Blasphemous

 Switch
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 208 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 153 out of 208
  2. Mixed: 28 out of 208
  3. Negative: 27 out of 208
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  1. tstitan
    Mar 25, 2020
    8
    Initially, I was put off by the difficulty. But, like Dark Souls, the game gets easier as you learn the timing of combat and gain more items/skills. If you like Dark Souls, Bloodborne, or Castlevania, this is a must-play. And if you are put off by the difficulty like me, stick with it. It's worth it.
  2. 104
    Aug 16, 2020
    9
    A stunningly good platformer with excellent design, challenging gameplay, and good replay value.

    Controls and mechanics are unfortunately rather frustrating and, in many cases, buggy or poorly documented. On some levels, it adds to the charm and difficulty of the game (such as the nonspecific descriptions of buff items, though some of these are just confusing). On others, it's just    A stunningly good platformer with excellent design, challenging gameplay, and good replay value.

    Controls and mechanics are unfortunately rather frustrating and, in many cases, buggy or poorly documented. On some levels, it adds to the charm and difficulty of the game (such as the nonspecific descriptions of buff items, though some of these are just confusing). On others, it's just annoying (no feedback when inputs are received during a cooldown, such as dash or charge attack). Others are just silly (sliding down ladders more often than not causes a jump right at the beginning, which looks idiotic). And there are a number of bugs involving ledge-hanging that can cause the game to softlock.

    The recent free DLC (i.e., content update) made some much-needed improvements to the map system, including the ability to place markers, and a new game plus mode with added challenge settings. Those are quite enjoyable, and I expect I will continue playing the game for some time.

    Responding to other criticisms I've seen:
    1. The prayer system (spells) are usually not very useful in the normal game, though some can be helpful in speeding up boss fights. In the challenge modes, using prayers can be essential, though it's usually the same couple prayers (the vampire one and a couple of the others). A couple are pretty useless (the bonus prayer from beating the new DLC boss makes no sense to me) and are limited by their very short active time.
    2. The most useful sword upgrade in the game is dash attack, absolutely. But the others are not useless as you might think. Ranged attack is very useful for taking out some of these annoying flying things especially late-game, plus it's essential for some secrets. It becomes EXTREMELY useful in the new game plus challenge modes. Charge attack is still something I've not made great use of. Dive attack and the new combos are quite useful.    … Expand
  3. ljmaddux
    Mar 12, 2021
    4
    I made this account to review this game. I feel that strongly about this...

    This could've been a home run indy game the likes of Salt and Sanctuary or, dare I say, Hollow Knight, if they'd just taken a couple of extra days to improve the controls and iron out a couple of bugs. The controls are the definition of "clunky". It never seems to know when I'm pointing up, left, or right,    I made this account to review this game. I feel that strongly about this...

    This could've been a home run indy game the likes of Salt and Sanctuary or, dare I say, Hollow Knight, if they'd just taken a couple of extra days to improve the controls and iron out a couple of bugs. The controls are the definition of "clunky". It never seems to know when I'm pointing up, left, or right, and there's a pretty significant issue with the character doing an "about face" when the joystick snaps back to the neutral position, which means charging an enemy and then flipping around to swing the sword in the wrong direction is the norm. It's also extremely easy to miss a ladder grab because it never knows when you're pointing up, and the upward strike is equally as problematic (up is really the biggest issue).

    Then the bug...

    There is a persistent bug with this game that causes you to get stuck. I believe it's the result of directing the controls to drop off of a ledge at around the same instant that he grabs it. Very easy to accidentally do this. I would say that approximately 40-50% of my game sessions involved a reboot as a result of this bug.

    Would I recommend it? I guess maybe I still would. It's a really cool game and the themes, plot, and gameplay in general are a lot of fun, but I have to give the devs a wag of the finger and a low score over these fairly significant, and endlessly frustrating, problems.    … Expand
  4. fidelwacho01
    Sep 10, 2019
    9
    Después de casi 10 horas de juego, puedo decir que Blasphemous es un auténtico juegazo y lo recomiendo a cualquiera. El apartado artístico es una absoluta maravilla visual. Que la música sea remplazada en la mayor parte del tiempo por sonido de ambiente le da una inmersión total al jugador en el mundo que han creado. El combate es sólido y preciso, no he tenido crasheos o bugs (aDespués de casi 10 horas de juego, puedo decir que Blasphemous es un auténtico juegazo y lo recomiendo a cualquiera. El apartado artístico es una absoluta maravilla visual. Que la música sea remplazada en la mayor parte del tiempo por sonido de ambiente le da una inmersión total al jugador en el mundo que han creado. El combate es sólido y preciso, no he tenido crasheos o bugs (a diferencia del infame port de Bloodstained) y en general todo es de SOBRESALIENTE... La única razon por la cual le pongo un 9 y no un 10 es pq no me gusta mucho el tipo de letra que usa el juego. Entiendo que es una cuestión de diseño, pero hay veces que confundo letras con otras y es pesado tener que leer varias veces una frase... Por todo lo demás es un juego de 10… Expand
  5. Dex10
    Sep 10, 2019
    10
    Blasphemous is an absolutely gorgeous game, the art style, characters, world design, and gameplay is amazing. Can definitely see this become one of my all-time favourite game! Beautiful!!
  6. Meeleepit
    Feb 6, 2020
    6
    Started off loving this game but ended up stop playing after 13 hours.

    The controls is the biggest issue,its sluggish. Movement is slow, i think there is a bug when you jump and turn around to face an enemy the character freezes for 1 second and then BAM!!! Enemy hits you. Its a hard game but not that hard,starts off fun then precedes to be repetitive . The upgrade system is the    Started off loving this game but ended up stop playing after 13 hours.

    The controls is the biggest issue,its sluggish. Movement is slow, i think there is a bug when you jump and turn around to face an enemy the character freezes for 1 second and then BAM!!! Enemy hits you.
    Its a hard game but not that hard,starts off fun then precedes to be repetitive .

    The upgrade system is the most useless i have seen in any game,the only upgrade worth using is lunging with your sword.

    Then the Miracles (Powers) does next to no damage and this takes about 2 seconds to power up.

    Pros- Game looks stunning,lore is weird and creepy.
    Cons- Horrid controls

    Buy this game only when on massive special    … Expand
  7. Beerbear69
    May 3, 2020
    4
    The game does have very impressive graphics, but other than that it is just a not-so-well-executed retro platformer.

    The combat in this game is made "challenging" by making enemies bullet sponges. Really, I faced a random mob requiring 6 hits to kill in my first 15 minutes of playing this game. The same goes with bosses that tend to have 3 easy to dodge moves, but then require 80 or so    The game does have very impressive graphics, but other than that it is just a not-so-well-executed retro platformer.

    The combat in this game is made "challenging" by making enemies bullet sponges. Really, I faced a random mob requiring 6 hits to kill in my first 15 minutes of playing this game. The same goes with bosses that tend to have 3 easy to dodge moves, but then require 80 or so hits to kill. The only way to fail is by getting bored of the fights and becoming unfocused.

    The platforming in this game is also very easy, and the only "challenge" is made by spikes on the ground, that you could not see coming down because the game offers no way to look down. Sometimes the only choice is to take a leap of faith in the darkness, and hope you won't land on spikes. If you land on spikes, have fun spending 3 minutes walking back to this spot.

    Controlling the character in this game is far more clumsy than it has to be. The "roll" or "dodge" move in this game has a fairly long cooldown. For this reason you will often end up in situations where you must take damage, because you used up your dodge and the movement and spawning of enemies in this game can be very arbitrary. Another complaint is that for some reason dropping down ladders in this game has been made weirdly challenging. After you press the drop down button, you should not press any other button or you will start climbing the ladder again. This minor detail caused me way too much headache for what it's worth. The combat is also super boring. For my 3 hours of gameplay I had a sword that can do a single attack, and a single boring spell. At least till this point of the game you cannot even "pogo" with your sword off enemies, which would already make the combat much more interesting. There is also no option for light and heavy attacks... or anything else to make the combat more interesting. Movement in the game is also extremely tedious, which is only further amplified by giving the dodge move a fairly long cooldown. On top of everything, the game does also suffer from rather frequent frame-drops on Switch, to make the gameplay even more poor.

    The game does offer some form of "soul losing" upon death, similar to Dark Souls. In this all you lose though is some of your maximum mana. The mana limit can be gained back by visiting the area you died. I did not feel though this mechanic offer anything to the game. The loss of 1 mana bar is very insignificant. The mechanic feels like something that was added to the game last minute hoping to ride the Dark Souls hype.

