Blasphemous 2 Review – Slay The Miracle

Blasphemous 2 is a world of fantastically macabre gothica and dark religious themes, where the saints are sinners, and blasphemy is our only hope. The Penitent One returns from their slumber, brought on by the end of the original Blasphemous, rising to stop the terrible curse known as the Miracle from returning. Blasphemous II will take you down a dark, enthralling road filled with secrets and stories told through subtle dialogue and fantastic visual storytelling. While it is a road you’ll certainly enjoy walking, it’s one that may take you a while, as the vibrant yet brutal world is filled with enemies who are the same, and you’re guaranteed to face death aplenty on your path toward salvation.

Upon opening Blasphemous II, I was met with a gorgeous hand-drawn cutscene that served to set up the story. I’m not allowed to tell you much about this cutscene, but I had to mention it because it was a fantastic and supremely fitting way to start the game and set the mood for what was to come. What I can tell you is that the story follows the end of the Wounds of Eventide DLC, where a great heart in the sky heralds the birth of a new Miracle, which our newly arisen Penitent One is determined to stop.

The story of the world around you is left intentionally vague, prompting you to piece it together yourself through exploration and interaction with the few NPCs scattered across the map. Even as you do so, some pieces are going to be left out, asking you to fill in the blanks using your imagination. This is a fun, effective method of storytelling when it’s done right, which it is, and it reminds me of the titles Blasphemous II must have taken inspiration from.

The first thing you’re going to notice when you get into the game is how beautiful everything looks. The cutscene I mentioned before, with its fantastic hand-drawn style, is a lovely addition, and thankfully, there are a few more scattered throughout the game. Equally beautiful is the pixel art present in the actual gameplay, which feels like a more matured and refined version of the style from the first game.

Everything just looks phenomenal. The character sprites are lovely and have proportions that make them better to look at compared to the first one. Every enemy, background, weapon, prayer, etc., is created with so much detail, indicating a real talent from the designers and the love they poured into the game. I wish I knew off the top of my head who was responsible for the art in Blasphemous II, but since I don’t, I simply want to offer an open bravo in hopes they read this review.

The game is a genuine work of art, and not just in its art design. The music accompanying your playthrough of Blasphemous 2 is also masterfully crafted. It’s hard to understate how much the gothic and somber score contributes to the world. Each level or section of the map has its own enemies, art direction, and unique score. Together, they craft a distinct ambiance not found in other parts of the map, making you genuinely appreciate the time spent in each segment of your journey. My current favorite music piece comes from the level “Aqueduct of the Constales,” which showcases a lovely droning Spanish guitar as the ensemble’s centerpiece.

Blasphemous II’s gameplay is no less impressive, though I have complaints and compliments regarding this game aspect.

At face value, Blasphemous 2’s combat seems straightforward. You have an arsenal of weapons to unlock, each with its own attack patterns, damage, and attack speed. Each weapon has a basic attack and a defensive move, but as you invest resources into them, they gain special properties, combos, and abilities, evolving beyond the basic tools you began with. You earn upgrade points by defeating enemies, and mastering a weapon is genuinely enjoyable.

The Penitent One has a relatively small health bar and limited restoration abilities, so to master combat, you’ll need to get used to dodging and blocking attacks perfectly. The game boasts a vast variety of enemies, each with their own attack patterns to memorize, and most are very unforgiving. Mastering the game’s mechanics and combat is a severe test of skill that diehard Dark Souls fans would find familiar and exciting.

All of that is well and good, and I genuinely enjoyed playing it. However, there are certain aspects that bugged me, leading to consistent frustration.

Specifically, the game has a mechanic where making contact with an enemy causes significant damage. Every enemy has its own hitbox, and accidentally clipping into it begins to deal damage every half second or so that you remain inside. With dodging being your primary escape method and it being on a cooldown, you’ll frequently find yourself trapped within enemies, which can substantially hinder your progress.

This is interesting, to say the least, but it becomes more of a frustrating mechanic when you realize just how hard it is to avoid contact with your foes. Frequently, I’ll find myself dodge rolling to avoid a projectile, only to get stuck in an enemy while waiting for the cooldown to expire. What’s even more frustrating is that the game seems to recognize how difficult this mechanic can be, with most enemies actively trying to approach you or otherwise pushing you into walls or other foes. When the game decides to capitalize on this mechanic with tight spaces filled with numerous enemies, it can become annoying and cause you to remain stuck on a certain floor of a level, primarily because of a mechanic that isn’t incredibly intuitive or fun to play against.

Certain areas of the map feature enemies that toss a sort of spinning top pushing you into walls and trapping you, or candelabra-wielding maniacs who simultaneously shove you back and approach aggressively. This region of the map, consequently, has many walls and tight spaces. Suffice it to say; I really didn’t enjoy my time during most of this level. At the very least, enemies shouldn’t end their attack frames in a way that places their hitbox inside yours, but perhaps I simply need to improve.

The game is undoubtedly challenging, and despite my specific criticisms, the difficulty feels fair and engaging in most areas. Though there were moments when I wanted to shut the game off, the frustration didn’t overshadow my overall experience, and I managed to overcome every obstacle I faced, even if some took me longer. The rewarding feeling of conquering the challenge always outweighed the initial frustration.

Try Hard Guides was provided with a PC review copy of this game. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles in the Game Reviews section of our website! Blasphemous II is available on Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo Switch, Steam, and Epic Games.