Blasphemous 2 Nintendo Switch Review 9/10 "Blasphemous 2, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways" ⚔️ @BlasphemousGame @TheGameKitchen @Team17 #IndieGame #GameDev

I’m going to start off by saying that the original Blasphemous is one of my favourite games of recent years. A difficult hack and slash platformer? Check. Monstrous religious cult storyline with Lovecraftian elements? Check. That’s one for me all day long.

I’m pleased to be able to say that the sequel has all of these elements in spades and may even be better than the first game. 

Blasphemous 2, how do I love thee? 

Let me count the ways.

1. Graphics and sound. The game delivers a pixel-art masterclass in horrible monsters and bosses throughout, from the skeletal Great Preceptor Radames to the grossly fat slug priests that you pop like a balloon as an execution animation. The music, much like the first game, is soft Spanish guitar-tinged stuff that is oddly fitting with the overall oppressive feel of the game.
2. Storyline. As in the first game, the land of Cvstodia is in the thrall of the Miracle, a mysterious god-like presence who, in its infinite wisdom, creates monstrosities that take over the land. In Blasphemous 2, the Miracle sends a giant heart down from the heavens, from which will be born a new god-child. You return as the resurrected Penitent One, who must battle the Confraternity, the Miracle’s devout priesthood, in order to stop the Miracle. The tale is told to you in beautiful, fully-narrated cut-scenes in between all the killing (and dying, there’s plenty of that, let me tell you).
   
   
   
3. Gameplay. Although, broadly speaking this features the same gameplay as the first Blasphemous, developers The Game Kitchen have beefed it up considerably. You now have three weapons to choose from, with different benefits at different times. The huge flail is, as you can imagine, slow but powerful, but it also allows you to hit certain bells you find to create platforms so you can access different areas of the map. The quick and deadly dagger/rapier combo enables you to dash in and out of combat, and also enables a teleport ability through certain mirrors you find. And the jack-of-all trades Ruego Al Alba longsword, returning from the first game, can destroy certain doors. All of the weapons feel good and you’ll quickly find your favourite, but the abilities mean you’re forced to change it up a little to keep things fresh. Also, you can find tons of upgrades to beef up the Penitent One, from magical abilities to more powerful attacks.
   

SUMMARY

All of this results in an immersive experience that’ll keep you engaged throughout the 12 to 14-hour playtime. I’ve been looking forward to playing a sequel ever since I blundered my way through the first one, and this is everything I loved about the original and more. 

If I had to complain about something it would be the slightly small enemy pool with quite a few reskins for different areas, but it’s not glaring at all. If there’s a better duo of games than the Blasphemous series in the past few years then I can’t really think what it is. Get stuck in.