    The map system is very confusing. Normally one square on the map would mean one room, but in this game you just randomly move one square in the map. I kept constantly walking back and forth in the game because the map made no sense to me.

    The game is also just too melancholic. I like the idea behind the aesthetics a lot, but then this game offers nothing to balance the sadness. There is no humor, no companions, nothing to make the game less saddening. This also leads to the fact that the game world feels very empty. You occasionally face NPCs, but their dialogue is complete nonsense. It is written in some kind of old English, which makes it hard to read in the first place, and even so the dialogue includes nothing of value. I honestly had no idea what the characters were up to with their chatting 90% of the time.

    A big positive for the game though is that, you will find spawning points quite frequently. Even if the boss fight would be very boring - at least you don't have to spend more than half minute walking there again. Finding other outstanding positives for the game on top the already mentioned graphics is really not so easy.

    The game is overall just a very basic retro platformer that does nothing innovating and feels like a chore to play, due to it's boring gameplay and overly depressing aesthetics.    … Expand
  8. saxo27
    Sep 12, 2019
    3
    Editing my review. After playing some more, I can say for myself that this game is not fun. It is full of artificial difficulty. One boss has a ton of hp and I continue to lose because it is such a tank that eventually it will widdle me down unless I am perfect. Did the devs do a no hit test run of bosses like Castlevania?

    Also, instadeath as a mechanic is frustrating and artificial. I    Editing my review. After playing some more, I can say for myself that this game is not fun. It is full of artificial difficulty. One boss has a ton of hp and I continue to lose because it is such a tank that eventually it will widdle me down unless I am perfect. Did the devs do a no hit test run of bosses like Castlevania?

    Also, instadeath as a mechanic is frustrating and artificial. I don't want to spend a good percent of my gaming time trekking back to where I died and repeating.

    This is also compounded by the left joy Con drift. One whacky drift and it's instadeath, then tedious jog back.

    Yeah. I dislike this game a lot. Good artstyle but tedious gameplay. This game has difficulty but not based on good game design.Money wasted.    … Expand
  9. altalo
    Sep 10, 2019
    10
    Fantastica historia y gameplay en este metroidvania que es toda una sorpresa del estudio español
  10. GOD_TEACHER
    Sep 10, 2019
    10
    Bloody. Dark. Savage... PIXEL ART !
    PURE METROIDVANIA !
    Only for powerful people....that truly knows how to value.
  11. MedusaMadman77
    Jun 20, 2020
    3
    Absolutely the most overrated game in recent history. Clunky controls, bad collision detection, & sluggish gameplay, make for a really unenjoyable experience. It's just a slog that's more hassle than it's worth. Like playing a bad SOTN clone at 70% speed. There's just too many better games out there.
  12. Sanctify
    Sep 10, 2019
    10
    If you're into metroidvanias, you NEED this game, as it is absolutely splendid.
  13. KrakenOfPepsi
    Jan 7, 2020
    7
    Blasphemous boasts an incredibly gorgeous and intricately detailed pixel art-style which gives the likes of Hyper Light Drifter and Owl Boy a serious run for their money. The setting is horribly violent and depressing, and it never lets up once in the time you’ll have with it. The story itself takes a great deal of inspiration from The Bible and the Holy Inquisition, but doesn’t exist toBlasphemous boasts an incredibly gorgeous and intricately detailed pixel art-style which gives the likes of Hyper Light Drifter and Owl Boy a serious run for their money. The setting is horribly violent and depressing, and it never lets up once in the time you’ll have with it. The story itself takes a great deal of inspiration from The Bible and the Holy Inquisition, but doesn’t exist to advocate or protest The Bible, but simply just take a great deal of inspiration from its themes and narrative. The narrative and lore actually ended up being my favorite part of Blasphemous, I loved how twisted and unrelenting its tale of suffering was, and how it intertwined with its different gameplay mechanics. Upon looking into the games story and world, so much of the games seemingly obscure requirements for beating the game and getting the true ending became far more apparent and made much more sense. The savage world and its enigmatic characters were all interesting and enjoyable, and I was always itching to find out more about while playing.

    Initially the game opens up, letting you tackle three bosses/areas in any order you’d like, but once you’ve completed all three bosses there’s one last big area to complete. But unfortunately that’s where Blasphemous’ important choices end. There are heaps of different abilities and pieces of equipment to try out, but I never found any of them to crucial to beating the game, or even really that fun to use and I have a few specific issues with them;

    - Rosary Bead and Mea Culpa Heart affects were usually pretty minute, and not all that helpful. Most of them had affects that were just not useful at or, or that were so minute in their affects that I didn’t even notice them. The only Rosary Beads that I ended up using consistently were the ones that gave you more HP, MP and defense, which are arguably the most boring.

    - I believe there are only seven Prayers (spells) in the game, and considering you can only have one equipped at once there is simply just not enough variety to make them fun to use. The abilities are fairly fun to use at first, but combined with the fact that you have a very finite MP bar, the abilities have fairly limited practical uses and only being able to have one equipped at once means you’re not only barely using them but you also get stuck with just one at a time – and you can’t even change them unless you’re at a checkpoint. They really should have let you equip multiple at once, or given them more versatile uses because I found that on their own they’re not all that helpful or fun to use, and that I was barely using them.

    - Relics unlock different abilities which are required for finding new areas or hidden objects. This is fine in theory, but two improvements could have been made. 1. You can only have 3 of these 5 relics equipped at once, meaning you have to interchange them instead of just being able to use them all at once. There's no reason to not be able to have all of these effects active at once, it just ends up making them less satisfying to find/use and are tedious to swap in and out. 2. These effects are underwhelming, they do things like make additional platforms appear and give resistances to uncommon hazards like poison smog and water

    The game struggles a little bit with its equipment and abilities, fortunately the games areas are so fun to explore on their own that it is ultimately still very fun to play anyways. Every area has distinct enemies, environments, beautiful music, obstacles and environments to experience, and each is as fun as the last. The games platforming really shines when it’s combined with combat encounters, trying to navigate treacherous traps and tight platforms all while dealing with enemies makes for some really distinct and intense combat encounters, because the game merges the two seamlessly with great success. The controls are tight and responsive, making platforming and combat feel tight and responsive. The great variety in enemies, bosses paired with the amazing animations make for an engaging combat system which is as fun to watch as it is play.

    Blasphemous is certainly worth your time, it’s art direction and story is without a doubt worth the price of admission alone. It controls perfectly, the level design is great, the combat is tight and responsive and all the areas are interesting and fun to explore. It however suffers from some very weak, boring, useless and restraining abilities and items. A lot of potential here, and I look forward to seeing what the developers do next.    … Expand
  14. Gustav04k
    Sep 10, 2019
    10
    A wonderful and beautiful game, very difficult too! Few will be able to truly enjoy this game
  15. Kri
    Sep 13, 2019
    10
    Why this game isn't on the main page? Its truly one of the best of the year...
  16. jeffbizloc
    Mar 28, 2020
    8
    I enjoyed the gameplay of Blasphemous. The difficulty wasn't too bad except for the final 2 bosses. completed in about 13 hours.

    Game(s) like: Salt and Sanctuary, Dead Cells Pros: - The sword play was satisfying - Enjoyed the boss fights Cons: - Not a lot of skill/weapon upgrades - If you are going to fit a boss multiple times don't make me wait and ride and elevator each    I enjoyed the gameplay of Blasphemous. The difficulty wasn't too bad except for the final 2 bosses. completed in about 13 hours.

    Game(s) like: Salt and Sanctuary, Dead Cells

    Pros:
    - The sword play was satisfying
    - Enjoyed the boss fights

    Cons:
    - Not a lot of skill/weapon upgrades
    - If you are going to fit a boss multiple times don't make me wait and ride and elevator each time and listen to the same dialog!    … Expand
  17. TheHambro
    Sep 21, 2019
    8
    Blasphemous is a grotesque, and brutal Metroidvania heavily inspired by the Soulsborne series set in a land with a heavy religious tone. Despite that, the game is bloody, and sometimes downright disturbing, giving it an interesting contrast with its chosen theme. This is yet another fantastic Metroidvania that fans of the genre should sink their teeth into.

    Let’s start with the good    Blasphemous is a grotesque, and brutal Metroidvania heavily inspired by the Soulsborne series set in a land with a heavy religious tone. Despite that, the game is bloody, and sometimes downright disturbing, giving it an interesting contrast with its chosen theme. This is yet another fantastic Metroidvania that fans of the genre should sink their teeth into.

