Stray Souls, a psychological horror game from director Artur Laczkowski, developer Jukai Studio, and publisher Versus Evil, has been officially announced for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PS4. It is due out later this year, and it’s being developed using Unreal Engine 5.
The premise of Stray Souls is an interesting one: teenager Daniel’s grandmother has died and left him her house – totally debt-free (no mortgage, etc.) – but the real-estate dream quickly turns into a nightmare when the sun goes down and all hell starts to break loose in the house. Jukai will be using Epic’s Metahuman technology to craft more lifelike NPCs. Take a look at the debut trailer above and the first screenshots in the gallery below.
Jukai describes the thriller as such: “Stray Souls combines beloved elements of Japanese survival horror games with an array of new tricks, including a variety of randomized systems where enemy encounters, item placement, paranormal activity and even weather patterns are always changing so no two playthroughs are exactly the same.”
You can wishlist Stray Souls on Steam if you’re interested.
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s executive editor of previews and host of both IGN’s weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He’s a North Jersey guy, so it’s “Taylor ham,” not “pork roll.” Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.
This article contains full spoilers for The Last of Us Part 2. If you have not played the game and want to remain spoiler-free for HBO’s TV show stop reading now!
HBO’s The Last of Us has been an undeniably successful television adaptation of the beloved Naughty Dog game. Now the challenge for creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin will be how to tackle the emotionally complicated beast that is The Last of Us Part 2. So, I’ve (perhaps foolishly) had a go at planning out the show’s second season and sketching a rough outline of what could happen in each episode.
The video game sequel is over twice as long as its predecessor, so cramming it all into one more season of TV seems like a bit of a stretch to me, so let’s assume this is going to be a story told over two. Alongside issues of length, there’s also no doubt that Part 2 is in need of more of a tinkering with than the mostly straight adaptation that was Part 1. Despite being a masterpiece in my eyes, Part 2 relies more heavily on gameplay and the involuntary nature of your actions to get its point across, which is inherently not viable in a TV show. But through some minor restructuring of the story and a liberal use of flashbacks, I think there could be an effective way of telling the layered and divisive tale.
The key will undoubtedly be in how season two opens and deals with the story’s inciting incident, as well as keeping the viewer connected to the plot’s two leads – Ellie and Abby. My best idea on how to do this is to make Abby – a character largely unexplored until the game’s second half – more integral to the story during its Ellie-led first half by creating a pre-existing bond between them. Abby could infiltrate the Jackson community and befriend Joel in the weeks before her revenge. This is actually something that Druckmann seemingly played with the idea of if some of the game’s early concept art is anything to go by.
I’d also utilise a series of cold-open flashbacks that tease young Abby’s story – much like how the brief openings to each of Netflix’s Mindhunter episodes set up the reveal of the mysterious man we’re watching becoming the BTK killer, but with more zebras. These brief glimpses into Abby’s background would eventually culminate in the reveal of Joel being the man who killed her father at the end of season one, allowing the second season of the show to end with the same crucial twist delivered by the game at its halfway point.
Now I’ve established the season’s overall format, here’s my best guess at how each episode of the show might play out. (No doubt Druckmann and Mazin have some much better ideas up their sleeve, but they should feel free to call me if there’s any gold in here.)
Episode 1 – Jackson Part 1
Season 2 opens with Joel admitting the truth of his choice to Tommy in a house just outside the Jackson settlement, just like in the game. As they leave, however, they are attacked by a group of raiders and look to be cornered until a couple arrives to help them out – they happen to be Abby and Owen. Of course, Abby doesn’t realise who it is she is saving until the raiders have been dealt with, and at this point, she’s been badly injured and is in no position to complete her mission. She accepts Joel and Tommy’s offer to patch her up back in Jackson.
Days progress as Abby and Owen integrate into Jackson life. During the time it takes for Abby to fully recover, we are introduced to Ellie’s friends, Dina and Jesse, and life looks set to be relatively good. After some conversations tinged with a palpable tension, Abby and Owen are convinced to stay in Jackson, despite their insistence that this isn’t the life for them. Having proved themselves already capable of handling themselves in combat, Joel and Tommy offer to take the pair out on patrol to teach them the ropes. Ellie and Dina also begin their own patrol. The episode ends as the two groups exit the town gates and branch off in two directions through the snow.
