Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is a spin-off of the Bayonetta series as well as a prequel, starring Cereza when she was a child.

Being a T-rated action-adventure game instead of an M-rated stylish action game like the main series, it caused some doubts among fans when it was announced, especially since Bayonetta 3 was already divisive.

Adding to that is the fact that the fairytale storybook aesthetic and simpler style made a lot of people assume it would be a short game without much to offer.

Well, that’s not true!

I finished Bayonetta Origins yesterday with a playtime of around 18 hours or so, and I had a fantastic time with it. As a child, Cereza ventures into the forbidden Avalon Forest, driven by dreams that say she’ll gain the power to save her mother. Yet the forest is home to malicious faeries, and she only survives by summoning a demon into the body of her stuffed cat, Cheshire.

You control both Cereza and Cheshire, either together when Cereza is carrying him, or separately. This is especially important in combat, where Cereza acts as support with limited magic techniques while Cheshire is your primary fighter.

Controlling two characters at once takes a bit of getting used to, but I found the combat surprisingly fun and more involved than I expected. It won’t have you using crazy combos like the main series, but it has a lot more action than you might have expected from the trailer. As you progress through the game, you also gain new abilities for Cheshire that play a role in both combat and exploration.

Exploration is a big part of Bayonetta Origins, and one of the main reasons I enjoyed it so much. Avalon Forest is more or less one huge interconnected map. While you could stick to the main path, there are a ton of side paths to take to find upgrades and other collectibles, especially once you have more abilities. That lends it some light Metroidvania aspects – each new power means new places to explore and items to find if you care to backtrack for them.

Meanwhile, the story is quite heartfelt. I found myself invested in the relationship between Cereza and Cheshire, as well as the development of Cereza herself from a timid, uncertain girl to someone I can see growing up into the Bayonetta we know.

Although… Bayonetta’s 3 story does raise some questions about that, making me even less a fan of the multiverse.

Complications from being directly tied to Bayonetta 3 aside, Bayonetta Origins tells a compelling story with some truly excellent moments. While it’s certainly a very different genre for the series, Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is not a minor spin-off to be ignored, but a great game I had a fantastic time with.