    Let’s start with the good stuff. The 2D visuals are some of the best I have seen: the pixel art is beautifully rendered with so much detail, the animations are incredibly fluid, and the characters, enemies, and bosses are fantastically designed. The music contains many acoustic guitar arrangements that can range from somber to haunting, making it such a superb soundtrack. The gameplay is more methodical than fast paced; you’ll need to pay attention to enemy patterns and use the combat mechanics carefully, but its all flows together very well. In the same sense of the Soulsborne games, there is a ton of lore and a story that you will need to piece together. Finally, there are a ton of secrets and upgrades for you to find throughout the game.

    Alright, let’s talk about the things needing improving. What really keeps this game back is its technical issues. I’ve run into a few bugs/glitches that doesn’t break the game, but will certainly cause unneeded frustration. I’ve seen a few posts where the game suffered a save deleting bug, but I was fortunate enough to not have seen that, but it is something to consider. Other technical issues include some frame rate issues, and some “jankiness” when interacting with the environment. Lastly, a lack of i-frames when your character is stunned can lead to some frustrating deaths since some bosses can stunlock you.

    Blasphemous doesn’t do anything new, but it doesn’t have to because it does what we expect from this formula incredibly well. Sure, the game does have its flaws, but I feel everything is done right and outweighs those issues. This one gets a big thumbs up from me. Do yourself a favor, and definitely pick this one up.    … Expand
  18. Seafood
    Sep 15, 2019
    10
    Absolutely awesome game! Buyer be warned: it ain't easy, but always fair. Very addicitive gameplay.
  19. Lushen1212
    Oct 25, 2019
    9
    Excelente videojuego del estudio sevillano.
    La tematica es increible y esta muy bien trabajado.
    Estilo metroidvania. Juego de sobresaliente.
  20. jimparanoia
    Sep 12, 2019
    9
    Do you like Metroidvanias?
    Do you like Dark Souls mood?
    If yes at one of those question YOU WILL NEED this game. Pros: -Amazing pixel art -Amazing mood and design -Solid combat and upgrade system -Difficulty (yes, it's a plus just because if you like game like this, being beaten and killed is fun) Cons: -I experienced 1 error at my first playthrought where basically all the    Do you like Metroidvanias?
    Do you like Dark Souls mood?

    If yes at one of those question YOU WILL NEED this game.

    Pros:
    -Amazing pixel art
    -Amazing mood and design
    -Solid combat and upgrade system
    -Difficulty (yes, it's a plus just because if you like game like this, being beaten and killed is fun)

    Cons:
    -I experienced 1 error at my first playthrought where basically all the game froze during a dialogue, one of the first in the whole game. Ended up closing and losing some data. Didn't happen again but I am pretty scared could happen again    … Expand
  21. Flaveur
    Feb 9, 2020
    10
    One of the best indie games from 2019. A true gem from start to finish. 100% would recommend.
  22. Hangedman84
    Mar 19, 2020
    10
    Games like this make your heart beat faster! This is one of the best games in the metroidvania genre in its entire thirty-five years history! Almoust all aspects of the game is superb, starting from absolutely gorgeous art style, world design, atmospheric soundtrack, creepy characters and solid combat. And please do not listen to crooke-handed critics, this game is not easy walk but IGames like this make your heart beat faster! This is one of the best games in the metroidvania genre in its entire thirty-five years history! Almoust all aspects of the game is superb, starting from absolutely gorgeous art style, world design, atmospheric soundtrack, creepy characters and solid combat. And please do not listen to crooke-handed critics, this game is not easy walk but I assure you there is nothing that can not be managed. I am pretty average player but more than half of the game bosses were beaten after the very first encounter.

    P.S. I only have two complains:

    1st - You can only equip 3 relics. This gets really tedious and adds nothing to gameplay, as you just always need constantly pause to swap out exploration abilities. These relics should just all be equipped!

    2nd - Game needs more polish, we already on vesion 1.02 but there is pretty much bugs around. None of them was life breaking but still they are here and some of them are annoying. For example - sometimes you can load save data and start in different room not where you supose to be, some platform glitches when you stuck in the air or in the middle of enviroment, if you press map button during falling from hights player character just vanish to nowhere. I hope devs will cure all game bugs in the future updates and give us some cool DLC :-)    … Expand
  23. gregorykarats
    Sep 12, 2019
    10
    The game is amazing and it truly doesn’t deserve the lower ratings from these other gaming publications. Are we experiencing the same game? The art style alone makes it a game well worth playing. It runs great on the switch, and it is the perfect home for it. The religious folk tales and Spanish Inquisition theme the game draws from is something so new and not done before that it really isThe game is amazing and it truly doesn’t deserve the lower ratings from these other gaming publications. Are we experiencing the same game? The art style alone makes it a game well worth playing. It runs great on the switch, and it is the perfect home for it. The religious folk tales and Spanish Inquisition theme the game draws from is something so new and not done before that it really is a breath of fresh air. I hope this Spanish studio comes out with more games like this because it is truly amazing and the pixel art is to die for and so stunning! Please get this game and you won’t regret it!!! This company is amazing!!!!!… Expand
  24. lucianobrantes
    Oct 2, 2019
    9
    A powerful metroidvania/souls-like, with a giant and amazing map. One of the best Nintendo Switch Games launched ever.
  25. Rookie4
    Aug 6, 2020
    2
    So I came back after hearing about a big patch and dlc with NG+ mode.
    So here we go.. From the very start the game wipes your save slot to make the NG+ then asks you to choose from 3 pentances or nothing at all, though the game hints into some hidden content that only made through penitence. So I try to read the description and it was in all gibberish lingo that the game uses. I say ****    So I came back after hearing about a big patch and dlc with NG+ mode.
    So here we go.. From the very start the game wipes your save slot to make the NG+ then asks you to choose from 3 pentances or nothing at all, though the game hints into some hidden content that only made through penitence. So I try to read the description and it was in all gibberish lingo that the game uses. I say **** I'll give it a go anyway, I chose poorly and want to chose otherwise and try out the other pentinence to understand what I me getting myself into. The game then says **** you you shouldn't have done that and gets you out of the whole pentinence dlc RIGHT FROM THE START. So yeah Took me around 5 minutes to start and I'm already finished. Goodbye!    … Expand
  26. CookeKeyes
    Oct 20, 2021
    0
    This is actually a fantastic game, but not on the underpowered switch. The switch version is virtually unplayable due to the input lag. There’s a good half-second delay to everything you do, and in a game that demands as much precision as this one, that makes it unplayable. If you’re thinking about buying this version, be sure to try the demo first. I have a feeling they only added thatThis is actually a fantastic game, but not on the underpowered switch. The switch version is virtually unplayable due to the input lag. There’s a good half-second delay to everything you do, and in a game that demands as much precision as this one, that makes it unplayable. If you’re thinking about buying this version, be sure to try the demo first. I have a feeling they only added that just so you could see how bad it is on switch before buying; no other version of this game on other systems has a demo.… Expand
  27. Android
    Feb 20, 2022
    4
    This game looks and sounds great it's like a heavy metal album cover come to life. Unfortunately, it's also a compilation of the worst parts of NES-era Castlevania platforming and level design. If you enjoy gameplay that consists largely of jumping from one platform to another with no air control, to find an enemy appear on the ledge you're jumping on and hit you backwards into an instantThis game looks and sounds great it's like a heavy metal album cover come to life. Unfortunately, it's also a compilation of the worst parts of NES-era Castlevania platforming and level design. If you enjoy gameplay that consists largely of jumping from one platform to another with no air control, to find an enemy appear on the ledge you're jumping on and hit you backwards into an instant death pit or spikes, then this is the game for you. Otherwise, I'd look into the many other better Metroidvanias out there. The combat and boss design is also nothing to write home about.… Expand
  28. doodlerman
    Sep 6, 2021
    8
    A perfectly solid Metroidvania souls-like with some of the best pixel-art you'll find in a game. It's challenging but never really daunting, so you'll likely never feel overcome with frustration. There are a few late-game glitches that were kind of cumbersome, though (like this one where if you call an elevator on a specific platform, you'll fall through to the floor below). Like DarkA perfectly solid Metroidvania souls-like with some of the best pixel-art you'll find in a game. It's challenging but never really daunting, so you'll likely never feel overcome with frustration. There are a few late-game glitches that were kind of cumbersome, though (like this one where if you call an elevator on a specific platform, you'll fall through to the floor below). Like Dark Souls, the story is vague. Unlike Dark Souls, the way everyone talks is so dense and indecipherable it's almost comedic. It's essentially a word where Medieval Christian guilt is presented literally— or at least that's how I saw it. I never did any digging into the lore but enjoyed it all the same, even if I couldn't really understand much of what was going on.… Expand
  29. ruzhyo2000
    Oct 31, 2021
    0
    This is a profoundly unfun game.

