintendo mind you! We'll never see a multi-plat Mario!
@riceNpea
I agree! Maybe a bit of a stretch, but the replayability is somewhat the same. Especially Sekiro and Armored Core, up the ante and the skill level that comes with it.
I really need to get to the 3rd one eventually someday but I thought Bayo looked ridiculous there. I loved the 1st one but the 2nd one was decent to good. The only thing I preferred about it was the slightly more varied locations. 1 was better in almost every other way
@Judal27
There is no third one.
@Overmind uhh I am confused 😅
@Overmind not if you don't count Bayonetta 3 as the third one 😁👍
@Judal27
Yeah I know what you mean. You can find the third one in stores, but believe me when I say there is no third one. It's better that way.
@UltimateOtaku91 Still a Sega IP, Nintendo just funded 2, 3 and Origins.
The Wonderful 101 was a fully owned Nintendo IP but they relinquished the rights to Platinum. I don't expect something similar to happen here with Bayonetta, but it's certainly not impossible. It depends on if they see any value in the franchise without Kamiya going forward.
(Fatal Frame 4 and 5 were also Nintendo co-produced games with Koei Tecmo that are now multiplat since we're on the subject).
@Overmind lol well as far as my backlogs concerned, there isn't a third one (is it bad or something?)
@Judal27
Really bad
One of my favorite series. Bayonetta 3 is somewhat of a letdown for me but still worth playing.
Happy anniversary I guess.
I honestly wonder more on how they will handle the gameplay and story in Bayo 4 after the mess (imo) Bayo 3 became, and thats assuming the fourth main game will happen at all. Not that I think the franchise will end anytime soon but considering how things are appearently somewhat disastrous at Platinum right now its hard not to be curious…
@riceNpea It's not fan service, it's marketing. All this stuff like May the 4th Be With You, and anniversary editions of stuff, anything like that, is just marketing. For one thing, it makes you feel like you're part of something meaningful so you're more likely to buy something expensive. Honestly, it's the same with things like Christmas. I wouldn't have just randomly spent hundreds on my family if it wasn't for Christmas and I'm not even religious.
The PS3 version of Bayonetta was horrific. The only game I ever played with a loading screen for the pause menu!
RIP Atsuko Tanaka. (Bayo's Japanese VA).
@Judal27 If all you care about is the story then yea its bad but if you care about the gameplay its really good
If they're not announcing PS5 versions of all the games, then I don't care much about their celebration.
@Overmind @judal27 86 on metacritic bad.
Which would probably be bumped up to a 90+ on more modern hardware
Just give me a ps5 remake or remaster..I don't care which just give me one..
Would love to see the entire franchise make its way over to PlayStation, but at the very least, a port of Bayonetta 2 with better fidelity and performance would be awesome.
@Friendly
And I will never understand why, truly.
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