The latest Nintendo Direct released a new trailer for Bayonetta 3, renewing interest in the series as a whole. Fans new and old have been revisiting the original Bayonetta, getting in on the series' ground floor.
It's entirely possible to enjoy the Bayonetta series purely as an action game, but Bayonetta also has a hidden layer of time-travel-filled interplanar lore. Whether players are trying to familiarize themselves with Bayonetta's combos or cosmos, it's a title worth brushing up on.
But before they start dancing and fighting angels, players might wonder how long it takes to beat Bayonetta. PlatinumGames' titles tend not to be 100-hour epics, at least if players aren't trying to perfectly S-rank every level. Instead, they tend to be tightly paced roller coasters, split into a number of chapters.
The Number of Chapters in Bayonetta
Bayonetta's main storyline has 18 chapters, each one split into a number of fights called "Verses." If the player isn't struggling, then each chapter should take about half an hour on average. The chapters are listed below:
- Prologue: The Vestibule
- Chapter 1: The Angel's Metropolis
- Chapter II: Vigrid, City of Deja Vu
- Chapter III: The Burning Ground
- Chapter IV: The Cardinal Virtue of Fortitude
- Chapter V: The Lost Holy Grounds
- Chapter VI: The Gates of Paradise
- Chapter VII: The Cardinal Virtue of Temperance
- Chapter VIII: Route 666
- Chapter IX: Paradiso - A Remembrance of Time
- Chapter X: Paradiso - A Sea of Stars
- Chapter XI: The Cardinal Virtue of Justice
- Chapter XII: The Broken Sky
- Chapter XIII: The Cardinal Virtue of Prudence
- Chapter XIV: Isla Del Sol
- Chapter XV: A Tower to Truth
- Chapter XVI: The Lumen Sage
- Epilogue: Requiem
The chapters vary in length. Some of them are gauntlets of enemy encounters, while others are a single drawn-out boss fight. Levels also have collectible umbral tears to find, as well as hidden combat challenges called "Alfheims" to complete.
After Bayonetta's Story
Bayonetta has a secret bonus chapter, called "Lost Chapter: Angel Slayer." It's unlocked after beating every chapter's alfheims, and it's a plot-less survival challenge that pits the player against 51 waves of enemies.
Players can also face Bayonetta's incredibly difficult secret boss. It's unlocked by spending 999,999 halos, the game's currency, for a "Rodin Ticket." The fight will definitely take more than one attempt, so unlocking and facing the secret boss will easily double the game's completion time.
Bayonetta is available now for PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One.