    The good: The art is incredible. The bosses are pretty cool. The bad: Controls are sluggish. Progression feels very slow. Just moving around in this game does not feel fun. Because a lot of the dungeons rely on moving platforms or other threats that are timed, just getting through each dungeon feels tedious. The story and general dialogue in the game    This is a profoundly unfun game.

    The good: The art is incredible. The bosses are pretty cool.

    The bad: Controls are sluggish. Progression feels very slow. Just moving around in this game does not feel fun. Because a lot of the dungeons rely on moving platforms or other threats that are timed, just getting through each dungeon feels tedious. The story and general dialogue in the game is absolutely nonsense. Everyone speaks in riddles and it comes of as a pretentious attempt to be deep but no one is actually saying anything of substance. If you like Metroid don't buy this game because the movement and controls are just not up to the standard it sets. The bottom line is it is just tedious to play and not rewarding.    … Expand
  30. bonsai
    Nov 17, 2022
    8
    Very fun game, 100% worth his price.
    50% metroidvania 50% soulslike, with a lore that really got me hooked in and searching for YouTube videos to explain it.
    The overall experience is a 8/10 imo, it would've been a 9 but the platforming and backtranking can ruin the pace and fun of the game sometime.
  31. Roland_Ninja
    Mar 6, 2023
    7
    The story is to religious, to pretencious and full of meanigless, hard to understand, enigmatic words in old english, however the design of the world and gory art style do the job.
  32. thryce3
    Jul 15, 2020
    7
    Great atmosphere and art style. The Castlevania inspiration is clear, but it doesn't feel like a clone. The combat is more involved with dodges and parries and such. It's a real highlight, but could use some tweaking.
    The lore is deep, but the story isn't that engrossing. There's a lot of dialogue to press through and it's a bit of a chore at times. And it doesn't do a great job of    Great atmosphere and art style. The Castlevania inspiration is clear, but it doesn't feel like a clone. The combat is more involved with dodges and parries and such. It's a real highlight, but could use some tweaking.
    The lore is deep, but the story isn't that engrossing. There's a lot of dialogue to press through and it's a bit of a chore at times. And it doesn't do a great job of making your goals clear.
    The character progression needs some work too. There are some good upgrades, but they should be paced so you're regularly improving. Anyone familiar with Metroidvanias will be immediately looking for the double jump. There are actually very few navigational upgrades and the locked behind obscure sidequests. Oh and the map sucks.
    With all that out of the way, it really is an enjoyable Metroidvania with a great aesthetic. I hope there;s a sequel and it grows from here.    … Expand
  33. jcboyer515
    Nov 24, 2021
    10
    I think this game is incredible & brutal. The art & voice work is excellent & the setting is haunting. This is my low effort review for a game that feels like it pulls off exactly what it was trying to do.
  34. mbestvina
    Sep 4, 2020
    9
    *Edited from a 7 to an 9 and heavily edited my review after the DLC and a few patches. Really an 8.5 for me but I'll bump it up because they addressed so many of my complaints.

    Blasphemous is a gorgeous pixel-art mix of MetroidVania and Dark Souls, like Hollow Knight, Momodora, or especially Unworthy. It's a large 15-20 hour quest that has some ups and downs but it's strengths now    *Edited from a 7 to an 9 and heavily edited my review after the DLC and a few patches. Really an 8.5 for me but I'll bump it up because they addressed so many of my complaints.

    Blasphemous is a gorgeous pixel-art mix of MetroidVania and Dark Souls, like Hollow Knight, Momodora, or especially Unworthy. It's a large 15-20 hour quest that has some ups and downs but it's strengths now outweigh its weaknesses. It's ultimately a much better Souls-like than a MetroidVania but it works really well as a Souls-like so I'd recommend it to that crowd and not the other.

    PRO
    + Pixel-Art. Some of the best pixel-art you've ever seen. Watch a trailer
    + Art-Style. The game goes for Spanish and religious themes with its design and is fantastic. Seems to have a Catholicism-gone-wrong theme which I ove. They added Spanish dialog, which I feel is the way to play the game, given the theming but the English is great too.
    + World Building. The world actually makes a lot of sense and everything fits together logically. Lots of visual variety in the environments. Even though it's 2D, it still does the Dark Souls thing where you can see other levels in the background.
    + Music. Moody, atmospheric, religious music. Castlevania fans apply
    + Large quest. Minimum 15 hours but could be 20+ if you do everything.
    + NG+ was added, basically a hard mode but you keep all your ability upgrades so you don't have to do any tedious backtracking again. I enjoyed NG+ way more than my initial run a year prior, which hammered home what a weak MetroidVania it is
    + Satisfying, crunchy action combat. i-frame dodging, estus flasks, and parrying. SoulsBourneSekiro fans, check it out
    + Good level of challenge, NG+ especially feels perfectly balanced, where every boss took me a handful of tries but always felt fair.
    + Great Bosses across the board, visually and gameplay
    + Free DLC. A few new rooms and additions but mainly just 5 new bosses that work just like the Valkyries in God of War 4.

    MAIN CON - BOTCHED METROIDVANIA ELEMENTS
    - There are only a handful of exploration upgrades and they are entirely missable. Imagine a Metroid game where the morph ball and ice beam are optional... If you like MetroidVanias and not Souls-likes, this game is not for you!
    - Some of the MetroidVania abilities are obtained through really unintuitive side-quests where you'll likely need a guide. I probably wouldn't mind them being optional if you just found them through exploration but the fact that they're gated behind these quests is where it truly fails as a MetroidVania
    - Can only equip 3 exploration upgrades. This gets tedious and adds nothing, as you constantly pause to swap out abilities. They're all passive abilities and should just all just be equipped. Again, imagine a Metroid where you can only equip 3 upgrades, or one where you have to pause and change your suit whenever you go to a water or fire area. Why?

    OTHER CONS
    - Instant-death platforming is rough in a game like this. There's only a few platforming-heavy areas but the 2 main ones are toward the beginning of the game. Stick with it, this element mostly goes away in the second half. Patched coyote jump helps a lot
    - Lackluster RPG elements. There's no leveling system, just a skill-tree. Most of the upgrades you can purchase are very contextual and not helpful in bosses. The dash-stab on the other hand is still broken, allowing you to 1-shot most enemies from afar. No new upgrades for NG+ so they just have you donate souls/exp to the church to get a new costume.
    - Magic isn't great. It's very expensive and there's a lengthy warm-up animation that is usually impractical in boss fights
    - Corpse running is just tedious. You don't lose your souls, just your magic (which is useless) and rate of experience. It's just an inconvenience, and death doesn't have the tension it should

    BUGS
    I encountered a few game-breakers on my first run. My character progression reset after 7 hours and I had to restart and then I was unable to claim my last few estus flasks for some reason toward the end. Also hit a few minor bugs as well. Second run with the patch was totally fine, although one of the DLC rooms glitched and I wasn't able to claim the DLC reward after beating it. Cmon guys, 2 steps forward, 1 back.

    Anyway, I clearly have some mixed feelings about this game but its strengths are so strong that I still recommend it to fans of Souls-likes that also like MetroidVanias. However, again, don't play this if you like MetroidVanias and not Souls-likes.    … Expand
  35. Reed618
    May 23, 2021
    8
    Blasphemous is definitely worth your time if you're a fan of 2d metroidvanias and dark souls. It has some issues but overall offers a lot.

    The art is phenomenal. The world is also well designed and the direction is pretty clear. One issue I had with hollow knight is there came a point where I just had no idea how to progress so I had to look up a guide. With blasphemous this wasn't an    Blasphemous is definitely worth your time if you're a fan of 2d metroidvanias and dark souls. It has some issues but overall offers a lot.

    The art is phenomenal. The world is also well designed and the direction is pretty clear. One issue I had with hollow knight is there came a point where I just had no idea how to progress so I had to look up a guide. With blasphemous this wasn't an issue at all. I always had an idea of what direction I needed to go in.

    The combat is solid but a bit limited. One attack button and then you have a simple projectile which doesn't go far and a magic spell e.g shield that damages enemies. It offers enough to keep things interesting but it's not great. Most of the bosses are solid but with a couple it just felt I was getting by on luck. Waiting for the a.i to behave in a certain way on an attempt so i'd have the upper hand. Also, unlike with a 3d game such as dark souls it's a hassle trying to avoid enemies. So if I die and want to get back to the area where I was it can be a bit of a slog at times.

