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Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon review – wicked witch cleans up her act

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Risque, immature, absurd – just some of the words you could use to describe Platinum Games’ inimitably sexually charged action franchise, Bayonetta. For those yet to experience their first Umbran Climax, it’s a series filled with succubi, sex appeal and shooter-strapped-stilettos, so when Nintendo resurrected Sega’s abandoned franchise for its ailing Wii U, there were naturally more than a few raised eyebrows.

It turns out fans shouldn’t have worried, with the Nintendo-published Bayonetta 2 and 3 turning out just as violent and depraved as the original. Now almost a decade after Bayonetta 2, the house of Mario has created what fans feared – an altogether more sanitised, family-friendly take on gaming’s wicked witch.

Entitled Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon, this fairytale-inspired prequel casts you as a pint-sized version of the action heroine. Joining Cereza long before she earned the title of Bayonetta, we meet the fearsome femme as a sheepish young witch in training. With her mother imprisoned and only her haughty teacher Morgana for company, Cereza finds herself feeling lonely and powerless, and so ventures into the forbidden pines of Avalon Forest in order to prove herself.

In many ways, Cereza and the Lost Demon is the anti-Bayonetta. It’s simple, innocent and welcomes new players with open arms. Unlike the slickly realistic sheen of her mainline outings, Cereza and the Lost Demon instead sports a more folklore visual style, taking place inside the crisp-looking pages of a children’s book. Out are the guns, bloodshed and kinky executions, replaced instead with fairies, cuddly toys and a surprisingly heartwarming tale. In other words, it’s Babynetta.

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Still, it’s a risk that’s largely paid off. As you roam its whimsical woods, Avalon Forest’s fantastic environments are brought vividly to life via finely sketched lines. Each new diorama feels like entering a newly turned page of a delightful pop-up story, taking you everywhere from idyllic waterfalls to ethereal floating dimensions. Part Okami, part Child of Light, its twist on the well-worn cel-shading art style is a handsome one, perfectly suiting the limitations of the increasingly creaky Nintendo Switch hardware.

As you might expect from the softer tone, tween Cereza isn’t quite the badass fans will be used to. To fit her underdeveloped witchcraft, the gameplay here is a blend of platform and action, with Bayonetta’s reduced moveset seeing her completely reliant on protection from cuddly toy turned-demonic-bodyguard, Cheshire.

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and The Lost Demon

In a nice touch, Cereza is controlled using the left analogue stick while her fanged protector Cheshire is mapped to the right. Battles see you guiding your witch out of the path of danger and using magic to bind enemies while simultaneously dealing hefty blows with a growling Cheshire. The dual analogue controls lend themselves neatly to traversal too, adding a nice puzzle-platform element to the cutesy proceedings. With insidious fairies roaming the forest, the two can’t ever be left too far apart, and after a certain distance Cheshire reverts to his toy form, hurtling back into Cereza’s arms.

Not content with just looking like a bedtime story, Cereza’s cutesy origin tale is all tied together via a soothing Scottish narrator who provides an impressive amount of comical voices for all the non-Cereza characters. It’s all charming stuff, with a surprisingly solid script telling the most coherent Bayonetta story to date – a low bar, admittedly.

While initially the core combat feels woefully simplistic for adult players, like with any good teacher, Bayonetta Origins patiently drip feeds the lessons you need to learn, developing from puzzle platformer into a child-friendly introduction to the often demanding character-action genre.

As early chapters linearity gives way to a wider playground to explore, Cereza and her stitched together companion become free to veer off down branching paths too, unearthing the secrets this world has to offer. It’s all very Metroidvania-lite, with Cheshire’s slowly accrued elemental powers offering up a surprising amount of new ways to interact with environments, encouraging backtracking as you hunt down hidden trinkets that unlock new skills for both demon and Cereza.

As you explore slightly more bizarre locales, you begin to see the influence of developer Platinum Games’ other work behind the preschool presentation, too. Surrealist sections recall the mind boggling Nier: Automata, while playful asynchronous platforming invokes memories of bizarre superhero outing, The Wonderful 101.

The problem is, while consistently charming, Cereza and the Lost Demon is short on real “wow” moments. Its surprisingly lengthy story offers enough variety to keep you playing, but rarely enough to have you smiling from ear to ear. It also saves its best for last, with this origin story culminating in a delightfully overblown spectacle that delivers some of the reflex-testing gameplay chops you’d expect from a mainline Bayonetta.

