Bayonetta 3’s latest patch has just been released, bringing a host of gameplay improvements that are sure to make the journey of playable characters even more enjoyable.
Patch 1.2.0 for Bayonetta 3 is out with detailed patch notes, showing us the latest round of improvements PlatinumGames has made to the latest iteration of Umbra Wizards Nintendo Switch adventure. The full notes can be read on Nintendo Support Site (opens in a new tab).
Patch improvements for bayonet 3 largely related to gameplay, mainly focusing on tweaks to the sub-character Viola’s move set. For example, Platinum has now relaxed the conditions that allow her to activate Witch Time, a time-slow ability that makes it easier to hit combos on enemies. In the past, Viola’s activation of Wizarding Time was annoyingly inconsistent and felt a bit unnatural, so it’s great to see the developers addressing this flaw relatively quickly.
Changes have also been made to some of Niflheim’s more annoying bounty challenges. These mini-quests require the player to meet certain criteria, such as defeating several enemies within a time limit or taking as few hits as possible. Some of the particularly severe Niflheim challenges have now been relaxed.
Unfortunately, that’s not all good news. The patch notes make no mention of Bayonetta 3’s shaky performance. This means that the game’s busier battle sequences and melodramatic episodes are still capable of exhibiting difficult framerates. towel. Many of these drop the Bayonetta 3’s frame rate to an unsettled 30 fps, taking away much of the combat satisfaction that 60 fps would throw away.
The darkness is still
I’ve done that case before Bayonetta 3 is held back by Nintendo Switch. The console’s aging Tegra X1 custom mobile chip doesn’t perform any of the game’s high-octane actions. Of course, PlatinumGames isn’t entirely to blame for this, but it does mean that Bayonetta 3’s more ambitious moments aren’t as memorable as they could be.
The performance of the Bayonetta 3 is an unfortunate bright spot on the company’s résumé. Its games often act as very steady frame rate targets. For example, Astral Chain keeps 30fps locked for most of its run, and the combat feel is made even more gratifying because of this. Similarly, Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2’s Nintendo Switch ports can both hold 60fps targets under a lot of pressure.
I don’t expect miracles here. Platinum is unlikely to alleviate Bayonetta 3’s performance issues in a single patch. But I’d like to see the developer take small steps to improve performance throughout the year. Smaller tweaks here and there can make for a more stable whole.
Of course, more powerful hardware like a Professional Nintendo Switch model can go a long way to improve performance for Best Nintendo Switch game across the board, but whether that will materialize in the middle or next generation remains to be seen.
