Blasphemous 2 Review

The Penitent One is back in action thanks to Blasphemous 2. This follow-up title to the popular 2019 title, Blasphemous gives players a new world to explore, new bosses to fight, new NPCs to help, and new secrets to discover. Does the sequel build on the first or simply follow its formula? Here’s my Blasphemous 2 review.

Blasphemous 2 Details

• Launch Price: $26.99 USD.
• Release Date: August 24, 2023.
• Platforms:  Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows.
• Developers: The Game Kitchen.
• Publisher: Team17.

The Penitent One Returns

Blasphemous 2 begins with player waking up as the Penitent One in a new world. This new world is experiencing a Miracle with the upcoming birth of a mysterious figure in the sky. To stop the Miracle the Penitent One must defeat the figure in the sky before it is too late. To fight the figure the Penitent One must explore new locations and fight various enemies and bosses tied to the event.

A Whole New World?

When I played Blasphemous back in 2019, I found the world of Cvstodia to be very interesting. The locations felt unique and different from one another in a way that made it feel mysterious, intriguing, and full of its own unique character. Unfortunately my time with Blasphemous 2’s world didn’t leave me with that same feeling.

Over the course of my 40 hour playthrough I felt a sense of deja vu as I visited familiar but slightly different locations from those found in the first game. These locations consisted of things like catacombs, a forest, a temple in the sky, and even a returning area in Mother of Mothers. That’s not to say all of the areas are underwhelming, but a vast majority felt fairly basic thematically and in some instances mechanically as well.

Some areas do shine through when the game breaks from boring designs. There are a few zones with very interesting themes and mechanics. One location in particular, called Twin Moons, features an interesting reflection mechanic players must use to explore the whole area. This kind of out-of-the-box design was what I was hoping to get from the sequel, which I unfortunately found to be in short supply.

Locations aside, I did find there to be fairly good non-linear design in Blasphemous 2 that allows you to really explore a lot of the world how you want. The game does push you towards certain goals which gives you a nice general idea of where you should head, but how you get there is largely up to you and what abilities you currently have available. Exploring most areas is well worth the time and effort with there being a lot of items, currencies, NPCs, and secrets to discover.

NPCs

While you explore the different locations in the game you will encounter NPCs. The NPCs serve mainly to fill you in on the world and give you quests to complete. Like the first game there is a cast of characters for you to meet and help. Unfortunately many of these characters are fairly boring.

NPCs work a little bit differently in the sequel. While they still tell you about the world and ask you to help them, the majority of characters never leave their shops or rooms. This change means you rarely meet NPCs outside of the hub. I explored 99% of the map and met 2 NPCs not in their specified room. This is a strange contrast to the original which featured a cast of character also making strange journeys alongside the Penitent One.

As someone who enjoyed the first game’s quests I was very disappointed with the NPCs in the sequel. None of them asked for anything interesting or felt like their stories went anywhere. Most just request you to find specific items or other characters hidden around the map. The only quest with any sort of payoff was Yerma’s which was short. I would have enjoyed more interesting NPC interactions like we got in the first game.

Quest Items

A common complaint for the first game is how ambiguous and directionless many of the Quests and their Items are. This is unfortunately still an issue in this game. I am currently sitting at 97% completion on my save file and have 3 Quest Items sitting in my inventory. This is not for a lack of trying, but rather how badly the clues the writers have left me are written. One letter I posses wants me to find a pit while another wants me to find a room with only the sound of footfalls in it. The problem is that there are a lot of rooms that meet those descriptions. Hitting brick walls like these on the quests not enjoyable, especially if these items are used for an ending I can’t unlock and the game just won’t tell me that.

Combat Changes

Combat in Blasphemous 2 has experienced the largest overhaul of any system in the game. It has switched from the one weapon approach of the first game to now having three new weapon types: a mace, scimitar, and daggers. When you start the game you select from these three weapons. While this may seem like you are locked in you get all three weapons over the course of a playthrough regardless. This means you can change things up on the fly and are not stuck to one style if you wish to experiment.

All three of the new weapons have their own unique set of moves and can be upgraded using a newly added currency called Marks of Martyrdom which further adds to their uniqueness. The more powerful the weapon the more things you can do with it such as unique attacks and very light combos.

Besides using the weapons for combat each weapon has a secondary functions to help you traverse the world. The mace can ring special bells that make platforms and open doors; the scimatar allows you to ground pound to destroy roots; the daggers allow you to teleport when you hit certain statues. These abilities shape how the game begins. Players that choose different weapons will take different starting paths because of their traversal abilities.

Favours

Another major change to combat is the addition of Favours. Favours serve as a sort of class creation system. Players earn a variety of Favours as they explore the world and by completing NPC questlines. These Favours can then be slotted into your build to make certain stats more powerful. There is a wide number of Favours to use, meaning builds can get fairly unique. Slotting Favours of the same type together gives a further boost to them, meaning synergy in your build is encouraged.

Returning in the game is both Rosary Beads and Prayers. Both of these serve their same functions which are basically rings and spells. Couple these boosts with the Favours and the player is given a ton of options to deck out their Penitent one.

The combat changes appear to be the where The Game Kitchen spent the most time when developing Blasphemous 2. There is a far more flushed out combat and build system in this game versus the original. I liked a lot of these changes for their impact on gameplay. Players now have way more control over how they build out their Penitent One.

Further improvements in combat can be felt in the general flow of it. The Penitent One moves much more nimbly than in the previous game. This is a welcome change as to the lumbering/sluggishness it felt like at times in the first game.

Presentation

The general presentation of Blasphemous 2 is highly impressive. The graphics and pixel art have undergone a refreshing update, rendering them visually captivating while preserving the familiar gritty aesthetic. A noteworthy addition in the visual realm is the introduction of new cutscenes. These cutscenes showcase an anime-style design, which might deviate slightly from the established style. Personally, I found them acceptable, but there seems to be some online discourse regarding this matter.

In terms of audio, the game boasts commendable sound effects and captivating music. Numerous boss fights are accompanied by distinctive soundtracks, many of which are exceptionally well-crafted.

Judgement

Crafting a successful sequel is a delicate endeavor, as it requires harmonizing innovation with the essence of the original concept. In the case of Blasphemous 2, the intention to refine the combat mechanics is evident, albeit at the cost of diverting attention from some of the distinctive elements that initially captured interest. Consequently, the sequel’s journey can feel somewhat risk-averse and lacking in ambition. While returning enthusiasts of the first game might find certain enjoyable aspects, Blasphemous 2 struggles to achieve the same remarkable standards set by its predecessor.

7.5/10