Episode 2 – Jackson Part 2
This episode would spend time cutting between the two groups in the snow. We start with Ellie and Dina as they check a local suburb for infected, before the first signs of a blizzard show and they hole up in a library where they open up on their feelings for one another. As the blizzard picks up we follow Joel, Tommy, Abby, and Owen as they too have to avoid the storm, but get ambushed by infected. As they fight and ultimately run, Abby says she tracked through here on her way to Jackson and knows somewhere they can shelter for the night. Joel and Tommy agree to follow.
Back with Ellie and Dina, Jesse arrives to find them in an awkward situation and the love triangle begins to take form. He’s come to help them get back through the blizzard, but mentions Joel and Tommy haven’t been heard from on the radio in some time. Worried, Ellie stubbornly sets off to look for Joel, despite Dina and Jesse insisting it’s too dangerous. We cut back to Joel and Tommy as they arrive at an abandoned lodge where they are ambushed by a small group and knocked unconscious. The episode cuts to black.
Episode 3 – Goodbye Jackson, Hello Seattle
After tracking from Joel’s last known location, Ellie is lured by the lights emanating from a nearby lodge. She heads down to the basement to discover Joel in quite some distress, and is forced to watch as Abby kills him. Ellie and Tommy are then set free, with Abby claiming to have no issues with them.
Back in Jackson, Ellie mourns Joel and – despite Tommy and Maria’s advice – sets off to find Abby and get her revenge. Belongings that Abby left behind in Jackson hint towards her being from Seattle, so Ellie heads that way along with Dina. They arrive in Seattle, where they learn that a group called the WLF calls the city home. As they ride through the streets looking for clues, an explosion throws them from their horse and the episode ends.
Episode 4 – Eastbrook Elementary and Channel 13 TV Station
Ellie is being held hostage in an Eastbrook Elementary classroom by a member of the WLF who she recognises from the night Joel was killed. He intends to keep her there while he waits for backup, but just after he puts the radio call in he’s attacked by Dina. Ellie kills her captor, and finds a map of the city on his body. The couple decides to head to a nearby TV station as their next port of call.
They find the station abandoned and littered with the corpses of WLF soldiers, their bodies pierced by arrows and surrounded by cultist drawings. Whistles in the distance soon become soaring arrows, so the pair decide to run for their lives. They escape into a nearby subway station where they must navigate through tunnels overrun with clickers. After making it through such a near-death situation, they set up camp in a movie theater where Ellie reveals her bite and immunity to Dina, and Dina reveals she is pregnant with Jesse’s baby.
Episode 5 – The Birthday Gift
As Ellie dwells on the future birth of Dina’s baby she reminisces about a birthday she spent with Joel a couple of years ago. They have fun at a natural history museum with dinosaurs, pretend to be in space, and tell jokes. The flashback concludes with Joel teaching Ellie how to play guitar, just as he promised in season one. The episode cuts back to the present for its final scene, and Ellie serenades Dina with A-ha’s Take on Me in the front row of the theatre.
Episode 6 – Hillcrest and Hospital
Ellie finds a radio in the theatre and listens in on WLF messages about a man matching Tommy’s description seen in the nearby suburb of Hillcrest. She heads there to find him but to her surprise is instead grabbed by Jesse, who helps her escape a WLF patrol.
The pair head back to the theatre together where Dina tells Jesse that she’s pregnant with his child. Jesse reveals he has a lead on one of Abby’s associates, Nora, who is stationed at a Seattle hospital. He agrees to stay with Dina while Ellie goes to find Nora. Initially looking for information about Abby’s location, Ellie lets vengeance take control and kills Nora in a brutal fashion.
Episode 7 – Road to the Aquarium and Joel’s Truth Flashback
Having gained the clue of Abby sometimes staying at the Aquarium from Nora, Ellie and Jesse make their way towards the coast. They encounter some infected in a tense horror scene before a heavy rainstorm rolls in. A rifle shot that sounds like Tommy’s gun prompts Jesse to suggest they go to help him. Blinded by her mission, though, Ellie refuses and decides to push ahead alone through the storm toward Abby.