    The story never grabbed me which is a shame but overall I had a good time with blasphemous. I'd be curious to see what the team behind it can come up with next.    … Expand
  36. ClarkKunt
    Nov 19, 2021
    6
    Absolutely horrendous controls. Game is fun and pretty, but these **** controls killed it for me.
  37. peepeetime
    Aug 27, 2020
    10
    Aug 2020 Edit: With the newest free dlc update "The Stir of Dawn", the devs have pretty much fixed the few issues I had with the game. Therefore I've decided to up my score from 8 to 10. Original thoughts below:

    Despite it being kind of a pain in the ass to backtrack and explore (due to very few warp rooms and having a very limited amount of traversal abilities) this really is a fun    Aug 2020 Edit: With the newest free dlc update "The Stir of Dawn", the devs have pretty much fixed the few issues I had with the game. Therefore I've decided to up my score from 8 to 10. Original thoughts below:

    Despite it being kind of a pain in the ass to backtrack and explore (due to very few warp rooms and having a very limited amount of traversal abilities) this really is a fun game. The environments/characters look spectacular and the boss fights are engaging and feel satisfying to defeat. I was also a fan of the currency flow. I didn't really grind stuff and had enough to purchase upgrades and items when I needed to.    … Expand
  38. sinantos
    Mar 31, 2021
    9
    I just finished this game %100. I both loved and hated the game at the same time. Good story, stylish graphics, good music, very good level design, lots of secrets to explore, beautifully designed side quests and amazing boss fights. However game play is sometimes frustrating. The hardest boss in this game is jumping from point A to Point B. I died countless times just by failing to jump,I just finished this game %100. I both loved and hated the game at the same time. Good story, stylish graphics, good music, very good level design, lots of secrets to explore, beautifully designed side quests and amazing boss fights. However game play is sometimes frustrating. The hardest boss in this game is jumping from point A to Point B. I died countless times just by failing to jump, more than dying in boss fights. In the beginning of the game I visited a place I should have visited later. I was so frustrated to the point of giving up the game, yet I am happy that I didn't. If you loved Darks Souls games, I recommend this game. Please be patient with this game and it will award you handsomely.… Expand
  39. giannis2001
    Aug 11, 2021
    8
    Outstanding platformer. The setting is astounding, the combat feels polished and smooth and the exploring is great. It's also really challenging but fair. I highly recommend it.
  40. AceAscendus
    Dec 12, 2020
    10
    Awesome indie game! Incorporates a lot of good stuff from both Castlevania and Soulsborne games! The artstyle and atmosphere is extremely good, buy it and enjoy it, it is worth the money.
  41. tangerine_dream
    Jun 23, 2023
    4
    This game took like the worst aspects of metroidvania/platformer games and souls-like titles and slapped it together lol.

    Controls are clunky, one shot spikes deaths are annoying, there's certain lack of check points and portals, so the playthrough is artificially longer since you have to rerun the whole thing often because of that random off-screen-pushed-to-pit death, or you have to    This game took like the worst aspects of metroidvania/platformer games and souls-like titles and slapped it together lol.

    Controls are clunky, one shot spikes deaths are annoying, there's certain lack of check points and portals, so the playthrough is artificially longer since you have to rerun the whole thing often because of that random off-screen-pushed-to-pit death, or you have to backtrack A LOT just because... why not?

    Some enemies are hella annoying, and most of them are just hit sponges, there's nothing hard about them really it just takes 5-10 shots to kill them. Some enemies don't care if you block or dodge their attacks, or even pass through them, they damage you anyway.
    There are barely any RPG elements though, compared to idk Dead Cells let's say, these songs or w/e they are called don't have any significant impact, and you have to swap them constantly in inventory menus. Like, wtf?
    I like the aesthetics and graphics though, story-telling is... weird I guess.

    Game looks fun at first, but more you're playing more you're getting bored because of the same actions over and over again. Not the best Metroidvania nor Souls game to be honest, and that mixture makes sense only for die-hard fans of both genres.    … Expand
  42. appledinger
    Jul 1, 2022
    0
    2 hours in, 3 game breaking bugs. cool.

    Since it's making me type more, the game makes you retrace your steps a lot if you die, and it's less of a challenge and more of a "try not to get bored and lose focus" challenge. Once you know where enemies are, you can robotically repeat the same strategies to get past them without using your brain, so it's just burning time. it's like dark    2 hours in, 3 game breaking bugs. cool.

    Since it's making me type more, the game makes you retrace your steps a lot if you die, and it's less of a challenge and more of a "try not to get bored and lose focus" challenge. Once you know where enemies are, you can robotically repeat the same strategies to get past them without using your brain, so it's just burning time.

    it's like dark souls except it forgot to be good.    … Expand
  43. Sijun
    Mar 11, 2021
    9
    Hello sinners! It is finally here and as far as I can say I really can't see any major cons. Let me break it down.

    Pros: - Metroidvania gameplay - beautiful atmospheric pixel art graphics - challenging fights - masterclass atmospheric music - disturbingly gruesome - many customisation options - well writen and atmospheric story line - controls feel good and the port to switch is    Hello sinners! It is finally here and as far as I can say I really can't see any major cons. Let me break it down.

    Pros:
    - Metroidvania gameplay
    - beautiful atmospheric pixel art graphics
    - challenging fights
    - masterclass atmospheric music
    - disturbingly gruesome
    - many customisation options
    - well writen and atmospheric story line
    - controls feel good and the port to switch is awesome executed
    - translation into other languages is pretty good, at least for german (only the text got translated tho, voice is still english, which is good)
    - very good voice acting
    - really cool cutscenes
    - 60 fps ins handheld and tv-mode
    - as of March 2021 they seem to release more updates, which is good

    Cons:
    - I personally wished for more fluid gameplay like dodging midair from the get go but that is so minor it doesnt even is needed
    - I bought the game from german Nintendo eShop and it seems to have no option to change the language back to english (also a really minor con)
    - sometimes it feels a bit weird when bosses change their pattern

    Verdict:
    It is a beautiful, challenging, well writen and atmospheric game. The creators of The Last Door did a really good job and the music by Carlos Viola Iborra delivers once more! I highly recommend supporting this developer so we can get more of those awesome atmospheric games. Well done Game Kitchen, well done!    … Expand
  44. TomMonday
    Jan 11, 2022
    7
    Ending is a bit flat, but the journey until then is engrossing. Feels a lot like Castlevania made by Trent Reznor. A few glitches on Switch, but otherwise smooth gameplay. If you like these kinds of games, you’ll like this one.
  45. Voyevodus
    Oct 16, 2019
    9
    Juegazo. No sé si saldría roto, pero tras conseguir los dos finales, solo puedo decir que me ha parecido tremendo. Hay que cogerle el punto, pero el control es correcto. El combate tiene cierta profundidad para un juego de este tipo. El diseño de enemigos, jefes y mapa es magnífico, así como todo lo relativo al arte del juego. Largo y adictivo.
    Solo una pega: los trofeos perdibles.    Juegazo. No sé si saldría roto, pero tras conseguir los dos finales, solo puedo decir que me ha parecido tremendo. Hay que cogerle el punto, pero el control es correcto. El combate tiene cierta profundidad para un juego de este tipo. El diseño de enemigos, jefes y mapa es magnífico, así como todo lo relativo al arte del juego. Largo y adictivo.
    Solo una pega: los trofeos perdibles. Concretamente "dieta mediterránea": no conseguirlo, aunque tengas el 99% del juego, afecta a otros tres o cuatro trofeos y te obliga a iniciar una nueva partida, pero logrando el 100% del juego.    … Expand
  46. whoaskedhim
    Sep 14, 2021
    4
    September 2021 Update: So many patches! And not one of them fixes the issues with the core platforming mechanics! Bumping the score down from a 6 to a 4 for missing so many opportunities to solve such low-hanging fruit. Why are falls still instant death that sends you back to your last save? This is a platforming game, and one with less than ideal handling. You fall far too often to beSeptember 2021 Update: So many patches! And not one of them fixes the issues with the core platforming mechanics! Bumping the score down from a 6 to a 4 for missing so many opportunities to solve such low-hanging fruit. Why are falls still instant death that sends you back to your last save? This is a platforming game, and one with less than ideal handling. You fall far too often to be punished so harshly.

    ———

    This game has incredible atmosphere, lore, and boss combat, but lackluster, unresponsive platforming. Unfortunately, that platforming makes up >95% of the game play.

