Blasphemous 2 is a dark yet beautiful 2D platformer that is an excellent successor to The Game Kitchen’s classic.
How far would you go for your faith? Many people believe that saints were great individuals who lived lives free of sin and were in some way holier than others, but saints were just people, and people are riddled with flaws. How holy could they have been? How holy would you be? Blasphemous 2 is the successor to Blasphemous, which was released back in 2019, and it would seem that there is more sin than ever, and it comes from much closer than you would believe.
As you would expect, Blasphemous 2 is developed by the same studio that made the first game, that being The Game Kitchen. Blasphemous is probably the studio’s most famous title, but they do have a few other noteworthy releases, such as The Last Door series. As for the publisher, Team 17, they are known for publishing titles such as the strange yet action-packed Trepang 2 and the adventure strategy game Gord.
Considering how noteworthy Blasphemous was and how much of a success it was for the indie developer, it would only make sense that the 2D gothic Metroidvania would get a sequel. A sequel, we happily say, lives up to its predecessor’s legacy and even more.
Now if you haven’t played the first Blasphemous game, you’ve probably heard the term “2D soulslike” being thrown around, and that’s not entirely true. The game does take a lot of inspiration from the Dark Souls games, especially with its character design and writing, but other than that and the occasional impossible boss fight, Blasphemous 2 comes across less like Dark Souls and more like a more unforgiving Castlevania. That’s not to say the game isn’t challenging. It’s just that you must try to approach it less like Dark Souls and more like Castlevania.
We begin our journey once again as playing as the Penitent One, the thorny drill-helmeted knight that is here to clear the world of evil. Right from the beginning, we must choose between three starting weapons: Veredicto, Ruego Al Alba, and Sarmiento & Centella. These three weapons provide different play styles, Veredicto is slow and heavy but offers you more range, and Ruego Al Alba is the middle of the road, not too slow but also not that strong. Finally, there is Sarmiento and Centella, two dual blades that let you get plenty of hits in, but at the cost of it, doing an abysmal amount of damage.
Now you don’t really have to worry about your initial weapons you choose as you will gather more throughout your journey. Do keep in mind, however, that some weapons can give you a bit of help with exploration, which will be useful, especially at the beginning of the game. As for exploration itself, Blasphemous 2 is like your typical Metroidvania, which means that you can explore the map to your heart’s content… If you have the necessary abilities or items to do so. The openness also ties in quite nicely thematically with the game’s story, which, much like the first game, is kept very vague and nonlinear. This is probably another reason why the game is compared to Dark Souls so often.
In typical Metroidvania fashion, your wide-open world will also be filled with enemies. In Blasphemous 2, many of the enemy designs take inspiration from classical paintings and artworks, especially from the Renaissance era. This probably has something to do with the game’s rather heavy use of Christian religious imagery and themes. The enemies themselves can prove to be a challenge. As mentioned earlier, the game can be quite unforgiving, as even the most minor of foes can and will take chunks out of your health.
If you find yourself bleeding profusely, have no fear, as you will have your trusty Bile Flasks at your side. These bottles of strange liquid act as healing potions, but sadly, the amount you can carry on you is quite limited, so don’t go chugging them like a priest at a banquet. You will need them at the most vital moments, as one potion can mean the difference between living to slay another sinner and waking up at the Prie Dieu.
As for what a Prie Dieu is, these are similar to Bonfires from Dark Souls. They also act as checkpoints similar to Castlevania. Here you will be able to restore your Health as well as replenish your Bile Flasks. Dying and being revived at the Prie Dieu means you lose all progress since last visited one.
Whenever you die in Blasphemous 2, you will be given a penalty, Guilt, which limits your Fervor and therefore limits your Prayers and abilities. However, this isn’t permanent, and you have two ways of getting rid of your Guilt. The first way is to return to where you died and simply collect it, which is easier said than done, especially if you died fighting a difficult enemy or worse, fighting a boss.
This isn’t the only way to get rid of your guilt, as you can find a priest, and he will be able to rid you of burden and free you of all the guilt you carry, that is, if you have enough Tears of Atonement which acts as currency in Blasphemous 2. This is quite useful, especially if you died in a difficult area.
Martyrdom Points are the other Currency in Blasphemous 2 and are not as easily come by as Tears of Atonement. You gain Martyrdom Points randomly throughout your journey, either by slaying enemies or by destroying certain objects. Martyrdom Points are incredibly valuable and allow you to upgrade your abilities and improve your equipment. You can also use these points to purchase wood carvings that can give you unique buffs, and these abilities can also vary if you pair the statue with other wood carvings you collect or earn.
Combat in Blasphemous 2 has quite a few layers to it; you have your basic attacks, jump attacks, and crouch attacks. Depending on what weapon you have currently equipped, you may also have access to an ability that is unique to that weapon. You will also have the ability to block, parry, and counter-attack; however, this all depends on what weapon you have equipped.
You will also have access to Prayers and Chants, and these are essentially your spells and magic. A prayer is a spell, whereas a chant is a more powerful prayer. These can probably be one of your most versatile abilities in your arsenal as both aren’t just exclusively used in combat and can also be used to help when exploring. The only drawback to Prayers and Chants is that you can only use them one at a time. Now, this can be rather tedious, but Blasphemous 2 thankfully lets you quickly switch them on the fly.
One of the things that the first Blasphemous game was known for was its absolutely gorgeous pixel art style, and it’s safe to say that Blasphemous 2 has carried on the tradition. The amount of detail that the developers were able to fit into the character sprites is astounding and makes the game feel both retro and nostalgic feel but with all the wonders and refinement of modern technology. This helps Blasphemous 2 look retro but without all the awkward workarounds and clunkiness.
Blasphemous 2 also features amazing voice work. The Dark Souls inspiration shines most brightly here. The characters speak in a very old-fashioned manner that is incredibly flowery, which makes them sound less like they’re speaking and more like they’re reciting poetry or a play script. This also helps immerse you in Blasphemous 2’s world. Sadly, this makes the dialogue come across as long-winded and drawn out and might have you skipping through it.
Overall, Blasphemous 2 is the perfect sequel to the first game and simply feels like a continuation of Blasphemous story while not changing what it doesn’t need to. The game is perfect for fans of both Castlevania who enjoy the challenge of Dark Souls. Though the dialogue may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it certainly immerses you.
