From Demon’s Souls to Sekiro, From Software has managed to carve out an incredible niche for themselves over the years. While a fair share of competitors and imitators have risen to challenge their throne, few have managed to capture the magic of their hyper-challenging yet insanely addictive adventures. Nevertheless, The Game Kitchen, a Spain-based indie studio, has managed to successfully combine the unique thrills of a Souls game with traditional Metroidvania mechanics. The end result of this unholy concoction is Blasphemous, one of the most engaging 2D gaming experiences we’ve seen in years.
On the surface, Blasphemous is an action-platformer where you play as the Penitent One, a tortured soul embarking on a divine journey through a faraway land devastated by a supernatural cataclysm known only as “The Miracle”. During this ecclesiastic quest, you’ll be faced with unimaginable horrors that would make Clive Barker squeal with glee, all the while navigating deceptively simple levels that are soon revealed to be part of a sprawling, interconnected maze of unique biomes and challenges.
Of course, this is one hell of a stunning labyrinth, with gorgeous pixel art depicting a nightmare-inducing world where faith has gone terribly wrong and suffering has become the norm. Thus, death will be exceedingly common during your journey, though it won’t be permanent. When you’re inevitably defeated, you’ll be returned to the last shrine you prayed at, leaving behind “guilt” at the spot where you died. Accumulating guilt reduces your maximum fervor (the game’s equivalent to mana), but it can be recovered either through backtracking to the location of your demise or paying a fee at certain holy locations (unless you’re trying for the true ending, which is a whole other matter).
Most of the gameplay here comprises of platforming and simple swordplay (with the parry button soon to become your best friend), but there are several prayers that allow for increasingly useful magical abilities, not to mention relics and rosary beads that concede buffs and new possibilities for traversing these cursed lands. There are also several upgrades for Mea Culpa, the Penitent One’s trusty sword. However, acquiring all of these unlockables relies less on accumulating Tears of Atonement, the game’s currency, and more on finding hidden areas and items scattered throughout the map.
The lack of handholding and focus on exploration may seem frustrating at times, but they make this one hell of an addicting experience as you set off on this gruesome adventure on your own terms. Nevertheless, Blasphemous‘ commitment to the Spanish Catholicism-inspired visuals is where the game really shines. The unique art style makes for extremely memorable levels, and every little detail, from the item descriptions to the gorgeous pixel-art cutscenes, help to immerse the player in this deranged world where spirituality has gone off the deep end.
In fact, like the Souls games, most of the story is inferred through item descriptions and subtext rather than being directly told to the player. This results in a loose narrative that relies heavily on individual interpretation (and online forum discussions). This approach might not be for everyone, but it works within the confines of the gameplay.
With the exception of some of the later boss battles, Blasphemous miraculously reaches a perfect balance of difficulty and satisfaction. Most challenges require only patient observation in order to guarantee victory, and even then, there are certain items that can help impatient players get by as well. Unfortunately, there are a few bugs that can make things harder than they have to be (such as leaving guilt behind in unreachable areas and certain evens not triggering properly), and some essential areas/items are also way too easy to miss. These issues become way more prevalent towards the end of the game, which is a huge shame, though I admit that I never stopped having fun, even as I was forced to backtrack to the very beginning of the game to find a miniscule passageway that I had previously missed.
Overall, I’d say Blasphemous is a must-play if you’re a fan of Souls-like adventuring, classic Metroidvania or if you just want to set off on a dark pilgrimage to unholy lands. There may be a few issues that hinder the experience here and there (some of which are supposedly being patched as we speak), but this is still one of my favorite gaming experiences of 2019, and I think horror fans will especially appreciate the work that went into crafting this terrifying world.
Blasphemous is available now on Steam, the Xbox Games Store and PSN!
