Blasphemous 2 Review

Developer The Game Kitchen excels at producing bizarre pixel art imagery, whether it’s a giant woman willingly allowing the Children of Moonlight to deglove one of her hands, a bearded man oozing golden honey from gaping wounds on his palms, face, and back, or a vendor who is nothing more than an arm protruding from a towering pile of goods. With Blasphemous 2, the Seville-based studio delves even further into Andalusian and Spanish iconography, folklore, and culture to create a gothic, loosely Catholic universe that is both horrifying and fascinating. Blasphemous 2 follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, fusing its distinctive and horrifying visual with a gameplay combination of Metroidvanias and Souls-likes. It was inspired by the religious paintings of Francisco Goya and the architecture of places like Seville and Cadiz. However, while the previous game fell short, its follow-up makes notable advancements, creating an exciting experience that doesn’t tire.

Blasphemous 2: Overview

Even while the first game was excellent, its latter portions lacked variation due to one-dimensional combat with only one weapon and challenging platforming. Blasphemous 2 thankfully fixes both of these problems by adding a strong combat system along with more diversified traversal that doesn’t rely on an excessive amount of spike traps. The occasional trap meant to punish ill-timed leaps will still appear, but you won’t die instantly if you land on a bed of sharp spikes anymore. This is an important addition because the platforming is now more difficult due to an enlarged repertoire of abilities, but you won’t be discouraged if you make a mistake while navigating the maze-like environment.

Plot

Blasphemous 2’s plot is just as convoluted as its predecessor’s. Many of its complex mythology can be deduced from conversations with amiable NPCs and verbose item descriptions, but if you’re anything like me, you’ll need a thorough lore video to completely understand it all. The setup is nevertheless quite straightforward. Blasphemous 2 starts with the return of The miraculous, an all-powerful deity who is expected to give birth to a so-called miraculous child, where Wounds of Eventide DLC left off in Blasphemous. In order to kill the unholy infant and any other ugly monstrosities in his way, The Penitent One is compelled to emerge from his eternal sleep as a result of this. Numerous NPCs will reveal hints along the journey about the new, mysterious world the Penitent One is in and its well-kept mysteries, but only if you decide to look for them. You’ll only get out what you’re willing to put in, much like the mysterious legends of From Software. This kind of storytelling isn’t for everyone, but even if you are unable or unwilling to understand all of its intricacies, the stories that do fully engage you will probably captivate you.

Weapon

Selecting a starting weapon is The Penitent One’s first chore after emerging from his elaborate casket. There are three different alternatives available, starting with Veredicto, the most potent of the three. This large flail is ideal for smiting adversaries without getting too close because it has a long reach and a wide arc. Although it isn’t the fastest weapon, its sheer force boosts your chances of stunning opponents, leaving them vulnerable to a well-executed killing blow. When you have enough Fervour, which is Blasphemous 2’s equivalent of mana, you can also set Veredicto ablaze for a brief period of time, which will allow you to singe enemies with more burn damage.

Sarmiento & Centella

Sarmiento & Centella, a pair of lightning-fast twin blades that trade speed for strength, are on the other end of the spectrum. When you have this pair on, you can also deflect oncoming blows, which makes it very practical for close-quarters combat. On the other hand, Ruego Al Alba stands for a compromise between the two extremes of the other choices. With proper timing, this blade, which is the most evenly matched of the three, also allows you to block oncoming blows. Since each weapon has a distinct traversal skill attached to it, your choice of weapon will determine which paths you may access at the game’s beginning. Making this choice has additional repercussions, but they are mainly superficial because it doesn’t take long before you have all three weapons.

Blasphemous

When it comes to enhancing Blasphemous’ one-note combat, the addition of three diverse weapons is a significant step in the right direction. However, The Game Kitchen doesn’t end there. As you earn new tactics and combos throughout the game, skill trees for each weapon give you a tangible sense of advancement. It’s doubtful that you’ll stick with a single weapon for the duration of a playing because each of the three weapons has advantages and disadvantages of their own. To defeat the variety of enemy kinds Blasphemous 2 throws at you, you must choose the appropriate weapon for the situation. Whether it’s an armored giant holding a poison-coated hammer or a magician casting fire spells from the comfort of his bed as some helpless, helpless saps are hoisting him up. Each sprite is exquisitely animated, and foes frequently split apart after being defeated, which never loses its appeal. The battle also has a pleasant tempo as adversaries launch attacks that are well-marked. Death is never far away if you’re careless—perhaps by taking a risk with an extra attack or timing an evasive slide wrong—but overcoming each opponent comes down to understanding their movesets and being accurate in your actions, giving most clashes an exhilarating back-and-forth tempo.

Blasphemous 2: Boss

Similar to the first game, boss battles in Blasphemous 2 are a highlight, pitting you against a variety of interesting and difficult opponents. Others take a page out of the Bullet Hell playbook by barrage you with a bewildering array of projectiles, while some demand the precision to accurately identify and then calculate when to evade impending melee strikes. Another traditional component of these fierce battles is memorizing which moves may be stopped and which must be dashed through or leaped over, although there is also variability within this well-known structure. In one encounter, for instance, you are forced to jump between two swaying chandeliers in order to evade the boss’s strikes or pursue him. The only drawback to these battles is the obligatory cutscenes that usually open each one. It doesn’t take long for tedium to set in during a fight when you attempt the same one repeatedly, even though they are often very brief.

Blasphemous 2: Difficulties

The multiple platforming difficulties in Blasphemous 2 also emphasize precision. The Game Kitchen has fully adopted the Metroidvana rulebook this time around, so new traversal moves are gradually unlocked as you advance through the game. They start out easy enough when you’re only allowed one leap and one weapon ability. Once the necessary ability has been unlocked, you’ll find a lot of dead ends that need to be revisited, and as I already indicated, each of the three weapons has a special power connected to it. For instance, Veredicto can be used to ring one of these enchanted floating bells to release a soundwave that reveals hidden platforms and unlocks particular doors. However, you also get access to more common moves like a double leap and an air dash. Eventually, you’ll be using several moves simultaneously to move through a single floor while switching between weapons to expose hidden platforms and remove barriers. It occasionally has a distinctively retro vibe, bringing to mind some of the best 2D platformers where a jumping puzzle can be just as exciting as a hectic battle against numerous enemies.

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