As in the original game players take control of Bayonetta, an Umbran Witch who must rescue her friend Jeanne soul from the depths of Inferno.  The story takes plays a few months after the events of the first game.  On her quest to rescue Jeanne soul she must battle a host of angels and demons that are out to stop her.

Leading up to the release of the game Nintendo announced at E3 2014, that the game would include a port of the original game, allowing Nintendo fans the opportunity to experience the original game before diving into the sequel.   The port included exclusive Nintendo costumes where Bayonetta can dress in outfits resembling Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Link and Samus Aran.  The port of the original game would come bundled with the purchase of the sequel through either a digital download via the Nintendo eShop or on a separate disc included with the physical release of Bayonetta 2.

The sequel also included Nintendo customs however unlike the customs included with the port of the original game they would not be available by default.   Instead players would need to first purchase the “Super Mirror 64-2” from The Gates of Hell, then buy each individual Couture Bullet to unlock the costumes.  Once again players could change Bayonetta’s outfit to make her resemble Princess Peach, Link and Samus Aran however in the sequel the Princess Daisy custom was replaced with a Fox McCloud custom.

The game received critical acclaim when it released in September 2014 in Japan and October 2014 in North America and Europe.   It was praised for its combat system and overall improvements from the first game.  The sequel sold approximately 300,000 copies worldwide on the Wii U, a system that struggled to gain a large customer base.   Nintendo failed to achieve a large install base with the Wii U after 4 years on the market and proceeded to launch their next console, the Nintendo Switch in hopes to regain its install base.  After the launch of the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo arranged for PlatinumGames to port both games to the Switch, which sold 400,000 copies after a couple of months of its release.   Pleased with how the game performed, Nintendo chose to continue to relationship with PlatinumGames and yet another sequel, Bayonetta 3 was announced during The Game Awards in December 2017.