Revealed to little fanfare at last year’s The Game Awards, Bayonetta Origins was the game that no one expected, and even fewer wanted. For some then, its mere existence is akin to Bayo blasphemy, yet in truth, this spin-off is far from the disaster many expected. While it never comes close to the highs of last year’s Bayonetta 3, it’s still a charming curio for fans and more importantly – a fantastic introduction to the genre for younger players.

 

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Record low prices hit Apple's M3 MacBook Pro 14-inch, now on sale from $1,399 – AppleInsider

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B&H has dropped MacBook Pro prices further as March comes to a close. Pick up an M3 MacBook Pro with 16GB RAM for just $1,549 — or opt for the M3 Pro MacBook Pro 14-inch for $1,699. Both are record-breaking deals.

14-inch models

16-inch models

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There are numerous MacBook Pro deals on upgraded configurations, so if you’re looking for an M3 Max configuration or extra storage, it’s worth checking out our Mac Price Guide to shop the latest sales.

Even more month-end deals on Apple

Best Apple prices

Aggressive savings are in effect now on nearly every current Mac. You can also find discounted prices on streaming services, closeout models and software. Here are a few of the top deals going on now:

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Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) New iPad Pro and iPad Air to Hit Markets Soon – TipRanks.com – TipRanks

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Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is likely to introduce its new iPad Pro and iPad Air as soon as May. The much-anticipated product launch will come just ahead of Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June.

End to a Long Wait

As the much-awaited moment draws near, Bloomberg reports that the tech giant’s suppliers have already ramped up production of the devices. For Apple’s devout customers, the introduction of the revamped iPads marks the end of a nearly 18-month drought of major new releases from the company. The iPads are expected to boast features such as new OLED displays for the Pro model and an option for a 12.9-inch screen for the Air model.

Revamped iPads Unleashed

The long wait for new iPad models has resulted in sluggish tablet sales for Apple in recent times. Consequently, the company will likely look to the revamped versions to boost demand. Additionally, Apple is introducing more processing power to the new versions. The Pro models will feature a new M3 chip. Similarly, the iPad Air is also receiving an upgrade with a new processor, moving from its last version’s M1 chip to the latest technology.

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What to Expect in June

Importantly, the product launches are scheduled just before Apple’s highly anticipated annual Worldwide Developers Conference. This event is slated for June 10. The iPhone maker is widely expected to unveil its AI strategy as well as software updates for its range of products at the event. 

Is Apple a Buy, Sell, or a Hold?

Apple’s share price has corrected by nearly 11% year-to-date. The Street has a cautiously optimistic stance on the stock with a Moderate Buy consensus rating. Furthermore, the average AAPL price target of $203.40 points to an 18.6% potential upside in the company’s share price.

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Take-Two Interactive to Acquire 'Borderlands' Developer Gearbox From Embracer Group for $460 Million – Yahoo Canada Sports

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Take-Two Interactive has acquired video game developer Gearbox, the maker of the “Borderlands” franchise, from Embracer Group for $460 million.

Per Take Two, the company “expects the transaction to deepen its successful relationship with Gearbox Entertainment and to provide increased financial benefits through a fully integrated operational structure.”

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As part of the deal, Take-Two will acquire Gearbox IP, including “Borderlands” and “Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands” franchises, games published by Take-Two’s 2K Games, as well as “Homeworld,” “Risk of Rain,” “Brothers in Arms” and “Duke Nukem.”

Currently, Gearbox has six “key interactive entertainment projects in various stages of development,” per Take-Two, which includes five sequels, two from “Borderlands” and “Homeworld” universes, and at least one “exciting new intellectual property,” all of which have been acquired in the sale.

Take-Two’s purchase of Gearbox is expected to close in June, pending regulatory approval. Upon completion, Gearbox will operate as a studio within 2K, continuing to be led by Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford and his management team.

Former Gearbox owner Embracer, a Swedish gaming conglomerate who snapped up the rights to “Lord of the Rings” two years ago, has undergone a severe restructuring program over the past year, which has seen the company shut down or dispose of dozens of games studios and titles and lay off hundreds of staff, resulting in aftershocks that have reverberated throughout the games industry.

The sale of Gearbox marks the latest insistence of Embracer unloading assets, following the company divesting Saber Interactive.

“Our acquisition of Gearbox is an exciting moment for Take-Two and will strengthen our industry-leading creative talent and portfolio of owned intellectual property, including the iconic Borderlands franchise,” Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said. “This combination enhances the financial profile of our existing projects with Gearbox and unlocks the opportunity for us to drive increased long-term growth by leveraging the full resources of Take-Two across all of Gearbox’s exciting initiatives.”

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