Bayonetta 2’s Story mode is organized as follows: Records of Time, Prologue, and 16 Chapters, and the Lost Chapter (consisting of five Witch Trials). This section of this guide shows you how to navigate through the Chapters, locate all hidden collectibles, and beat every Verse in every Chapter.
Maps
The 16 Story Chapters contain maps when applicable, showing the locations of all Verses. Number callouts point to locations on the maps, referring to specific parts of the walkthrough denoting key points of interest, collectibles, or helpful navigation advice.
Every map includes a key to illustrate what all of the numbers mean. For select stages, a green marker denoting the starting point is provided.
Verse Guides
The walkthrough places special emphasis on the ranked Verses that appear in each Chapter. When you reach a Verse location, the guide indicates which Verse you’ve reached and shows the score requirements necessary to achieve specific medal ranks across all difficulties, along with what enemies you’ll face on 1st Climax through 3rd Climax difficulty and on ∞ Climax difficulty. The text details any useful advice about fighting enemies at that location, including suggested weaponry to use, and useful tips on how to obtain the coveted Pure Platinum rank in the majority of Verses.
All Verses are detailed in their own Verse sections, whether they are standard Verses that you come across if you progress straight through a Chapter, secret Verses that require you to backtrack through an area to activate them, or the hidden Muspelheim portal Verses scattered through every Chapter.
Difficulty Breakdowns
Most battles change entirely when playing on ∞ Climax difficulty, providing extra or different enemies that you normally would not encounter on lower difficulty settings. For those sections, the guide contains specific advice for dealing with those types of situations.
Enemy Spotlight
As you progress through the game, you encounter new types of enemies. We highlight these new encounters—the battles that introduce enemy types—and go into greater detail on how to defeat these new foes.
Umbran Resting Places
The special Umbran Witch Resting Places contain upgrades and restorative items. However, before you can open them, you must collect their scattered pieces. Boxouts show strategies for collecting these in an efficient manner.
Lost Chapter and Tag Climax
Even after completing Story mode, there’s still more Bayonetta 2 to be had in Lost Chapter and Tag Climax. Two more walkthrough chapters cover these special modes, once again listing the medal ranking requirements and any pertinent information about what to expect during these missions.