Ellie makes it to the coast and begins to swim over to the aquarium but is knocked unconscious by the crashing waves. The episode ends with a flashback of Ellie finding out the truth behind Joel’s decision to rescue her from the Fireflies back in Salt Lake City.
Episode 8 – Abby’s Reveal and Return
The season 2 finale ends with the culmination of all of the small flashbacks we’ve seen from young Abby’s perspective. It’s revealed that her father was the Firefly doctor who Joel killed just before he was due to operate on Ellie.
Back in the present day, Ellie awakes in a daze by the aquarium and makes her way inside. After nervously making her way through the building she finds a backroom where Owen and Mel – another of Abby’s group present at Joel’s murder – are talking. Ellie asks where Abby is before killing both in cold blood, but soon becomes distraught after discovering that Mel was pregnant. She collapses onto the floor just as Tommy and Jesse arrive to console her.
Back at the theatre, Ellie has been convinced by Dina and Jesse that now is the time to leave this all behind and go back to Jackson. They make their way to the theatre lobby only to watch as Jesse is shot dead in front of them. Ellie finally comes face-to-face with Abby, who tells her “We let you both live and you wasted it.” The scene cuts to black, ending the season on a cliffhanger.
So, that’s what I think could happen in season two of HBO’s The Last of Us. How do you think they’ll handle Part 2’s story? Let us know in the comments below. For more on The Last of Us, check out my full season one review or how well the show compared with the game.
Simon Cardy has never written a TV show and has probably shown why here. Follow him on Twitter at @CardySimon.
As one of the most popular and influential franchises of all time, the Harry Potter movies are something that viewers of all ages have come to love. For some, however, it’s more than just a book-to-movie series; it’s a personality. Determining one’s Hogwarts house has become almost synonymous with horoscopes, Meyers-Briggs, and enneagrams when it comes to identifying oneself. Finding a saga with a similar cultural impact is difficult to impossible to find. The curious, magical wonder of the whole story is something that has drawn audiences far and wide to its appeal, inspiring dreamers to wish they could exist in the Wizarding world just to experience it.
Factors such as these are what makes it so challenging to find movies that are even close to being like Harry Potter, but they’re out there. While the Potter series reigns supreme, some of the movies on this list do a great job of worldbuilding, making them worthy additions to the magically synonymous universe. Without further ado, here are the movies like Harry Potter worth watching if you need more magic in your life.
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (2010)
While it wouldn’t necessarily be considered a good film in all regards, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is a fun movie for young people looking for a silly adventure tale. Balthazar Blake (Nicolas Cage) is one of three apprentices to the famous wizard, Merlin but is forced to search for Merlin’s true successor over hundreds of years. Considering there was much less time to build the story world for this movie, the lore is still interesting enough to keep a viewer involved especially if one enjoys watching Nicolas Cage do what he does (in this case: corny yet entertaining acting).
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)
One of the more enjoyable instances on this list, that would be considered a kids movie, is Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. The film was also adapted from a popular young adult book series, though not as universally loved as Harry Potter. The story follows a young boy named Percy (Logan Lerman) discovers that he is a descendant of a Greek God when he is accused of stealing Zeus’ lightning bolt, sending him on a journey of self-discovery against some classic mythical adversaries. While the movie is definitely made for kids to young adults, the lore is utilized in a surprisingly clever and enjoyable manner that modernizes Greek mythology in a fun way. There is also a second film called Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, but the movie adaptations end there.
One of the best and most entertaining movies on this list is Howl’s Moving Castle: a wonderfully magical and original animated story from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki that establishes a whole new universe of lovable, complex characters and creatures. When young, timid Sophie is cursed by a witch to be an old woman, she stumbles upon a stubborn, reckless young wizard named Howl who indifferently takes her in as a housekeeper in his walking, enchanted castle. While the themes and imagery can be a bit more disturbing and adult at times, the multiple subplots and established canon are enough to entice almost any viewer to this wondrous tale.
