Metroidvania Corner: Blasphemous 2 - Article
by Paul Broussard , posted on 18 December 2023 / 3,705 Views
The original Blasphemous was the last game I featured on this series, and was a title that I (and the game’s Creative Director, for that matter) ultimately concluded was very good, but not really a Metroidvania. With that in mind, I hadn’t really planned to write about the sequel when it was announced, but Blasphemous 2 changed that part of its formula quite a bit and has a much greater emphasis on ability-gated progression. So just how does Blasphemous hold up, now that it’s actually a Metroidvania?
Right off the bat it’s readily apparent there are quite a few quality-of-life improvements to be found that dramatically improve the experience. The pixel art, while just as gory and disgusting as in its predecessor, looks much cleaner and things are easier to distinguish in a fight. Spikes are no longer instant death kills, which is a huge sigh of relief for those of us who dreaded some of the platforming segments in the first title. There are a variety of little upgrade systems that provide benefits and give the game more things to pepper its world with, while also allowing for some player individuality in customizing your character.
But the biggest change of all might be the new weapon system. With the Penitent One’s sword being destroyed at the end of the original title, he’s in need of a new weapon… or three. You can choose from a broadsword, a pair of rapiers, or a giant ball and chain as a starting weapon, and the ones you don’t choose will eventually be acquired later on. These weapons are all very unique and provide vastly different fighting styles, which makes them particularly engaging in fights against the game’s larger enemies, where one weapon may be better suited than the others. There’s also an upgrade system, where you can basically earn what might as well be XP points to level up/improve your weapons.
Weapons also function as abilities as well, making them the first “powerups” you get. The broadsword can break certain barriers, the rapier can be used to teleport by touching mirrors, and the mace can hit bells that generate various platforms. There’s also a double jump and an air dash acquired later on. All of these are required to make progress, which gives the game a great sense of the map slowly opening up and the Penitent One becoming more powerful. The sheer amount of optional pickups that improve things like health, fervor (magic), quality and quantity of health flasks, and more also gives a great, constant sense that you’re becoming stronger - an important point for any Metroidvania.
You’ll likely need a good chunk of those upgrades too, because Blasphemous is back with another helping of punishing boss fights. On the whole, I don’t think they’re quite as challenging as those in the first title, but most of the big baddies here will likely take you at least a decent number of attempts. Regardless of difficulty, the bosses are genuinely fantastic, and possibly some of the best I’ve encountered in any indie release. The original already had a great spread of bosses, so topping that is genuinely impressive.
The combat in general is a step up as well, which, again, is impressive considering the quality of the combat in the first title. The weapon variety adds a lot to proceedings and actually makes it a bit hard to go back to the original Blasphemous and its singular weapon. The Penitent One just feels great to control; the decision to add some movement abilities like the double jump and airdash - along with returning elements like the thrust attack and slide - does a lot to give the player options when it comes to turning various baddies into a bloody paste.
Speaking of blood, the aesthetic is just as disgusting as ever. Like its predecessor, though, Blasphemous 2 does a good job of justifying its gore. Shock value isn’t really why Blasphemous 2 leans in so heavily on blood and guts. That’s certainly a side effect, but it’s not the primary motivation. The main reason is the series' rooting in Spanish Catholic tradition and imagery, which allows the levels and characters play on some cool themes that lend the game an art style all of its own.
There are a few quibbles I can make. I still maintain that the storytelling is nigh on indecipherable without a Wiki or several replays, which does sap a lot of the stakes from proceedings. Why did the Penitent One come back to life, and what exactly is the threat if he fails? I still had no idea at the very end. I’m all for letting the player discover most the lore of the world rather than simply directly telling them everything, but I do think that the main, underlying objective is something that should be communicated clearly.
There are also a few tweaks that could be made to further improve the combat. The game has a rather annoying habit of locking you in challenge rooms with waves of enemies that can stun-lock you into oblivion. A single mistake can quickly become fatal here, because your character keeps getting up to repeated enemy attacks. Some of the early enemies are also very much not suited to certain weapon types, which means if you select either the rapier or ball & chain as your starting weapon then some of the starting enemies will be very annoying to deal with (particularly smaller or faster enemies, respectively). On the topic of enemies, regular enemy variety does wind up being a bit of a bummer, as many of the later areas re-use the same enemies from earlier locales, just recolored and with more powerful and/or elemental attacks.
Those aggravations aside, Blasphemous 2 is a slick, responsive, and downright fun game to play. It’s a shame it’s been relatively drowned out by the deluge of quality indie titles in 2023, because it’s one of the (if not the) best. It’s also a superb example of the Metroidvania genre in general, and the best indie spin on the formula that I've played, doing a fantastic job of balancing player growth with skillful combat. Blasphemous 2 doesn't do much unique, but it doesn't really need to; it's so polished and refined that it's about as easy a recommendation as they come.
