Fans of the Metroidvania genre have had a few exciting years, even though there haven't been many new Metroid or Castlevania titles in the past decade. We have seen several successful and well-received indie gems lately, such as Dead Cells and Hollow Knight, that combined elements of the two titles and used them to great effect. Blasphemous goes in the same direction, with some very distinct Metroid and Castlevania ingredients wrapped in macabre religious iconography and pixelated blood. Although its visuals are distinct and its gameplay challenging, it doesn't always rise above the competition.

With its disturbing visuals and sometimes-punishing combat, Blasphemous won't ever set you at ease. We take control of The Penitent One, a guy with a thorned sword in hand and a cone hat/mask atop his head. We start the journey by waking up on a pile of corpses, fill our hat with the blood of our first enemy, and head out into an increasingly darker world.

Blasphemous is an experience that can simultaneously feel full of lore and completely devoid of an enticing story. As The Penitent One, we have an objective that evolves over the course of the game, but it's not engrossing or intriguing on its own. The world is filled with characters, imagery, and items that often have fleshed-out stories that build the lore of the godforsaken world. The mostly Catholic influences scream of Spanish Inquisition times, fueled with even more gore and unpleasant iconography that can feel exhausting. There's nothing hopeful here, but that's exactly what makes the world so interesting to explore. Everything has a meaning, and everything seems twisted.

The design of Blasphemous is exactly what's expected from a 2D action platformer. Levels are interconnected and branch out, but unlike a true Metroidvania title, only our own skill hinders progress. The game does not rely on backtracking after we find the correct item to progress, but it offers a handful of paths to take in any order that we like. There is a later area that can only be passed if we defeat specific bosses, but otherwise, the game is open from the very beginning. The only reason you may want to take one path over the other may be a matter of preference or if you get stuck somewhere.

The game equally offers no real puzzles but relies solely on platforming and combat, especially the latter. Platforming in and of itself is good and precise but nothing out of the ordinary. The Penitent One is relatively agile and can jump, grab ledges, or ram his sword into walls to scale them. While we do receive upgrades over time, they are not needed to move on or finish the game, but they may make it easier to find hidden collectibles. It's more than solid for the type of game it is, and I never found the platforming sections to be unfair or unclear.

I'm divided on the combat, though. On the surface, it's challenging and tactical, with a reliance on reading opponents and learning how to take them down. We are able to use basic attacks with our sword, dodge incoming attacks, block attacks, and eventually, we also gain access to a ranged attack. Not everything works as effectively for every enemy type, which is where the learning curve kicks in. The challenge is the enemies, some of which deal huge amounts of damage. Battling one foe at a time is not much of a problem, but once the game introduces groups of different enemies, the combat becomes incredibly difficult unless you pick them off one by one. Many regular attacks can be parried, and lower-level enemies can be countered after a successful parry, which can stun them and leave them open to a gruesomely detailed finisher. In addition to blade combat, we can use magical attacks ("prayers") that use a second meter that refills during combat. Some of the attacks can be devastating, but their use is limited. I often ignored prayers unless I was in a serious pinch or a boss fight.

Over the course of the game, our progression is mostly based on skill and relies on our ability to learn the varying enemy types. While I'm usually all for difficult combat that relies on skill and timing, Blasphemous occasionally feels like it's more of the same in an endless line of titles that do exactly the same thing. It is fun once you figure out all of the enemies and notice a difference in how effectively you can take them down over time. It's challenging and you may die quite a lot, and that is actually where the game really tests you.

We get upgrades over the course of the game that improve our equipment or add new prayers or rosary beads that improve stats. Add this to the collectibles, and there is a significant number of items to find in the world. Some of it adds to our general progress, while others provide random background information and stories based on the world. If I had to nitpick, the fact that the items only offer minor upgrades makes them feel less impactful and provides less of an incentive to explore every nook and cranny of the world. As it stands, most things that you find won't impact your experience, which isn't necessarily bad, but it feels like it could've been better intertwined with your progress.

Much like a Soulsborne game, Blasphemous penalizes you for dying. Upon each death, we are returned to the last checkpoint, and we lose part of our prayers meter, causing us to be more restricted in the use of those attacks. We can either return to where we died to retrieve it, or we can atone for our sins at certain statues to reset and regain everything we lost for a small fee. I'm not sure how effective this mechanic is, as the punishment doesn't seems severe and is easily remedied by atoning. Much more punishing is the amount of backtracking we have to do to reach the spot where we had died. These checkpoints are pretty rare, more so than in similar titles. That has repercussions for the game length, as these instances can bloat the experience. If you're skilled enough to rush through, you may be able to finish the game in less than 10 hours, whereas less-skilled players or completionists may add a couple of more hours to that tally.

For me, the highlight of Blasphemous was its boss fights. They were tough and memorable battles that felt distinct, and well-designed challenges tested my combat prowess, time and time again. Varied attack patterns, detailed designs, and fun ideas made every boss encounter a highlight. This also extends to most of the common enemies in the game. While they may not all play too differently from another, they always look distinct and detailed, which makes it a joy to encounter new types of foes over time.

Essentially, that's the biggest draw of Blasphemous. Stripped of its unique visual identity, the game is a challenging action platformer without too many flaws, but it also doesn't have too many distinct innovations that elevate the experience in meaningful ways. The attention to detail and environmental storytelling are the star, and they're supported by a solid and challenging action platformer construct.

If you're into challenging action platformer games, Blasphemous is as good as the next. It isn't perfect or revolutionary, but it doesn't have to be. Its lore and visual direction are disturbingly beautiful and craft an interesting and distinct world. Great boss fights and an enjoyable and challenging combat system ensures that fans of the genre will have enough to sink their teeth into and enjoy.

Score: 7.3/10