    - When you jump up onto a platform, the bottom of your feet pixels need to be above the top of the platform pixels. This isn't intuitive because the sprites are designed to appear to have depth, so your instinct is to aim for the apparent "surface" of the platform when actually you need to aim well above the sprite itself. I couldn't break this habit even a dozen hours into the game. The sprites are that well designed and convincing.

    - Compounding the above, falling to your death is needlessly more punishing in this game than other popular platformers (e.g. Hollow Knight). Instead of losing a unit of health and being reset to your previous platform (or even the start of the room), you die outright. Dying outright in this game, like other Souls-like games, adds cumulative stat punishments to your character until you recover your "soul" where you last died—which is often very difficult because of the poor platforming and instant fall death.

    - Ladders, which make up a surprising amount of the platforming, just don't work well enough. Your character will only successfully grab onto a ladder when the sprites are perfectly centered over each other, and you press "up" on the analog stick. Not "up and slightly left or right," I'm talking "perfect 90° up". You will fall through ladders a lot, throughout the entire game. This is incredibly annoying when you often have to platform jump onto ladders suspended in the air over an instant death fall, or from ladder to ladder.

    If a patch was released that tightened up the platforming and the fall punishment, I would honestly see myself giving this game an 8/10.    … Expand
  47. Mazokie
    Nov 2, 2020
    10
    A wonderful surprise. I played this year hollow knight and it was a fascinating experience in every way. Blasphemous is different but it has lot in common in its essence. A must play for old school gamers, one of my favourite of all time.
  48. VIGIA
    Mar 1, 2020
    5
    Tiene aspectos interesantes, pero en lo más importante falla; el control es nefasto, el plataformeo es terrible, y el juego es difícil artificialmente, porque no se maneja bien, porque las magias y pociones tardar un eternidad en utilizarse (y en los combates contra jefes eso puede ser letal), las quest secundarias no son interesantes, y se basan en mecánicas tediosas... En fin, solo loTiene aspectos interesantes, pero en lo más importante falla; el control es nefasto, el plataformeo es terrible, y el juego es difícil artificialmente, porque no se maneja bien, porque las magias y pociones tardar un eternidad en utilizarse (y en los combates contra jefes eso puede ser letal), las quest secundarias no son interesantes, y se basan en mecánicas tediosas... En fin, solo lo recomiendo si se da una muy buena oferta… Expand
  49. fanmadeendings
    Jul 23, 2023
    10
    What a game. What a deeply flawed, yet absolutely breathtaking game: From the graphics to the atmosphere to the boss fights, this is absolutely incredible and I'm lucky to have found it so late, as it has a bunch more content, is way more polished and the sequel is right on the way!
  50. Gerdo
    May 6, 2023
    10
    Incredible. It starts slow and gets you frustrated. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes a really awesome game with a gloomy/religious aesthetics. Totally recommended.
  51. bancandrei
    May 15, 2020
    5
    I am not a fan of metroidvanias, but I am a fan of the studio so I gave this one a try. The attack is a bit slower than I would like and the heaviness of the combat feels cartoony. Art style is good and unpleasant.
  52. Luxox412
    Sep 25, 2020
    10
    Incredible game, with a good duration, a very immersive environment, the graphics are perfect for you, the music, the bosses, all very good, a challenging difficulty but not so high as to get bored, a variety of languages ​​and the best everything is its free downloadable content.
  53. Daisuk
    Jul 24, 2020
    10
    Brilliant game. Challenging boss fights, well designed map and rooms, lots of interesting areas to explore, lovely art style, diverse enemy types and overall just a gripping atmosphere throughout. Some of the religious lingo gets a bit to obtuse at times, making quests a bit hard to understand, but it doesn't really take away from the overall experience of the game. One of the very bestBrilliant game. Challenging boss fights, well designed map and rooms, lots of interesting areas to explore, lovely art style, diverse enemy types and overall just a gripping atmosphere throughout. Some of the religious lingo gets a bit to obtuse at times, making quests a bit hard to understand, but it doesn't really take away from the overall experience of the game. One of the very best metroidvanias out there.… Expand
  54. BorjAngel88
    Aug 20, 2020
    9
    Un juego excepcional, pone a prueba la pericia del jugador al 100% y tiene un arte y un lore detrás BRUTAL
  55. Sus1216
    Jul 12, 2020
    8
    No soy mucho de indies y menos de pixel art, pero debido a la temática que trata y a que es un juego de un estudio español, me lancé de cabeza. Blasphemous es un juego Metroidvania a lo Dark Souls. La historia apenas se cuenta y vas obteniendo pistas de ciertos diálogos y objetos que vas encontrando. Creo que uno de sus puntos fuertes es la temática, el arte religioso y la iconografíaNo soy mucho de indies y menos de pixel art, pero debido a la temática que trata y a que es un juego de un estudio español, me lancé de cabeza. Blasphemous es un juego Metroidvania a lo Dark Souls. La historia apenas se cuenta y vas obteniendo pistas de ciertos diálogos y objetos que vas encontrando. Creo que uno de sus puntos fuertes es la temática, el arte religioso y la iconografía cristiana de Sevilla. Vamos, la Semana Santa. Todo esto llevándolo a lo turbio, que es lo atractivo del juego. El diseño de personajes y escenarios está muy chulo desbloqueando ciertos caminos y atajos para conectar zonas y que así los viajes sean más cortos. Los combates no son muy difíciles una vez que descubres el patrón del boss. Creo que lo más difícil es no morir saltando zonas difíciles o cuando estás rodeado por enemigos. Yo lo he jugado en Switch, pero no lo recomiendo. Los Joycon no me han favorecido en la experiencia. A pesar de ello, el juego lo recomiendo porque es un joyita, sobre todo para descubrir a sus personajes y los escenarios basados en la Semana Santa de Sevilla.… Expand
  56. fruitbat1015
    May 26, 2023
    10
    This game should be a perfect 10. By far one of the best MV's of all time! The only complaints I had was the lack of a short hop, and it's hard to grab the ladders when jumping from left or right. Amazing game!
    h
  57. Vovashashunov
    Nov 22, 2020
    8
    Многие жаловались на кривой платформинг, но ничего такого я не заметил. Не очень удобная карта, в которой не всегда удобно ориентироваться. Побочные квесты в основном это сбор предметов для NPC, тоже не особо порадовало. По итогу до финала игры так и не понял как дополз всего с парой апгрейдов HP и меча.
    Затянула боевкой, офигенным лором и визуальным оформлением, залипнуть можно    Многие жаловались на кривой платформинг, но ничего такого я не заметил. Не очень удобная карта, в которой не всегда удобно ориентироваться. Побочные квесты в основном это сбор предметов для NPC, тоже не особо порадовало. По итогу до финала игры так и не понял как дополз всего с парой апгрейдов HP и меча.
    Затянула боевкой, офигенным лором и визуальным оформлением, залипнуть можно рассматривая задники локаций и персонажей. Очень крутые и запоминающиеся боссы, кроме трёх сестёр.    … Expand
  58. Bravelilengine
    Sep 29, 2022
    8
    Played on Switch Lite.

    This game has the best pixel graphics I have ever seen. It feels like you are playing through a work of art that is grim, dark, and beautiful. Blasphemous instantly got my attention the first time I saw it in the eshop it was the one of the first games I bought after receiving my switch. The atmosphere, and lore was so interesting it looked like a 2d Dark Souls so    Played on Switch Lite.

    This game has the best pixel graphics I have ever seen. It feels like you are playing through a work of art that is grim, dark, and beautiful.

    Blasphemous instantly got my attention the first time I saw it in the eshop it was the one of the first games I bought after receiving my switch. The atmosphere, and lore was so interesting it looked like a 2d Dark Souls so I just had to have it.

    Now while the graphics, and atmosphere is a solid 10/10 some areas have room for improvement. To be honest I stopped playing this game shortly after buying it. Playing it at first was great, but a few hours in I was annoyed by the mechanics it just put a bad taste in my mouth. I recently picked it back up when all the free dlc came out I thought I would finally try again, and very glade I did. While it still has issues it was a fun ride that most people will love.

    Read past Pros, and Cons for detailed thoughts.

    Pros:
    -Breath taking graphic style, and atmosphere.
    -Fluid, and fun combat.
    -Lots of lore.
    -Smooth fps (maybe 5 secs of lag in one area other then that smooth to the end).
    -Great world design, dense map there was so much to do, and unlock.
    -The right amount of difficulty (not to hard, but not easy either).