In what some could deem as a wholly unnecessary and convoluted story of random, magical happenings, Seventh Son still retains some enjoyable details that make it worth discovering. When the evil witch queen Mother Malkin (Julianne Moore) escapes from the prison that Master Gregory (Jeff Bridges) put her in, he must recruit another apprentice–a seventh son of a seventh son–to fulfill a prophecy and destroy her once and for all. Though the story is a bit unorganized and the plot perforated with gaps, the characters and creatures are original enough to keep one’s attention.
A film that is probably the furthest from Harry Potter thematically on this list, Doctor Strange treads into Marvel territory that turns a magical universe into a superhero’s tale. When an ingenious neurosurgeon named Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) gets in a life-altering car accident, he seeks out the mystic arts to heal himself but discovers much more about himself and the universe as a whole. The fundamentals of the magic in this movie are fairly different, yet also expand the imagined possibilities of what magic could do in such a universe.
Based on the children’s book series of the same name, The Spiderwick Chronicles fulfills its goal to entertain its target audience: children. When the Grace family moves into the Spiderwick Estate previously owned by Professor Arthur Spiderwick, they discover that their great relative may not have been as crazy as he seemed after they encounter fantastical creatures in the forest nearby. While the characters in the movie don’t exactly wield magic like Hogwarts students, the concept of an interconnected, magical world is ever-present albeit a bit less entertaining.
If the character Harry Potter was the most relatable and interesting part of the movie series to a viewer, then Matilda is likely to be a charming and enjoyable movie to watch. An extremely intelligent and gifted young girl, Matilda (Mara Wilson) must navigate her terrible, rude family and her ruthlessly cruel headmistress. Though the magic does not match the sheer scale of the Harry Potter series, Matilda uses her powers in mischievous yet helpful ways that border vengeful, as does Harry throughout the movie series.
Fantastic Beasts Series (2016-2022)
The closest thing in relation to the real thing is the Fantastic Beasts movie series: a prequel series that focuses on Harry Potter characters deep in the existing canon. Though the first movie focuses almost entirely on the famous Hufflepuff wizard, Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and his obsession with the magical creatures of the wizarding world, there is still plenty of Hogwarts magic and history to be had. With younger renditions of wizards like Dumbledore, the notorious Grindelwald, and other family names bound to be recognized.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (2016)
Another movie based on a book of the same name, Tim Burton’s Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children arguably comes second in terms of story world only to the Harry Potter series. A misguided sould named Jacob (Asa Butterfield) follows his fathers’ mysterious path to discover Miss Peregrine’s home for peculiar children; a place where time has stopped, children are a bit more than peculiar, and deadly creatures are always lurking. Most certainly one of the most (if not the most) eerie and disturbing movies on this list, one could imagine this story simply as if Tim Burton were in charge of the Harry Potter series.
Though magic is not the main focus of this fun and charming movie, Stardust is riddled with great characters, imaginative tribulations, and endless adventure. Coming from a small village on the border of a magical land, Tristan Thorn (Charlie Cox) embarks on an adventure to retrieve a falling star for the woman he loves, but encounters much more than he bargained for. The endearing and diverse characters of this movie are most of what make it great, with the added bonus of an exciting and romantic fantasy story that will keep viewers coming back for another go.
Valheim developer Iron Gate Studios says that there are no currently no plans to bring the survival game over to other platforms outside of Xbox, including PlayStation.
In an episode of the Xbox Expansion Pass podcast, senior developer Jonathan Smårs said, “Currently, we’re only looking at the Xbox, but you never know.” Valheim is coming to early access preview on Xbox, and while Smårs wasn’t part of the conversations to bring the game over to that platform, publisher Coffee Stain worked with Microsoft to do so.
It was then announced for PC Game Pass in 2022, and then most recently for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, as well as Xbox Game Pass. While other console versions of Valheim aren’t in consideration right now, that doesn’t necessarily rule out the possibility of it coming to platforms like PlayStation, or even Nintendo Switch.
In IGN’s Valheim review, we said, “Valheim is already a paragon of the survival crafting genre, with excellent art and music highlighting a world that generates endless exciting stories from only a few simple ingredients.”
George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. He’s been writing about the industry since 2019 and has worked with other publications such as Insider, Kotaku, NPR, and Variety.
