[5] It is the sequel to the 2009 game Bayonetta, and was directed by Yusuke Hashimoto and produced by Atsushi Inaba, Akiko Kuroda, and Hitoshi Yamagami, under supervision by series creator Hideki Kamiya.

[10] Bayonetta 2 received widespread critical acclaim, with praise for its combat system, visuals, and overall improvements from the first game.

Players are also able to use special moves called Torture Attacks, trapping opponents in infernal devices for extra points.

[11] Bayonetta 2 adds a new gameplay element called Umbran Climax which can be activated when the player has a full magic gauge.

Similar to the state of boss fights in the first game, this technique strengthens Bayonetta's attacks and combos with extra Wicked Weaves and Infernal Demon summons for a short period of time.

[13][14][15] Most of Bayonetta 2 takes place on the fictional sacred mountain of Fimbulventr and the nearby town of Noatun, both located in the Middle East.

The main character Bayonetta (Hellena Taylor / Atsuko Tanaka) travels to the mountain to find the Gates of Hell to save her friend Jeanne (Grey DeLisle-Griffin / Mie Sonozaki).

Returning characters include Rodin (Dave Fennoy / Tesshō Genda), the bartender of Gates of Hell who supplies Bayonetta with powerful weapons; Luka (Yuri Lowenthal / Daisuke Namikawa), a journalist who provides Bayonetta with valuable information; and Enzo (John Kassir / Wataru Takagi), an informant who provides comic relief.

New characters include Loki (Mark Daugherty / Junko Minagawa), an amnesiac boy who guides Bayonetta to the mountain; the Masked Lumen (Crispin Freeman / Takehito Koyasu), a powerful Sage and Bayonetta's new rival; and Loptr (TJ Ramini / Takumi Yamazaki), a mysterious Prophet apparently allied with the Masked Lumen.

At the same time, a masked Lumen Sage is brought to the present by a mysterious figure, known as the Prophet, who promises him the chance for revenge.

Upon a tip from her informant Luka, Bayonetta heads to the mountain of Fimbulventr, in the city of Noatun, which houses an entrance to Inferno.

Due to the death of the allegedly last Lumen Sage, Father Balder by Bayonetta and Jeanne, the Right Eye of Lightness had disappeared, which prompted Luka to investigate the consequences to the planet, and if it is connected to the natural disasters that has been occurring.

Now in Vigrid during the Witch Hunts, Bayonetta meets her mother Rosa, and the two work together to fight back against the angels.

Shortly after the release of Bayonetta, Hideki Kamiya discussed with Yusuke Hashimoto ideas for sequels and spin-off games from the title.

A multiplayer mode was also announced, along with the option of a touch-based control scheme and the confirmation that the game will support Off-TV Play.

[28] To market the release, Nintendo partnered with Playboy to set a photo shoot with Playmate Pamela Horton cosplaying Bayonetta.

[29] The music of Bayonetta 2 was composed by a group of members led by Masami Ueda, many of whom returned after being featured on the soundtrack for the first game.

[30] A key difference in the soundtrack between the games is the inclusion of dynamic music for boss fights based on the progression in Bayonetta 2.

Both the remixed version and the original are included in the game, much like how "Fly Me To The Moon" was used as the main theme song for Bayonetta.

The magazine's reviewer described it as "a riotous, spectacular work of the highest order of camp" and praised the game for the extent of its customisability and for refining problematic elements from the first Bayonetta, with tighter pacing and the removal of "sudden, mid-cinematic, instafail QTEs".

[64] Chris Carter from Destructoid also rated it a 10/10, where he declared it as "one of the finest action games of all time", alongside Devil May Cry 3.

"[40] IGN's Jose Otero commented that its art direction and pacing "make Bayonetta 1 look poor by comparison,"[51] while GameTrailers called it "sharpened to a nearly flawless degree" compared to its predecessor, praising the variety in addition to the style mixed with the gameplay, where the game "thrives on throwing players into complete madness and letting them conquer it.

It's just as stylish and as fun as ever"[37] Of the game's new features, the co-operative online Tag Climax mode was welcomed by GameSpot's Mark Walton[45] and by Eurogamer's Martin Robinson, who praised it for requiring the player to gain a deep understanding of the combo scoring system;[40] however, IGN's Otero commented that the fun it provides was restricted to short bursts, and Polygon's Arthur Gies found the mode's co-operative mechanics at odds with its competitive focus on scoring.

All of the aforementioned Bayonetta franchise content returned in the Nintendo Switch sequel Super Smash Bros.