    Cons:
    -Dodgy platforming
    -Frustrating bugs
    -Lack luster upgrade system for sword.
    -Repetitive back tracking.
    -Slow movement speed for said back tracking (wish there was some kind of movement upgrade when out of combat).
    -Some bosses had annoying mechanics.
    -Button inputs not responding occasionally.

    The platforming in this game isn’t really that great. First of all the automatic ledge grabbing is frustrating I can’t count how many times I simply wanted to just drop down, but would just continuously grab a ledge.

    I learned that you can only jump on a platform if you are above it or on the same level. I have made jumps that looked like they were going to land, but fell right through just because the platform was slightly above the other one.

    I also had issues with some enemies just always seem to hit me even if I dodged the hit boxes feel a bit off. There are no eye frames when being knocked down I have been juggled by enemies, and bosses to death because of no time to recover.

    The game bugged out a few times causing a restart. Enemies would get stuck on screen instead of dieing in segments where you need to kill all enemies to proceed this happened a few time, and a single crash which is the only time I ever dealt with a crash on switch btw. One other bug was my guilt (what drops upon death) was on top one hit kill spikes.

    Upgrading the sword was so lack luster I never used half the stuff I upgraded the only things that felt worth it was the lunge attack, and the combo finishers. I had like 16k points by the end of the game cause I just didn’t need the other upgrades.

    Even with all these problems I still very much enjoyed the game, and would recommend you give it a go. Maybe the 2nd installment will fix most of these issues either way I will be looking forward to more from these developers.


    Even with all these problems I still very much enjoyed the game, and would recommend you give it a go. Maybe the 2nd installment will fix most of these issues either way I will be looking forward to more from these developers.    … Expand
  59. Fluffito
    Feb 28, 2021
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Challenging title.

    Latest update (Strife & Ruin) added a good deal of content, but also added a tremendous number of bugs. Some minor, some disastrous.

    Doing my best to be vague to avoid spoilers, here...

    * Secret/hidden room in the library is bugged. Passage does not open when the “conditions” are fulfilled.
    * Mini sidequest in the library cannot be completed. Unable to talk to the one to be banished.
    * Various movement hiccups, some of which cause the player to fall through gaps in boss abilities and take damage. Instances did not happen pre-update. I’d have given the title an 8/10, but I’m taking off a couple points for the game-breaking bugs introduced with the update.    … Expand
  60. JAG7
    Sep 6, 2023
    7
    This game is great. I enjoyed many aspects of the exploration and adventure. The combat is awkward and cheap at times. It could be very punishing if you start at the “snow” level. The plataforming is not so good. I didn’t enjoyed it . You simply can’t jump accurately sometimes. The music and graphics are excellent. The art and backgrounds are beautiful. The story is interesting and dark.This game is great. I enjoyed many aspects of the exploration and adventure. The combat is awkward and cheap at times. It could be very punishing if you start at the “snow” level. The plataforming is not so good. I didn’t enjoyed it . You simply can’t jump accurately sometimes. The music and graphics are excellent. The art and backgrounds are beautiful. The story is interesting and dark. This was definitely a work of love with a couple of execution issues: plataforming, combat.
    Update: In the DLC is almost impossible to kill the bosses and you have to do NG+ and do a specific quest order to see the true ending even if you killed the DLC’s bosses. I’m not playing again just for that . That really was very disappointing    … Expand
  61. Terrax
    Jun 24, 2021
    10
    This game is a masterwork action RPG/platformer metroid-whateveria. Despite all it's similarities to say Dark Souls or Castlevania it absolutely stands out and up on it's own merit as a deeply stylish, haunting world and narrative. PSA as well: If you have trouble with the controls, switch to the d-pad for movement. It makes all your inputs much more exacting and really helps you finesseThis game is a masterwork action RPG/platformer metroid-whateveria. Despite all it's similarities to say Dark Souls or Castlevania it absolutely stands out and up on it's own merit as a deeply stylish, haunting world and narrative. PSA as well: If you have trouble with the controls, switch to the d-pad for movement. It makes all your inputs much more exacting and really helps you finesse say some of the more difficult trick platforming in the added Bloodstained content.

    I triple recommend the game if you've ever had a brush with hardcore faith or Catholicism in your life. As an ex-catholic it felt sublimely cathartic to experience themes all too familiar with a new coat of paint, underscoring both the grotesquely but also grace and elegance of faith.

    This game is perma-downloaded on my system and it has so much replayability that even after three runs I can absolutely see myself coming back on a rainy day.    … Expand
  62. alltheveg
    Mar 20, 2021
    8
    Tough, fair, beautiful, intriguing, novel, replayability, and lots of content.
  63. ophone
    Nov 29, 2021
    7
    This game's extremely catholic atmosphere of the 16th century with its references to inquisition, sins and suffering had me involved right from the start.
    Its pixelated graphics are marvellous (most notably some backgrounds, its handful of huge bosses and the execution animations) perfectly accompanied by its moody Spanish guitar tunes. I needed to get used to the controls, although after    This game's extremely catholic atmosphere of the 16th century with its references to inquisition, sins and suffering had me involved right from the start.
    Its pixelated graphics are marvellous (most notably some backgrounds, its handful of huge bosses and the execution animations) perfectly accompanied by its moody Spanish guitar tunes. I needed to get used to the controls, although after a while I controlled the Penitent One rather smoothly.

    But finally after roughly 30 hours, having discovered 90% of the map and done almost 80% of completion I send Blasphemous back to the shelf. At that stage the game gives hints how to proceed extremely sparingly, taking from me all the enjoyment it gave me initially.
    I really wanted to love that game but now it feels like a chore when I start it.    … Expand
  64. EternalAR58
    Jan 2, 2023
    10
    Me encanta, un juego hecho por hispano hablantes, con el lore cristiano a flor de piel, ese acercamiento 2D al souls like, con misterios y muchos lugares por descubrir, pocas experiencias me han gustado tanto, siempre con ganas de volverlo a jugar.
  65. Zski
    Oct 3, 2021
    7
    Fantastic atmosphere, graphics, and sound. The dark Catholic-inspired imagery is very well executed. I like the world building and lore, it’s really vague and doesn’t go into great detail, but it hits that sweet spot where it’s really captivating despite being very nebulous. The controls are solid, you’ll study the enemies patterns to master the combat, the boss fights are cool, everythingFantastic atmosphere, graphics, and sound. The dark Catholic-inspired imagery is very well executed. I like the world building and lore, it’s really vague and doesn’t go into great detail, but it hits that sweet spot where it’s really captivating despite being very nebulous. The controls are solid, you’ll study the enemies patterns to master the combat, the boss fights are cool, everything is great. Also, a lot of the game mechanics are very poorly explained - throughout most of the game I still didn’t know what several items and moves did. There were also several moments of frustration where the game didn’t explain what to do next, and wandering around aimlessly doesn’t make this game fun,, so I spent a lot of time looking at my phone figuring out what to do next. This gets better after the first half of the game, when everything makes a bit more sense. Overall, the gameplay itself is good - it doesn’t really do anything new, but it really shines the most in the atmosphere and the lore which is passively provided to you throughout the game. They actually did a solid job with post-game content as well, so there is plenty more to do after you complete the game. Typically I stop playing after I complete a game, but I put a bit more time into the new game plus mode.. I think a sequel will really make this formula shine and really reach its potential.… Expand
  66. jorgepc95
    Apr 17, 2022
    9
    One of the best indie games to date, one of the best metroidvanias ever made and one hell of a art-style and soundtrack. Kind of difficult if you don't pay enough attention to the mechanics and secrets of the game. A lot of collectibles, hidden stuff and replay value.