When not writing about video games, George is playing video games. What a surprise! You can follow him on Twitter @Yinyangfooey
Bleak Faith: Forsaken developer Archangel Studios has issued an issue to IGN about allegations of stealing assets from games such as Elden Ring and Dark Souls.
“Since the start of development, Archangel Studios has always been transparent with their community about the use of Epic Marketplace assets. While only 10% of the game has been outsourced in this manner, it has helped speed up the development process immensely,” Archangel Studios explained in a statement to IGN.
It continued, “As a three-person studio, it was a vital resource to utilize throughout the four-year development. The assets in question were purchased from the Epic Marketplace in good faith and with the understanding that Epic went through the proper vetting and review process before listing them for sale.”
The studio also said that it had reached out to Epic Games about an investigation, to which it then responded, “Pursuant to the Marketplace Distribution Agreement, each Marketplace seller represents and warrants to Epic that they have appropriate rights to upload their content. As with any store that hosts third-party content, however, Epic is not in a position to independently verify such rights, and Epic makes no such guarantee to purchasers of the content.”
Archangel Studios noted that the assets that it had used for Bleak Faith have since been removed from the Unreal Engine marketplace. The development team has also removed all of these animations from Bleak Faith, stating that Epic’s answer wasn’t satisfactory and will work to replace the assets over the next few days.
“Some changes we included in the recent patches, and more are coming in the next few days,” the studio said. “Certainly this has been a huge lesson for us and hopefully other indie creators out there too that assets on these storefronts seemingly cannot be purchased in good faith.”
Bleak Faith: Forsaken is a Soulslike survival-horror action RPG that was released for PC on March 10.
George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. He’s been writing about the industry since 2019 and has worked with other publications such as Insider, Kotaku, NPR, and Variety.
When not writing about video games, George is playing video games. What a surprise! You can follow him on Twitter @Yinyangfooey
Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann confirmed that the studio has chosen what its next game will be. However, he didn’t reveal whether it was The Last of Us Part 3 or a completely different IP.
On an episode of the Kinda Funny Spoilercast, Druckmann said, “I know the fans really want The Last Of Us Part 3, I hear about it all the time. All I can say is that we’re already into our next project, and the decision has already been made. I can’t say what it is, but that is the process we went through. There was a lot of consideration of different things, and we picked the thing we were the most excited for.”
He added, “At the end of every project we purposefully explore several different projects. Some of them might be a sequel, and then a bunch of new ideas. And then we feel like, ‘Where do our passions lie?’”
It’s unlikely that Naughty Dog’s next project is related to Uncharted, as Druckman stated that the studio was moving on from that franchise. While he stopped short of confirming whether it was The Last of Us Part 3, back in 2021, Druckmann also said he had written a story outline for another The Last of Us game, but clarified that the studio wasn’t currently working on it.
George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. He’s been writing about the industry since 2019 and has worked with other publications such as Insider, Kotaku, NPR, and Variety.
When not writing about video games, George is playing video games. What a surprise! You can follow him on Twitter @Yinyangfooey
A new partnership between NASA and Microsoft will allow Minecraft players to launch their own Moon rockets and experience life as an astronaut aboard an Orion spacecraft.
NASA has set its sights on returning humanity to the Moon for the first time since the 1970s as part of its Artemis program. For this ambitious multi-decade mission to be a success, humanity will need to develop complex technologies, construct leviathan Moon rockets, and inspire a whole new generation of astronauts, engineers, and scientists to carry on the good work.
3…2…1 Lift off! The #Artemis Missions have landed in Minecraft in partnership with @NASA! ? ?
Design your own rocket and navigate the Orion space capsule on a mission to the moon! #MinecraftEdu
— Minecraft Education (@PlayCraftLearn) March 7, 2023
To this end NASA has teamed up with Microsoft to create a series of interactive lessons set in Minecraft’s block-centric universe. The goal is to inspire children to picture themselves as future astronauts while introducing them to the goals and key technologies that will power the Artemis program.
Along the way, students will learn about the basics of rocketry and the challenges involved with guiding missions and surviving in the hostile environment of space. The newly created Minecraft worlds, including Artemis: Rocket Build, and Artemis: Return to the Moon, are available to download for free through the Minecraft Education platform.
