GAMES / REVIEWS
F
roma stylisticperspective,Blasphemousis more
interestingthanmostgamesinspiredbyDark
Souls.Thischallenging2Dplatformertakes Dark
Souls’themeofpunishment,andbroadensit outto become
thefocusofanentiregame.If thatmakesBlasphemous
soundhorrible,well,it is,butnotinthewayyoumight expect.
Blasphemoustakesplaceinthefantasyrealmof
Cvstodia,whoseenvironmentdesignandgeneralaesthetic
is heavilyinspiredbyCatholicism(oratleasta specific
readingofCatholicism).YouplaythePenitentOne,a
conicallyhelmetedpaladinwhois thesolesurvivor of a
terriblemassacre.
Makingyourwaydownfromthecharnelpile,you come
across a being who tasks you with taking down the Miracle,
a seemingly benevolent deity which has corrupted
Cvstodia’s populace into guilt-ridden, self-loathing forms.
You must carve your way through the mysterious and non-
linear environments, unpicking treacherous paths and
battling huge bosses.
The main draw is Blasphemous’ distinctive, grotesque
visual style. Over the course of the game’s 20-odd hours,
you’ll explore steep and snowy mountainsides, charred,
dustbowl-like wastelands, toxic underground cisterns and
the cavernous interior of Jondo, a giant, upturned bell sunk
deep into the ground. These places can be explored in any
order, with cleverly interconnecting paths that unlock as
you progress./VERDICT
Blasphemous’
mechanics
don’t quite
match the art,
but there’s still
fun to be found
in its dark and
twistedworld.
OVERALL SCORE
73 %
DIVINE
+Incredibleart
design
+Interesting
worldandlore
+Fantasticbosses
WICKED
- Generalcombat
canbecomerote - To o m a n y
cheap deaths
Blasphemous
/ £19.99 inc VATS
DEVELOPER TheGameKitchen / PUBLISHER Team17It’s not a lighthearted jaunt, however. Everywhere you go
is decorated with human bodies, wracked and bound as they
futilely pursue the Miracle’s spiritual salvation. Some of
them are the enemies you have to fight. Women bound to
stone statues of angels try to crush you with their painful
burden, while masked men try to rend your flesh using the
scourge-like whips with which they flagellate themselves.
Enemies often die spectacularly, engulfed in flames or
suddenly crumbling.
The remarkable visual presentation is coupled with a rich
and cryptic backstory that delves deeper into Blasphemous’
pastiche and critique of the Catholic faith. Mechanically,
however, Blasphemous is less compelling. Most enemies
only have one attack, so fighting them quickly becomes rote.
Indeed, Blasphemous’ challenge stems less from fighting
and more from its frequently treacherous platforming, so
your own deaths tend to feel cheap rather than noble.
Fortunately, Blasphemous compensates with its
stunning boss encounters, which is clearly where the
majority of work on the game’s combat has gone. Each
boss has multiple attacks that it can mix up, and which
evolve over the course of the fight. They’re as satisfying as
they are spectacular, embodying the corrupt majesty of the
game’s world. Ultimately, Blasphemous isn’t quite as
distinctive to play as it is to see, but that doesn’t prevent it
from being a darkly fascinating adventure.
RICK LANE