How to taunt in Bayonetta 3

Looking to harness the Bayonetta 3 taunt? The ability to mock your enemies is a staple of PlatinumGames' hack and slash franchise, and it again makes a return in the latest game. If you want to get under the skin of your Homunculi adversaries, there's no better way than taunting them!

In this Bayonetta 3 guide, we'll go over everything you need to know about the taunt mechanic. Of course, we'll start off by showing how to taunt, and the specific actions Bayonetta and other players perform when doing so. Alongside that, we'll also break down the specific impact of taunting.

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How do I taunt in Bayonetta 3?

To taunt in Bayonetta 3, all you need to do is press the down button on the D-pad. Of course, this will only work in specific sections. Namely, these are areas of open exploration or during combat sequences, where you have proper control of Bayonetta. As such, it won't work in the more linear set piece sequences.

Pressing the D-pad down during combat will lead Bayonetta to perform a swirling dance move. She twirls in a circle, with a radius of magical petals falling around her.

On top of that, you can hold down the taunt button to perform a different style of taunt. This is a much longer animation, with Bayonetta beckoning her targets to come near before twirling once again.

What is the impact of the Bayonetta 3 taunt?

As with Bayonetta 2, using the taunt mechanic is far deeper than just giving the eponymous witch a sense of style. Rather, taunting increases the aggression of your nearby enemies. This comes with different performance buffs, which can be crucial if you're aiming to get a higher score and earn Platinum medals across chapters in the game.

• Read more: Our Bayonetta 4 release date hub

This puts enemies into an enraged state of mind, in which they'll behave very differently. They naturally become more forward with their attacks, making it harder to stun them with heavy attacks, and more likely for them to break your combo.

However, taunting enemies to enrage them comes with its own set of perks. Each time you hit them you'll get more combo points, leading to more halos as a reward after you finish a chapter. On top of that, it gives you a brief intermission between engagements, letting you plan your attacks for the next action sequence.

That's it for our look at the Bayonetta 3 taunt mechanic! For even more on the game, check out whether a PC release is on the cards, as well as how to switch characters.