Directed by Keiichiro Toyama, the core mechanic of the game is the player's ability to manipulate gravity, allowing unique movements and navigation.

The game follows Kat, a gravity-shifting teenage girl and super-heroine, after she is drawn from her home of Hekseville into another universe and must liberate the citizens of Jirga Para Lhao from its evil rulers.

After a gravitational disturbance is reported in the floating district of Neu Hiraleon, Kat travels there with her gravity shifting partner Raven, and Syd, a police officer, to investigate.

They befriend a girl named Cecie, who also arrived in mysterious circumstances, and work to mine Gravity Ore, traveling into Rift Planes to harvest it to sell to unscrupulous trader Vogo Sun.

There, she meets Kali Angel, a mysterious Shifter who replaced her as the city's hero, and Dr. Brahman, a brilliant scientist who designed a city-wide, robotic, Nevi defense system.

In the game's final chapter, Kat encounters a glowing girl, who tells her that the "dark ocean" under the city will destroy Hekseville and the world.

King Cai informs her that she is the former queen, and cloisters her in the castle due to an "illness", but Kat realizes she was brainwashed and that he is holding Raven prisoner.

King Cai releases the glowing girl from a crystal, revealing her to be Elektricitie, the personification of electrical energy, and expressing an intent to hasten the world's demise.

King Cai is slapped by Kat, and merges with his Guardian, Wolp, into a giant monster that is the manifestation of the black hole below the city.

This dark being offers Kat a deal to make her survive the end and eventual rebirth of the world, but she chooses to defeat him with the help of the populace, and seal the black hole by sacrificing herself.

[17] Peter Brown of GameSpot praised how the game improved upon its predecessor by calling it "more than just a simple follow-up, Gravity Rush 2 exceeds expectations".

[22] Jaz Rignall of USGamer was also positive regarding the story, considering the character development, light and fun approach and stylized delivery to be the Gravity Rush 2's stronger element, even favorably comparing them to Studio Ghibli productions.

[26] Reviewing for Polygon, Whitney Reynolds noted the protagonist Kat's fun characterization and enthusiasm as reasons to play through the optional side quests.

[25] Chris Carter of Destructoid considered the visuals to be enhanced by having been developed for the PS4 first, unlike the first Gravity Rush while still retaining well received elements from before, including the hand drawn art and comic book-styled story transitions, calling the overall looks "gorgeous".

[24] David Roberts of GamesRadar also praised the gravity-based movement throughout the open-world environment yet was critical of the camera controls, particularity in small spaces calling it "ill-equipped to keep up".