You Can Play the First 'Bayonetta' on Several Platforms — the Second One, Not so Much

While we're still waiting on the release of the third game in the Bayonetta franchise, you can still catch up on the first two games. The critically acclaimed character action title was a sleeper hit when it was first released in 2009. The series follows the trigger-happy and salacious witch Bayonetta as she battles the angelic yet nefarious hordes of Paradiso using the demonic arsenal at her disposal.

What devices can you play the series on? The first game is more accessible than the second.

In the first Bayonetta, the titular witch attempts to unravel the mystery surrounding her missing memories. She travels to the European-inspired city of Vigrid to unlock the truth about her past. She soon becomes embroiled in Paradiso's plans to take over the universe.

The second game sees Bayonetta travel to the hellish depths of Inferno. After the soul of her best friend Jeanne is taken away by demons, Bayonetta embarks on a quest across time and space to restore Jeanne back to life.

The first Bayonetta was released in 2009. Though the game was originally conceived as a console exclusive for the Xbox 360, the game would also receive a port for the PlayStation 3 at launch. The 360 version went on to become a critical success, while the PS3 version was criticized for an inferior frame rate and worse graphical performance. Despite this, the game would eventually receive several ports across multiple different platforms in the years following its initial launch.

As of now, the first Bayonetta is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. The game was also re-released on Nintendo's Wii U in 2014 to coincide with the release of Bayonetta 2. The first game is easily the more accessible one between the first two games. Even if you're a die-hard fan of one system in particular, there's a version of Bayonetta for you to sink your teeth into. Unfortunately, those who want to play the sequel will have to rely on Nintendo.

Bayonetta 2 is exclusive to Nintendo consoles, having been released first on the Wii U before being ported to the Nintendo Switch in 2017. Reportedly, Nintendo were the ones who saved the sequel from being canceled mid-development. They promised to continue funding the project in exchange for console exclusivity. Despite the many platforms that you can play the first game on, Bayonetta 2 is tied solely to the Nintendo brand.

The same holds true for the highly anticipated sequel. Bayonetta 3 was officially announced in 2017 at a Game Awards ceremony with a short teaser. The first official trailer and gameplay reveal wouldn't come for another four years, when the game officially resurfaced during a 2021 Nintendo Direct conference. Like the second game, Bayonetta 3 will be exclusive to the Switch.

Though the game has no official release date, Bayonetta 3 is expected to come out some time in 2022.