Platinum Games says Bayonetta 3 created "Innocent Angel Mode" so that "more people can fully enjoy" the game.
A new game mode for the upcoming Bayonetta 3 from Platinum Games is sparking discussion on social media. The company says this is a new feature that will allow more people to "fully enjoy" the game by toggling the amount of nudity shown in the game.
Platinum Games has announced the new mode, updated the game's trailer, and shared news of its release date. Nintendo Switch will be released exclusively on October 28, 2022.
The new game mode is called "Innocent Angel Mode" and was showcased in a video explaining how it will work in the game. According to the video shown, enabling Innocent Angel mode will switch the character model used in the game.
When the mode is off, Bayonetta will continue her tradition of using her clothes (which is also her hair, very intricately) as weapons, allowing her to wear less while stringing together high combo attacks.
Bayonetta and other similarly attired game characters will remain fully nude when the mode is on.
Bayonetta 3's Wardrobe Weapons
It's worth noting that creating a feature like "Innocent Angel Mode" requires quite a bit of extra work. The feature appears to swap in-game models for Bayonetta and other characters, meaning that throughout development, said models had to be developed and checked to ensure quality.
As Platinum Games puts it, the purpose of this work is to allow more players to "fully enjoy" the game. There's a lot to unpack in the statement—questions about Bayonetta's sex style have been swirling around the series since its debut in 2014, and while critics like our Catherine Cross I noticed her creator gave She instills a sense of agency that transcends traditional objectification.
In an increasingly global video game market, different cultural standards regarding nudity mean that some players may not participate in Bayonetta for cultural or religious reasons. There are certainly benefits to developing features that invite more players to experience the series by meeting their local and cultural standards.
However, this mode doesn't take away Bayonetta's pole-dancing -style fighting style, nor the suggestive camera angles and sound effects that were the series' hallmarks. This model really puts the focus back on the female body and how much arbitrary level of skin exposure is appropriate in different cultures.
Platinum Games is entering an interesting space, as the company has definitely not shied away from Bayonetta's style in the past.
