Bayonetta 3: Demon Slave Attacks Explained

While the highly-anticipated "Bayonetta 3" received plenty of time in the spotlight because of complicated voice acting conflicts, the early reactions to the game have been largely positive and praised the title for its stylish continuation of the beloved series.

In preparation for the game being released, developer Platinum Games has taken to YouTube with videos offering a more in-depth look at one of the brand-new mechanics introduced in Bayonetta's latest outing: Demon Slaves. While previous games have allowed Bayonetta to summon giant demons for flashy finishing moves, the Demon Slaves in "Bayonetta 3" aim to give the player more direct control over the Infernal Demons at Bayonetta's disposal. 

As shown in some of the official gameplay videos, controlling these beasts might seem a bit complex due to all of the on-screen effects. However, "Bayonetta 3" Director Yusuke Miyata's videos on the summoning mechanic explain things in enough detail that any player can start competently wielding Infernal Demons in no time.

The first of Yusuke Miyata's videos focuses on how to summon Infernal Demons. Bringing an Infernal Demon onto the battlefield is as simple as holding down the ZL button. The Demon will appear in front of Bayonetta in whatever direction the camera is facing, and so long as the ZL button is held, said Demon will remain on the field. Releasing the button sends the Demon away, and the player again swaps to Bayonetta.

However, keeping an Infernal Demon in play also saps magic. The magic gauge in the bottom left corner of the screen shows one's available magic, and, should it entirely run out, summoned Infernal Demons will disappear. Luckily, magic builds back up on its own and attacks as Bayonetta refills the gauge even faster. As Miyata says, "By expertly switching between Bayonetta and the Demons, you can prevent the gauge from running out and prolong your time using Demon Slave."

In his second video, Miyata showcases the basics of moving and attacking with Infernal Demons. All movements and attacks are matched identically with Bayonetta's punch, kick, shoot, and jump buttons. What these look like for each Demon is different, of course, but there are also special attacks that each Demon can use by pressing the R button. Learning the ins and outs of each Infernal Demon will play a big part in not only toppling Bayonetta's foes but racking up high-scoring combos as well.