    Very recommended if you have knowledge of Catholicism and don't care a lot about the religion.
  67. Elite_Institute
    Mar 5, 2022
    9
    "Blasphemous is a very meaty game, with a lot of content available for your first playthrough and a lot more available after beating the game (NG+ contains stuff that you won’t encounter during your first completion!). Overall, the game is a visual treat and a delight to play. Its refusal to help you with your quests, the lack of bestiary, and having some areas that could have done with an"Blasphemous is a very meaty game, with a lot of content available for your first playthrough and a lot more available after beating the game (NG+ contains stuff that you won’t encounter during your first completion!). Overall, the game is a visual treat and a delight to play. Its refusal to help you with your quests, the lack of bestiary, and having some areas that could have done with an extra save area or shortcut, all prevent the game from being the masterpiece it deserves to be. However, it is still a great game that deserves to be played. It’s [thankfully] nowhere near as challenging as the likes of Dark Souls or Hollow Knight, but it’ll still provide a tough challenge for those who want to be punished."

    https://theeliteinstitute.net/2021/07/25/blasphemous/    … Expand
  68. Daige
    Jan 10, 2023
    3
    This game has SERIOUS control issues! I'm a longtime gamer who is VERY familiar with platformers, Metroidvanias and I can handle really difficult games but this game just makes me rage.
  69. IamSquid
    Jan 2, 2023
    10
    This game is everything I want from a Metroidvania, and the aesthetic is incredible. If there's a downside to it, I'd say that the game developer's should have bitten the bullet and instead of making the game about a made-up religion that resembles medieval Roman Catholicism, they should have actually made it about medieval Roman Catholicism - THAT would be blasphemous.
  70. Applejackson75
    Nov 8, 2021
    5
    I'm only a couple minutes into the game but already I can see I won't be able to play it here on Switch because they didn't include in-game button mapping. Yes, I know you can remap system wide. That's the problem. I always have a & b swapped system-wide so that 'accept' and 'cancel' are where they're supposed to be, but now jump is A and attack is across the way at Y. That's gonna be aI'm only a couple minutes into the game but already I can see I won't be able to play it here on Switch because they didn't include in-game button mapping. Yes, I know you can remap system wide. That's the problem. I always have a & b swapped system-wide so that 'accept' and 'cancel' are where they're supposed to be, but now jump is A and attack is across the way at Y. That's gonna be a problem, I can tell. At least this is available elsewhere, unlike Metroid Dread. I realize I can swap every time I play the game, but I can also just play something else that doesn't require me to do that. Why every game doesn't have mappable buttons by now is beyond my understanding.… Expand
  71. JoeyPL5
    Nov 16, 2021
    9
    Really good Metroidvania, but compared to Hollow Knight it's impossible to give this a 10.
  72. lailxd
    Dec 22, 2021
    10
    What I like about this game:
    dark ages religious atmosphere.
    challenging game play.
    characters design and dialogs. They are ridiculous and I love them.

    I think most of the early user reviews are lower since the game had a lot of bugs at the start, but most were ironed out at this point.

    I will forever rate this game as 10/10. can't wait for Blasphemous 2!
  73. Guzidi
    Dec 28, 2021
    9
    Great art style and theme, really interesting deep story! Addicting gameplay and progression with good build customisation available, although controls can be feel clunky and difficult at times but that is just part of the game to overcome.
  74. Ginger_Avenger
    Feb 15, 2022
    7
    I'm a fan of the genre, so this game was enjoyable. Well, enjoyable when I wasn't cursing up a storm at some of the challenges. Like similar fare in 2d or 3d, you just to have to learn to love dying a lot. I never felt the game was unfair, just quite tough for an old softy gamer like me. While the combat was good once I got used to it, I found the controls (I've only played this SwitchI'm a fan of the genre, so this game was enjoyable. Well, enjoyable when I wasn't cursing up a storm at some of the challenges. Like similar fare in 2d or 3d, you just to have to learn to love dying a lot. I never felt the game was unfair, just quite tough for an old softy gamer like me. While the combat was good once I got used to it, I found the controls (I've only played this Switch version) to be a bit janky at times (example - I guess I have a hard time getting analog sticks to go true north or south? this made me turn instead of face an enemy or not execute an upward slash) . Such gameplay issues are balanced by a very interesting and, to be honest, kind of creepy, world of religious imagery and beliefs. A long enough game to satisfy the exploration bug without too much tedium or padding. I don't go nuts in Metroidvanias generally, but I tried to get most of the items in this one and only a few times did I feel the reward wasn't worth the effort. That stated, once I finished, I felt like I was good with just completing the base game and not trying the DLC.… Expand
  75. Heimdall64
    Apr 29, 2022
    8
    Artísticamente es una obra maestra, se hubiera agradecido una mejor fluidez en los controles, y personalmente que hubiese sido un poco menos difícil los boss, aunque su dificultad es tolerable.
  76. Shajck
    May 22, 2022
    9
    Juego muy completo y entretenido a más no poder. La música, ambientación y las horas de juego son un puntazo para un juego que se disfruta desde el primer momento.
  77. TronicG
    Aug 7, 2022
    6
    Setting and aesthetics are amazing. Great lore. Combat is decent. Punishing difficulty, seems unfair at times. Cryptic side quests, no clear direction in story. No way of keeping track of quests nor story. Stupid amount of backtracking. Most of the time I found myself wondering around with no clear direction or goal. It could have been a great game if it wasn’t for it’s game design. A bigSetting and aesthetics are amazing. Great lore. Combat is decent. Punishing difficulty, seems unfair at times. Cryptic side quests, no clear direction in story. No way of keeping track of quests nor story. Stupid amount of backtracking. Most of the time I found myself wondering around with no clear direction or goal. It could have been a great game if it wasn’t for it’s game design. A big shame.… Expand
  78. no_one2
    Dec 29, 2022
    1
    first impressions is great, feels fine, when attacks hit feels/sound great, i don't really look around the story. so i have nothing to say about that. what matters the most is the gameplay.

    and after playing for hours i started to hate the game more and more. - like enemies in the edge of the screen hitting you, before you can even react, knocking you off of the platform - death pits    first impressions is great, feels fine, when attacks hit feels/sound great, i don't really look around the story. so i have nothing to say about that. what matters the most is the gameplay.

    and after playing for hours i started to hate the game more and more.
    - like enemies in the edge of the screen hitting you, before you can even react, knocking you off of the platform
    - death pits and spikes that i can't see because i'm so high up,
    - fast travel is non existant save points being so far apart from one another.
    - questionable bell hit boxes in the castle
    - started feeling the char walk to dang slow, making going through the game feels like a slog.
    - so many, and i MEAN SO MANY ANNOYING ENEMIES.
    - dodges feels so sluggish. due to the cooldown that shouldn't exist.
    - that one enemy boss in the bridge, where i have problems looking at the animations. because the start of the attack animations is the same as his other 9 atk animations, and i just have to quess which one's which, why am i playing a guessing game here.

    i've played so many metroidvanias, and most of the time when i lost to something i can see what's the problem and not do it again in the future.
    but this is by far the most annoying game i've ever played out of every one of em. i quit,come back, quit,come back,quit come back again and again and everytime i tried coming back to the game, every death, every damage that i got from the game, feels like i'm not at fault.

    my biggest problem is how **** the mobility of the character feels and that's the biggest reason i gave it a 1/10    … Expand
  79. Jerg4n
    Apr 8, 2023
    8
    Fun exploration, good bosses and the art style is both gorgeous and disgusting.
  80. Mattersend
    Aug 25, 2023
    3
    As someone whole absolutely loved hollow knight and defeated radiance I cannot recommend this game. The art and ambience is great but the gameplay is simply not fun. Movement is sluggish and to confound frustration the game requires you to play it a certain way, I.e. slowly. Each enemy is a puzzle and should be defeated a specific way. There is absolutely no “flow” to the movement orAs someone whole absolutely loved hollow knight and defeated radiance I cannot recommend this game. The art and ambience is great but the gameplay is simply not fun. Movement is sluggish and to confound frustration the game requires you to play it a certain way, I.e. slowly. Each enemy is a puzzle and should be defeated a specific way. There is absolutely no “flow” to the movement or platforming. You are regularly punished in unfair ways because you did not approach the enemy or situation the way the game expects you to. In order to have a shot at the last boss you have to do a ton of backtracking to fully upgrade your sword, otherwise expect to never beat the final boss. That backtracking is extremely tedious due to how not-fun the movement and platformibg is. To sum it up I’ll put it like this: whereas in HK I enjoyed every second of the two days it took to beat the white palace and radiance, Blasphemous feels like a chore the whole way through - it’s just not fun.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

27
#27 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 27
  3. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. Gamers' Temple
    Apr 1, 2020
    97
    Blasphemous is a gothic horror masterpiece that can't be missed.
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  2. FNintendo
    Mar 26, 2020
    90
    Blasphemous is a marvelous work of the Metroidvania genre with an art style based on pixel art and which features exquisite combat mechanics and an eye-filling visual environment marked by gloom and desolation. This is without a doubt one of the richest and most defying Metroidvania adventures to reach the market in recent years and a fundamental game for everyone who enjoys a good gaming experience of this kind.
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  3. IGN Japan
    Jan 28, 2020
    78
    Blasphemous is a high-difficulty metroidvania-like side-scroller. Its gory violence is not for everyone, but together with its grim yet beautiful background scenery, it delivers a well-crafted ominous world. Just like a splatter movie, this is the kind of game you might want to dive into if you’re looking for serious thrills.
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