Blasphemous 2 Review
Developer: The Game Kitchen
Publisher: Team17
Release: August 24th, 2023
Reviewed on: Switch.
Also On: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
By: Evan1Sonic. Good helpings of Soulslike and Metroidvania, Blasphemous 2 is an excellent sequel full of tight gameplay and dripping in an often sickening style. Stunning 16-bit pixel art and an ambiguous and often hazy story are just the tip of the gothic iceberg. With additions such as new weapons and a bevy of slight improvements, this adventure is a step up from its predecessor.
In this dark 2D side-scrolling adventure, you play as The Penitent One, a being with what appears to be a screw for a head. In your quest to end your suffering, you must set out to defeat big bosses and, along the way, uncover some long-forgotten secrets. Having not played the first Blasphemous title, I wasn’t that drawn to the narrative of this sequel; however, I found that nearly everything in this world has a backstory and its own lore. While the story wasn’t very compelling to me, aside from a few moments that will stand out clearly in my mind, there's a lot to dig into and enjoy, especially if you are a fan of deep lore and backstories.
The highlight of my experience is the incredible gameplay that rarely got repetitive, even after tearing apart countless devious creatures. Since this is a soulslike, tight controls, solid gameplay, and tough encounters are to be expected. On that, I’m happy to report that Blaphamous 2 delivers on those expectations. This is a brutally hard game that will stop at nothing to give you a challenging fight. Twisted bosses are the real stars of the show. With distinctive attack patterns and imposing abilities, they put your skills to the test. Most had me jumping in triumph after dealing the final blow, sometimes even with just a sliver of my health bar left.
The biggest addition to this sequel compared to the first title is the three new weapons: the slow-swinging War Sensor, the Praying Blade, and the speedy slashing Rapier and Dagger. No matter which you choose to use, you’ll be treated to expansive combos and brutal executions that are something to behold. The option to swap between the three on the fly went a long way toward preventing monotony when facing the same foe repeatedly or when backtracking through previously explored regions. Each has a unique use that can be used to solve puzzles and aid in traversal. This arsenal, along with magic spells, is exceptional and is the backbone of what makes the title’s gameplay so compelling.
With plenty of distinct biomes to scour, exploring the world of Cvstodia is a blast. Each of those biomes features different foes to fight and wonderful level design, with each one feeling fresh and looking vastly different from the last. Most are grotesque landscapes littered with traps, while some are beautiful spaces that I couldn’t help but take screenshots of. This nonlinear domain isn’t empty or lacking in substance, as mysteries and secrets to discover are around every corner. Aside from overcoming every tough challenge presented, venturing through the vast map, which sprawls out in all directions, brought me the most joy from this title.
It’s a great thing that scouring Cvstoida is a good time for the reason that, in typical Metroidvania fashion, this title contains a decent amount of backtracking. There's not an inordinate amount required to finish the main story, but if you set out to fully complete this game, you’ll find yourself with a lot of retracing to do. Exploring this world isn’t without rewards, as you’ll find rosary beads that range from improving physical defense to reducing damage from traps and falls, altars that improve weapon damage or provide another buff, and more on your journey.
The only drawback with this system is the unfortunate fact that you are unable to reset any of the skill trees and regain your spent points. This means if you throw all of your points into one weapon and decide to switch it up in the late game, the damage output will be significantly lower compared to your decked-out favorite weapon. This isn’t a dealbreaker in any sense, but it is a letdown to those wanting to go back to that one weapon they’ve nearly forgotten about in favor of their favorite. Creating a build that best fits my playstyle was an engaging experience, though once I had a perfected one, I wasn’t compelled to go back and change it up.
At one moment when playing, I was thinking back on some of my favorite Metroidvania titles, including but not limited to Hollow Knight and Metroid Dread, and where this title would fit on my list. While Blaphemous 2 never quite hits the highs of those games, it’s an amazing adventure worth experiencing. While a big difficulty spike near the end of my thirty hours with the game and somewhat disappointing build crafting soured the experience when thinking back on my journey to fulfill my penance, I have no doubt these gripes will be in the back of my mind. Whether you are looking for a substantial Metroidvania to sink your teeth into or enjoyed the first foray into the series, this game is a stellar sequel that’s worth your time.
Blasphemous 2 8.5/10
This game was reviewed using a code provided by Team17. If you enjoyed this review consider reading some of our others here.