“NASA strives to reach the broadest audience and inspire the Artemis Generation to prepare them for the missions of tomorrow,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson in a NASA release. “Through our partnership with Microsoft, this new frontier in Minecraft reflects NASA’s priority of pushing the boundaries of exploration on the Moon, Mars, and beyond!”
Artemis: Rocket Build will see players learn about NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which successfully completed its maiden flight in November last year. Students will then be asked to juggle fuel and budget constraints as they create and customise their own rockets capable of launching satellites and crew into space.
Artemis: Return to the Moon, meanwhile, will encourage students to use block-based or Python coding to control a digital version of NASA’s Orion capsule as they “complete mini-missions and solve challenges in space” as part of an Orion astronaut crew.
The block-based aerospace crossover is far from the only time that NASA has teamed up with video game developers. NASA had previously partnered with Squad to bring an asteroid redirect mission to Kerbal Space Program, and has also released a number of its own education-orientated games and experiences.
Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer
Sonic the Hedgehog 2006, commonly known as Sonic 06, would become an infamous entry in the franchise with players criticising its poor game design, bland character abilities, and selection of technical problems. IGN gave the game a 4/10 at the time, plainly calling it “a mess” and “one hell of a disappointing game”.
The TGS footage painted a different picture of what Sonic 06 could have been, however. Opening with an extended cinematic trailer, it then switches to gameplay of Sonic exploring bright and colourful 3D environments, collecting rings and battling enemies.
The long-awaited System Shock remake has been delayed until May on PC, two months on from its previously planned March launch.
While Shodan’s return is still imminent, a transmission received from Citadel Station brought news of System Shock’s release date pushback, with the PC edition of the remake now set to launch on May 30.
“We had hoped to bring the game to market by the end of March,” Nightdive Studios acknowledged in a post on Steam on Tuesday, “but that turned out to be just beyond our reach; we are after all merely human (unlike Shodan!)”
“Console editions of System Shock will be released on PlayStation 4|5 and Xbox One and Series S|X in due course,” the developer added. “More details on this when we have them.”
Nightdive Studios first launched its Kickstarter campaign for the System Shock remake back in 2016. After initially setting a goal of $900,000, the project went on to raise over $1.3 million in total.
After several years in development, Larry Kuperman from Nightdive announced in June last year that the System Shock remake was “largely complete,” though he also noted that the studio’s goal was to make the release version “as close to perfection as possible.”
The original System Shock released on PC in 1994. The sci-fi shooter dropped players into Citadel Station, where they assumed the role of a hacker tasked with ruining the plans of a rogue AI named SHODAN.
The remake takes the classic gameplay from the original and adds in “stunning HD visuals, revamped controls, and a totally new interface.” IGN got hands-on with the remake in 2022 and came away impressed by its “haunting sci-fi atmosphere and breathtaking environments.”
What if I told you Bayonetta wasn’t always the confident, ass-kicking witch we’ve known for all these years? That unexplored history is what Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon shines a light on, painting a thoughtful picture of a time when the scariest monsters a young Bayonetta had to face were her own inner demons. This spin-off puts the usual wild stylish action aside for a whimsical and harrowing adventure brimming with childlike wonder and genuinely heartwarming moments. It’s a fascinating side of the Bayonetta world we’ve never seen before, and one that leaves me with a deeper appreciation for a series I already loved.
There’s so much to adore in Bayonetta Origins that I was smiling from ear to ear, giggling from all the charming gags, or exclaiming “Aww!” more times than I can count. Every corner of it is brought to life with a beautiful storybook presentation to frame the action-adventure thrills. It’s such a joyous journey in an imaginative world, steeped in Irish mythology, where faeries have trapped Cereza in the labyrinthine Avalon Forest and lurk about with tricks and ambushes. It also explores elements only alluded to in the mainline games with a grounded and earnest approach. Yet, it’s distinct enough as a prequel to stand on its own merits so newcomers can jump in and thoroughly enjoy. And after its roughly 15-hour journey, I was left a bit sad when it came time to close the book on it.
