Haunting guitar symphonies, beautifully depressing landscapes, and excessively gory executions are just some of the aspects that made 2019’s Blasphemous one of the best Metroidvanias I’ve ever experienced. It’s the kind of game that when completed, you instantly want to play again. Hidden threads and side quests beckon the player back to explore all that Cvstodia has to offer and having played through it multiple times, my appreciation for the game only grows each time I do. Naturally then, when the sequel was announced, I went back and played through it again, making me all the more excited for August.

Describing itself as a ruthless hack-and-slash is an understatement, don’t let its 16-bit presentation fool you, the world of Cvstodia is a brutal one. Blasphemous II, canonically follows the third ending of the first game (something I doubt many people experienced given how it’s achieved), as the imminent birth of a new Miracle Child quite literally hangs over the gothic region. Awakening once again, The Penitent One is tasked with the insurmountable task of breaking the cycle of torment for good, and finally putting an end to the Miracle.

Combat is as sickly satisfying as it ever was, and with new tools in your arsenal, there are various options available to decapitate, destroy, or dismember new and returning enemies. In the most obvious new addition to this sequel, the now iconic Mea Culpa is gone and in its place, you’ll choose between three new weapons. The flaming war censer: Veredicto, the electric duo of blades, Sarmiento & Centella, and a more traditional curved blade Ruego Al Alba, which harnesses The Penitent One’s bloody rage. The initial choice opens up the early game to varied gameplay experiences, however, it doesn’t take long to acquire the other two options as you explore more of the sprawling map. The obvious advantages to the different playstyles of these weapons are apparent, be it the generous overhead swing of the censer, the quick attacking, built-up damage of the blades, and the ability to parry attacks, similar to the first game, is a familiar drawing point of Ruego Al Alba.

Each of the new weapons has its own skill tree to upgrade once the required statues are found, which harness and increase the electric, fire, and blood-based abilities that each weapon boasts. What surprised me most about the armaments however was their use in traversing the world. In “original recipe” Blasphemous, you’d find more traditional Metroidvania platformer upgrades or “Relics” throughout your journey, and while that concept returns with the inclusion of new abilities such as double jumping, the weapons themselves are used to enter hidden areas and gather collectables. Ringing bells, zapping between mirrors, and breaking through barriers are only possible once you’ve found the weapon capable of doing so, meaning you can explore certain areas earlier if you chose a specific weapon at the start of the game, increasing the replayability and variety of early playthroughs.

The often depressing, eloquently spoken inhabitants of the numerous decrepit areas of the game are as fascinating and entertaining as they are tragic. If you’ve played the first Blasphemous then the concept of a recurring character’s skin gradually being pulled off by flying babies throughout your playthrough won’t be that surprising. Whether they’re selling items, providing upgrades or are involved in an understated optional sidequest, the characters in Blasphemous II all serve a purpose, and thanks to their often deranged character design, stellar voice acting, and dramatically over-the-top dialogue, are some of the most memorable interactions you’ll find in any modern video game.

Increasing your weapon, health, flasks, fervour and rosary beads is cool and all, but the new Altarpiece of Favours is something to be admired. By collecting figures throughout the game, either from exploration or as rewards for various subplots and challenges, you’ll get to equip passive bonuses which range from damage boosts for certain weapons, decreasing the cost of your prayer abilities or even slowly regenerating life. More than just an extended rosary bead system from the previous game, you can combine figurines to add additional bonuses, based on the way that you’ve chosen to play the game. Not only is this an incredible way of encouraging players to find their preferred playstyle, but also adds another layer of customisation without feeling overwhelming or overpowered.

My two favourite elements from Blasphemous were and still are the soundtrack and boss fights and it’s safe to say that I’m very satisfied with the continuation of quality that is delivered on both fronts, especially in the music department. I’ll start with Carlos Viola’s second Blasphemous soundtrack and what an immaculate piece of art it is. Hauntingly beautiful piano reflects the grandiose yet empty structures, unrelenting guitar strums push you ever forward into conflict, and every other orchestrated instrument chosen amplifies every dark, desolate, yet gritty emotion the game presents. I cannot praise the soundtrack for this game enough, maybe even more so than the original, but it’s hard to say because, fucking hell, are they both incredible. 

Bosses in Blasphemous 2 are as fun to fight as they ever were. While I will say I find the new selection a tad less memorable than the first, with a few exceptions, that could just be because I haven’t played this nearly as many times yet, and maybe also because the first game had Exposito, which is one of the most memorable boss designs I’ve ever witnessed (google it). That’s not to say however that these bosses are lacking anything that made them not fun to fight, as they’re pretty on par with the first. Notable encounters include the nimble Sentinel of the Emery, which remained challenging and entertaining no matter how many times it killed me. Orospina, set to a backing track of drums getting progressively faster throughout the fight, is not only a simple but effective way to hype the player up immensely, but succeeded in making a more stripped-down sword fight feel a lot more intense. A particular fight towards the end of the game also beat the hell out of me despite all the upgrades I’d gathered throughout the playthrough, making the fight feel balanced and well-placed as the last major challenge of the game.

If I had to gripe, and I really don’t want to, I’d say the game’s presentation and layout, especially concerning secrets and side quests, isn’t exactly user-friendly. I’m not talking about the map, or areas of the game but more so the fact that a lot of cool stuff, including an ending, is not easy to figure out. Metroidvanias tend to do this, and It’s one element of the sub-genre’s Metroid influences I don’t enjoy. As amazing as Hollow Knight is, there’s no way anyone reading this got the Mr. Mushroom ending on their own (or is maybe even aware of it). This is fine for the sake of the ever-mysterious Cvstodia, but it can be frustrating to figure out certain abstract parts of the game. For example, a room with nothing but a bell and 8 symbols on the wall, ok so now scour the entire game to find tiny, ridiculously hard-to-find, corresponding shapes and ring the bell once found. Wasn’t exactly fun wasting time trying to find them, only to look at a steam guide, and realise how insane the task is. As someone who wants to 100% complete a game or at least get all the achievements, I don’t want to feel like I have to use Steam guides to do so, cause that sucks and I enjoy finding stuff out myself

The only other negative I have isn’t entirely negative at all and regards the games’ cutscenes. Blasphemous had these incredibly unique and harrowing pixel art cutscenes, which set the tone wonderfully. In the sequel, they’re done in a more traditional cartoon style and are more frequent as the story of the second miracle unfolds. These aren’t necessarily bad, they still look great, I just personally miss the bold design choice. This also is a decision that may have stemmed from the original designer of those scenes not working with the Game Kitchen anymore, so I suppose that cannot be helped.

Look, in the end, it’s more Blasphemous, and that’s more than we truly deserve. If you haven’t played the first game, I strongly recommend at least trying it out, and if you enjoyed the first game, you’re bound to again with this. I cannot stress just how unique a game like this is, and we got two helpings of it. The sequel isn’t making leaps and bounds to outdo its predecessor, and while that may be a downside to some, I’m too much of a sucker for this world and its incredibly thought out settings, lore and atmosphere, and would happily play through this game another few times this year, and probably will.