The Bayonetta 3 Nintendo Direct trailer began like a scene out of Astral Chain and ended up looking more like something from PlatinumGames' cancelled action-RPG Xbox project, Scalebound.
Why, though? As highlighted by former Scalebound creative producer, JP Kellams on Twitter - it's quite possibly because Bayonetta 3's director, Yusuke Miyata, was the lead designer of the axed Xbox exclusive.
He goes on to note how a move allowing summons to be controlled also looked "very similar to a mechanic" that Miyata and his team had been working on in Scalebound.
If Yusuke Miyata's involvement isn't already enough to convince you that some inspiration might have been drawn from his cancelled project, some fan theories have now taken it a step further.
At the very end of the latest Bayonetta 3 trailer there's a mysterious figure, and well...there seems to be a theory doing the rounds on social media that this character might actually be Drew - the guy who was going to be the protagonist in Scalebound.
Keep in mind, this is all just speculation for now, but it would be rather interesting if PlatinumGames decided to resurrect the cancelled Xbox project via a Nintendo Switch exclusive. In fact, there was a rumour back in 2019, that even suggested something similar.
The last time we heard about the future of the Scalebound IP was in 2020 when Platinum told fans to "send a letter" to Xbox's head, Phil Spencer, if they wanted to see it revived.
What do you make of all this? Do you think Scalebound's universe could potentially resurface in some way or form within Bayonetta 3? Is the third entry simply drawing some creative inspiration from the past Platinum project that was cancelled? Share your own thoughts and theories down below.
[source twitter.com, via purexbox.com]
Comments 29
That dude with the sword behind the back reminds me of Vergil or Nero from DMC. I know it isn’t him but it reminds me of both of those characters
A duplicate by another name for Xbox is likely, but Bayonetta's latter soul remains only within Nintendo. Stay unapologetic. It's way cooler.
That trailer really felt like a Platinum Cinematic Universe.
Maybe this is why it took so long to show Bayonetta 3 in action. It's Scalebound reworked as a Bayonetta game.
The "two giant monsters fighting" bit made me think of the Project GG that was teased a year or so ago. I wonder if Bayo 3 absorbed some of that project's ideas too?
It sucks how Scalebound was cancelled, I'm glad that the lead designer is now directing a Bayonetta game.
The only thing I know is Bayonetta 3 is gonna blow my mind just like the second game did
@anoyonmus I actually thought it could of been Dante.
That could be very possible, I wouldn't be surprised.
God bless Platinum
@PushMyGran1986 oh. Well Dante has longer hair doesn't he? The guy in the picture has shorter hair and more spikey so that is why I thought of Vergil or Nero.
But imagine Dante with short hair!!!
Lol, well old/unused ideas do tend to get recycled but it would be funny if they specifically folded in scalebound mechanics as a flip off to MS/the world/ funding partners.
I hope it's not open world.
Always siad Scalebound would come back and bite MS on the ass on another platform.
Drew didn't have short hair on the back/sides if i remember correctly. The coat is obviously very different too. I would certainly believe they picked up an idea or two from Scalebound. I do hope Bayonetta ca still move freely when controlling the Summon, like in Astral Chain.
...I thought you could fight alongside your summons in Bayonetta 2...
@PushMyGran1986 DMC is capcom, so I doubt it.
Everyone keeps saying that mystery person at the end of the trailer is a guy… but am I the only one who thought it was Jeanne with a short haircut? 😅
@gloom Considering the character is clearly male i think you are the only one.
@WallyWest To me they look female. Or a very youthful male at least. Who knows!
maybe the dude will kill bayonetta and take over as the main character , since her voice actress wasn't very reassuring
MAN, I wish Scalebound would’ve been a game. I would still love to see it finished. I just love the concept.
Better to use what was left of Scalebound's development than to throw it all away completely.
bayo 3 is actually the start of platinum's avengers, we got bayo, lappy, scaleboundman, etc
All these supposed diehard Platinum fans not picking up that this character looks 90% like Vergil is funny enough but they also don’t notice that Scalebound guy is the most Nero looking character since Nero.
The reworking of Scalebound might explain the lack of any B3 footage up until now. Considering the hype around the cancelled game, I can see why PG would want to resurrect it in some form. I just hope it's not at the expense of the Bayonetta formula.
If Scalebound gets revived, please just ditch the multiplayer. I get the feeling is not that type of game and it just put more work on Platinum
It was shelved, my guess is Microsoft realized early on that scalebound would not run one the base xbox one and one s so they temporarily "cancelled* it until the mext gen hardware was out, I am betting we will see it again at E3 2022.
Kamiya was going to direct Scalebound. I fan-theorised at least one enemy design of Scalebound would be used for Bayonetta 3, and it seems there could be more than that.
I'm so excited for this game, really.
I bet that's where the Scalebound rumours came by, someone saw a leaked image of Bayonetta 3 with that giant dragon and then came the report of a similar concept in Astral Chain.
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