Taking more of a top-down view than Bayonetta’s usual third-person camera, Bayonetta Origins simultaneously puts you in control of both Cereza and her demon-infused cat plushie, Cheshire, when summoned — Cereza’s movement and actions are dedicated to the left side of the controller and Cheshire to the right. Juggling two characters eventually became quite intuitive once I got the hang of it, but I found both the system itself and the challenges it’s used for don’t evolve drastically after being established. You’ll become familiar with the pattern of using one character to move part of the environment or pin down an enemy to setup the other, but these moments can still lead to some neat mind-bending scenarios by virtue of the coordination required to handle the tandem effectively.
In one respect, Bayonetta Origins is a puzzle-platformer that often asks you to analyze your surroundings and figure out how to use the duo’s abilities to get through it. Cheshire can pull objects with his chameleon-like vine tongue, block projectiles with his hardened stone skin, or propel lily pads with a jetstream to navigate water, all of which help get Cereza where she needs to go. These elemental skills are gained over the course of the story, which does introduce a few wrinkles to the formula to keep it feeling fresh. Cereza herself has a fun little rhythm minigame with Witch Pulse where she gleefully ballet dances to make various objects come alive and open the paths ahead. While these platforming puzzles never get too complex, there’s an enjoyable variety to exploring this wondrous world.
Landing attacks always has a satisfying crunch.
In another respect, Bayonetta Origins is a proper action game, with combat that has the duo working together in a similar fashion. Cereza’s main purpose is to trap enemies in place with Thorn Bind, giving Cheshire the opportunity to freely wail on dastardly faeries with furious swipes and powerful smashes. A variety of enemy types gradually encouraged me to mix up Cheshire’s elemental modes, such as ripping shields and throwing them back with his grass ability or casting a massive area-of-effect explosion with his fire combo. It’s not necessarily as nuanced as I’d expect from a mainline Bayonetta game, but landing attacks always has a satisfying crunch, like there’s a beastly weight and impact behind every hit. And when you finally finish off the last few enemies with Cheshire’s chunky chomps, the dazzling art style and lively animations jump from the screen to celebrate in a way that feels like its own reward.
Bayonetta Origins is a rather forgiving game, tricky from the perspective of managing two characters at once yet not particularly difficult overall. However, several of the Tír na nÓg trials scattered across the world do provide intriguing puzzle and combat sequences in otherworldly stages built to test your skill and reward you with items and collectibles. The story-critical Tír na nÓg are fun and fairly straightforward, but the optional ones are really worth seeking out — if not for the gratification of clearing the map alone, then definitely for the enjoyable challenges they offer. For example, in one Cereza and Cheshire have to run separately along parallel paths while avoiding different sets of deadly obstacles, while another had Cheshire in a hamster wheel to move platforms or block lasers to help Cereza progress. No matter what they have you do, ending each one with a Witch Pulse dance and a colorful burst of energy to break the ethereal realm never gets old.
Boss fights also have some great one-off mechanics of their own that play into their unique quirks. One such battle takes place in a circus against a trickster faerie you have to trap with Cereza so that Cheshire can send a cannonball into them, capping the fight off with classic Bayonetta-style quick time events to blast the boss into oblivion and frame the climactic moment. Defeating the fabled Jabberwock was another triumphant moment for Cereza and Cheshire, an imposing dragon that requires timing, teamwork, and clever environmental interactions to take down — it’s a turning point that proved this pair can be stronger together and overcome anything. Many of these big battles pull you deeper into the pages of this storybook world for memorable moments and awesome surprises.
While these fights continuously impressed me, what Bayonetta Origins does best here is create a satisfying flow where I regularly felt tasked with something different throughout each chapter, layering plenty of variety onto a solid foundation. The interconnectedness of Avalon Forest helps create a natural progression through it as well — each region smartly transitions into the next then conveniently loops back around to previous ones thanks to new abilities Cheshire gets, while also tucking away little secrets off the beaten path. Exploring is always worth the extras you earn, be that saving the adorable Wisps who populate the forest, reading elegantly written journal entries full of enticing lore, or discovering new landmarks to soak in a lovely view and let Cereza reflect on her journey.
More than anything, this is a coming of age tale for Cereza.
