Whereas hand-to-hand combat has a satisfying if basic learning curve (tip: make smart use of the sliding dodge maneuver and unlock the lunging strike as soon as possible), circumventing insta-kill spike traps never seemed to get much easier for me. I struggled the most with the tricky platforming bits, all things considered. I’m missing several pesky cherubs and lore-filled bones, much to my chagrin, but the actual critical-path story-progressing items never gave me any real trouble. You’ll encounter more than a few dead ends in the opening hours as you find the first three bosses necessary for bypassing an early roadblock, but for the most part, Blasphemous does a good job of letting you loose while still subtly funneling you along.Ĭompletionists will have a hell of a time scrounging for everything, though – there’s a ton of stuff to uncover, some of which is practical, and some of which is basically filler meant to flesh out the background and set the mood. Y ou’ll find value in the lavish world-building and double-take-worthy cutscenes – enough to get you from Point A to B to Z and back up to A for an overlooked item.Ĭvstodia is a sprawling non-linear setting, the kind you won’t mind combing through again and again in search of (largely optional) collectibles. The narrative requires piecing together disparate clues and reading between the lines. Otherwise, post-credits, I’m still working things out. Playing as The Penitent One, a silent sword-wielding masked warrior, you’re on a singular mission to incite change in a cursed, guilt-ridden land. In a lot of ways, Blasphemous is a traditional action-platformer it just so happens to borrow elements like tying enemy respawns to resting and drenching item descriptions in lore. You aren’t going to be grinding for XP or keeping a watchful eye on a stamina meter. With that preface out of the way, what is this game, exactly? It’s not an attempt at 2D Souls, despite what you might be thinking. Blasphemous won’t go down as an instant classic, but know this: it’s great. A ton of promising games have tried to make a name for themselves, and while some rank alongside the best of ’em, others fell way below lofty expectations. I really mean it! These last few years have been generous to ‘vania fans. It’s not every day we see a video game just go for it like this, and while Blasphemous doesn’t nail the landing across the board, it’s one seriously enthralling metroidvania.īlasphemous (Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One) Rather than cast magical spells, you’ll wield powerful “prayers.” Ability-boosting items are affixed to a rosary. Instead of resting at a bonfire, you’ll seek respite at life-generating prayer desks. Themes of sinners, saints, and sorrow touch every facet of this game, from iconography and prose to enemy designs and set-pieces to characters and their grim tales. Its odds are certainly up there.ĭrawing direct inspiration from the usual suspects like Dark Souls and Castlevania – the series, I mean, not just Symphony of the Night – Blasphemous crafts a bleak world dominated by a sinister, all-encompassing religious fervor. Blasphemous might be 2019’s gnarliest video game.
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