We've documented 22 accessibility features for Bayonetta, including Control Assists, Select Difficulty, No Button Combos, No Holds and Play Without Hearing. Its accessibility is strongest in Controls and Reading but it also has features in Difficulty, Getting Started, Visual, Audio and Navigation to reduce unintended barriers.
This report is created with input from accessibility experts and the player community to help people find games that have the accessibility features they require. Once you have found potential games on the database, there are excellent specialist accessibility sites that offer in-depth reviews to guide your purchasing decisions.
Our accessibility examiner, Ben Kendall, first checked Bayonetta accessibility 8 months ago. It was re-examined by Ben Kendall and updated 8 months ago.
Accessibility Notes
Text in menus and the UI, as well as subtitles, tend to be high in contrast, but occasionally aren't, especially against lighter backgrounds. UI text is often quite small, but subtitles are almost 1/20th the height of the screen.
There is no map or in-game navigational aids, so the way forward can sometimes be difficult to discern.
There are very frequent flashes and screen shake effects, as well as some motion effects.
Game Details
Release Date: 29/10/2009, updated in 2018
Out Now: PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Wii U, Xbox 360 and Xbox One
Skill Rating: 12+ year-olds
Players: 1
Genres: Action, Fighting (Adventure, Narrative, Shooting and Traversal)
Accessibility: 22 features
Components: 3D Third-Person
Developer: Platinum Games (@PlatinumGames)
Costs: Purchase cost
Controls
We've documented 10 accessibility features for Controls in Bayonetta which deal with how you control the game, different options for alternative inputs and whether you can remap these settings to suit your needs.
Gamepad
Can play with the following:
Multiple Buttons & Two Sticks: Can play with multiple buttons and two sticks.
Mouse And Keyboard
Can play with the following:
Mouse and Keys: Can play with mouse and multiple keys.
Remap Controls
Can customise the controls for the game as follows:
Remap Mouse and Keyboard: Can remap mouse and keyboard key bindings, on systems that support these controls.
Remap One Action to Multiple Buttons: Can remap multiple buttons to perform the same action to reduce the need to memorise buttons and make the action easier to access.
Invert X/Y Axis: Can invert the direction required to control looking and aiming. This enables you to match your instinctive orientation when looking.
Button Combinations
Specific button operation required to play
Holding Down Buttons Optional: Holding down buttons for prolonged periods (a second or more) is not required or can be switched to toggling the action on and off. This is in addition to the movement stick/button which is not considered a hold for this purpose.
No Simultaneous Buttons: Only one button or key required at a time, in addition to direction stick(s).
Controller Vibration
Vibration Optional: Controller vibration not used in the game or you can disable it.
Informative Vibration: Controller vibration indicates events or interactions in the game, echoing visual and audio cues. This can provide additional information about progress, approaching enemies or hitting a target.
Sensitivity
You can adjust
Adjust Mouse/Stick/Touch Sensitivity: Adjust how sensitive touch/mouse/stick controls are.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Controls
If you want to play Bayonetta, but it doesn't offer the Controls accessibility features you require, this similar game extends the Controls accessibility:
- Hi-Fi Rush (12 Controls Features)
Difficulty
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Difficulty in Bayonetta which deal with how you can adjust the challenge of play, and whether this is locked once chosen or can be adjusted as you play.
Difficulty Options
Select Difficulty: Select the level of difficulty from a range of presets. This not only offers a way to adjust the challenge of a game but enables you to do so without dealing with individual criteria.
Adjust After Setting
Adjustable Between Levels: You can adjust the difficulty between levels/rounds. Although you have to restart your checkpoint or level, this enables you to adjust the difficulty after selecting it at the beginning of the game.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Difficulty
If you want to play Bayonetta, but it doesn't offer the Difficulty accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Difficulty accessibility:
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (3 Difficulty Features)
- Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy (3 Difficulty Features)
Getting Started
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Getting Started in Bayonetta which deal with what support is offered to get started with the game. This includes customising the experience when you first open the game via any onboarding processes it provides as well as tutorials and other assistance when you first start playing.
Assistance Getting Starting
These features aid your play of the game in terms of cognitive load on learning controls, dealing with pressure and coping with the environment and challenges.
Tutorials: There are helpful tutorials and instructions on how to play. Information is provided in a timely manner, with appropriate level of detail.