More than anything, this is a coming of age tale for Cereza. The story centers around a turning point in her life as she comes to grips with her witchcraft and fights the insecurities of not being good enough for her master Morgana – and if you’re familiar with the original Bayonetta, it’s cool to see Cereza’s ultimate goal of saving her mom remains her driving motivation here. Anyone who’s had childhood struggles can relate to Cereza on some level, and her rich personality and the way she rises up in defining moments bring those feelings to life.
I often forgot I was even playing a Bayonetta game, which is a testament to Bayonetta Origins’ endlessly charming and youthful charisma. The dynamic between Cereza and Cheshire starting as a contentious partnership before growing into a true friendship works as a wonderful hook, one that perfectly fits the storybook vibe. The idea that this unlikely duo must rely on each other to survive the faeries’ deception, break a supposed curse, and reach their own separate goals seems like a tale as old as time, but it truly shines because of how Bayonetta Origins pulls it off.
Cereza is so outwardly expressive at every moment, with a spirited personality elevated by a magnificent voice performance from Angeli Wall. Her enthusiasm is matched by the narrator, voiced by Jenny Lee, whose performance perfectly captures the memory of your favorite elementary school teacher reading a thrilling fairy tale to the class. The narrator also switches to voice Cheshire’s lines on a dime, using a comical imitation of a beastly growl, which creates an effortlessly whimsical tone that made me feel like a kid during story time again. I can honestly say that they never failed to put a smile on my face, giving me a sense of childlike joy I truly cherish.
As a demon haphazardly summoned by Cereza, Cheshire’s growth as a character is adorably wholesome. Maybe it’s that he embodies her patchwork cat plushie, or that deep down you know he’s a big softie who struggles with his demonic origins. For as much trouble as she gets herself in, Cereza is as bright as she is daring, and even in her brash decisions and mistakes, she remains steadfast. Through their quarrels, you’ll still find the two snuggled up under the trees at each Sanctuary save point like a heartwarming respite amid a harrowing adventure. And in their most triumphant moments, they won my heart over and over again.
Wisps have some of the wittiest game writing in recent memory.
In the bigger picture, however, the story’s focus can get a bit shaky towards the end. I don’t want to spoil anything, and the broader plotline does largely make sense, but certain elements don’t always quite add up and genuinely intriguing conflicts can sometimes make too quick of a narrative leap to be fully convincing. But even with those bumps in the road, the journey comes together as a beautifully written tale of friendship, determination, and realizing your potential with a natural, lighthearted sense of humor to elevate it.
That might best be seen in the precious Wisps, who are quirky little fellas with hilarious personalities and backstories that feature some of the wittiest writing from a game in recent memory. You save these spirits by finding them throughout the forest, often in secret areas that require a sharp eye to discover. They add a truly charming touch and unlocking their journal entries was reason enough for me to rescue them. But as an added bonus, you’ll also see their hideaway blossom into a safe haven for these goofy and kind souls who can thrive and find joy even in a tragic existence.
The mortar that strengthens these already strong bricks has to be the amazing soundtrack. Bayonetta Origins has an eclectic mix of uplifting Celtic folk music, intense and layered orchestras, spooky waltzes that remind me of Halloween, and joyous piano tunes that liven the mystical vibe. Every shift in tone, powerful moment, or small discovery is accompanied by the perfect piece of music. The cute jingle that plays whenever you open a chest, where Cereza jumps for joy with a celebratory giggle, was always a treat. But I won’t forget the rich orchestral pieces used to complement the vivid, pivotal battles, especially the ones that use subtle callbacks to some of Bayonetta’s iconic themes — it’s a powerful and unique type of nostalgia that brings the series full circle, recontextualizing memorable melodies to convey that these are Cereza’s formative moments.
I’ll always love the bombastic brand of stylish-action the Bayonetta games are known for, and the series is arguably the best representation of the subgenre out there. But Bayonetta Origins shows that this series can be even more than that, to the point where I’d go as far as calling it my new favorite entry. It’s so completely different from the numbered Bayonetta games that it’s not entirely worth comparing them, but this is still the one I’ll remember most fondly, at least for the ways it strikes emotional chords I didn’t think Bayonetta could.