Assistance With Controls: The game can automatically assist with aiming, steering, reloading, jumping, running etc. This reduces the challenge of certain aspects of play to remove barriers and make control of characters more accessible.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Getting Started
If you want to play Bayonetta, but it doesn't offer the Getting Started accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Getting Started accessibility:
- Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy (8 Getting Started Features)
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (7 Getting Started Features)
- Hi-Fi Rush (6 Getting Started Features)
- Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (5 Getting Started Features)
Reading
We've documented 3 accessibility features for Reading in Bayonetta which deal with how much reading or listening comprehension is required, how well the game provides visual and audible access to the text and whether subtitles and captions are a good fit for purpose.
Reading Level
How much reading is required to play the game's main path or story and how complex the language is. The presence of voiced characters doesn't reduce this requirement, as it's recorded as a separate datapoint.
Simple Minimal Reading: Minimal reading is required. The quantity and complexity of reading are at a level that a primary/elementary student (9-year-old) could understand.
Subtitles
All Speech Subtitled (Or No Speech In Game): All spoken content has subtitles, or there is no speech in the game. This means there is no requirement to hear spoken dialogue or narrative to play the game.
Voice Acted
Some Dialogue is Voice Acted: Some of the game dialogue and narrative is voice acted. This reduces the pressure on reading all the dialogue text, although not everything is provided audibly.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Reading
If you want to play Bayonetta, but it doesn't offer the Reading accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Reading accessibility:
- Hi-Fi Rush (7 Reading Features)
- Knack (7 Reading Features)
- Knack 2 (6 Reading Features)
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (6 Reading Features)
Navigation
We've documented 1 accessibility feature for Navigation in Bayonetta which deals with how the game provides guidance and assistance to navigate its worlds. These are only for games that have traversal and exploration in 2D and 3D spaces.
Menu Navigation
Digital Menu Navigation: Menu choices with Gamepad can be made without using an analogue stick to guide a cursor to a selection. For example, using D-Pad, buttons or the Stick to change menu selection in a single action.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Navigation
If you want to play Bayonetta, but it doesn't offer the Navigation accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Navigation accessibility:
- Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (8 Navigation Features)
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (6 Navigation Features)
- Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (5 Navigation Features)
- Lego City: Undercover (5 Navigation Features)
Visual
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Visual in Bayonetta which deal with how you can adjust the visuals to suit your needs, and offer additional information if you can't hear the game.
Audio Cues for Visual Events
Audio Cues for Visual Events: Audio is provided to indicate visual events. Game events or progress highlighted by visual icons, effects or animations are also accompanied by audio to signify that progress. This is useful for blind players.
Colour Options
Colour Blind Friendly: Game doesn’t rely on colour or can switch to colour blind friendly mode with double coding or similar way to avoid colour dependance.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Visual
If you want to play Bayonetta, but it doesn't offer the Visual accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Visual accessibility:
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (6 Visual Features)
- My Friend Pedro (5 Visual Features)
- Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy (5 Visual Features)
- Asterigos: Curse of the Stars (4 Visual Features)
Audio
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Audio in Bayonetta which deal with how you can adjust the audio of the game and whether audio cues compensate for aspects of the game that are hard to see.
Adjustable Audio
Balance Audio Levels: Set music and game sound effects separately. This enables you to select your preference as well as ensure critical game sounds aren't obscured by other audio.
Play Without Hearing
Play Without Hearing: No audio cues are necessary to play the game well.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Audio
If you want to play Bayonetta, but it doesn't offer the Audio accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Audio accessibility:
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (4 Audio Features)
- Hi-Fi Rush (3 Audio Features)
- Nier: Automata (3 Audio Features)
- Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (3 Audio Features)
System Accessibility Settings
In addition to the accessibility features provided in the game, you can also use system-wide accessibility settings:
Nintendo Switch
Nintendo Switch has some built-in features, including a lockable zoom, that can be used on all games.
Nintendo Wii U
The Wii U has some limited settings, such as disabling rumble and selecting mono audio.
PC
Windows has extensive accessibility features. Some, like colour correction, work with games. Lots of accessibility software can be used with PC games, from voice recognition to input device emulators.
PlayStation 4
PlayStation 4 has a range of accessibility settings. Some are system only, some work in games (invert colours and button mapping).
Xbox One
Xbox One has a system features, the excellent co-pilot share controls mode and adaptive controller support for all games.
Read more about system accessibility settings.
Accessibility Report supported by VSC Rating Board, PlayabilityInitiative and accessibility contributors Ben Kendall