Between fascination and disgust, the Blasphemous video game is devilishly aptly named

Blasphemous is clearly not a video game to put in all hands. Developed by the Spanish studio The Game Kitchen, it depicts an oh so gloomy universe, nourished by an assumed graphic violence and populated by horrors inspired by Christian iconography (in its most abject form) and Hispanic folklore. It embodies the Penitent, a hero who took a vow of silence and survived a strange curse called ‘The Miracle’ – which is already a sacred blasphemy for people of faith.

Armed with a deliberately cryptic narration (even if there are plenty of clues everywhere), Blasphemous flourishes in the Metroidvania genre, an old-fashioned action and adventure game, multiplying the interconnected levels and, above all, the secrets to unlock (like a certain Hollow Knight). It’s simple, if you and one of your friends launch the game, maybe you won’t see the same things — due to totally different paths. Therein lies the wealth of Blasphemous : his world arouses as much fascination as dread, even disgust, an ambivalent feeling that pushes to know more.

Blasphemous is horribly intoxicating

Blasphemous is primarily a Metroidvania of formidable efficiency, for those who appreciate old-school experiences. We feel that the developers have learned their lessons by heart, giving birth to a successful gameplay. You have to love going back several years, to a time when millimeter jumps and reflexes in combat were sine qua non conditions for triumph. Not that Blasphemous is prohibitively difficult, but it still requires a little skill. For example, a bad fall can be synonymous with certain death, with all that that implies in terms of frustration.

Otherwise, the – many – fights are far from being off-putting, provided you manage the placement of the enemies (who are there to cause you problems, as a reminder). One could also believe that Blasphemous assumes a certain Dark Souls heritage, which is true when we see that it forces you to return to your corpse to recover all its power. On the other hand, the bosses are far from being insurmountable. In truth, they are more impressive, visually, than strong enough to force multiple attempts. Once you master the slide and parry, Blasphemous would almost become a fitness trail. In any case, it turns out to be less punitive than it looks.

Especially since the Penitent has several tools to improve himself, potion vials (which are regenerated at each point of passage, like the basic enemies) to the various objects he can pick up to facilitate his life. Besides, there are many, many things to recover in Blasphemous — some being more or less useful. Similarly, it offers a whole bunch of optional encounters, sometimes related to quests. The most memorable is certainly the one that consists of picking up human remains. We warned you: Blasphemous can really be horrible to watch.

As in other video games in the Metroidvania genre, Blasphemous imposes many round trips – knowing that the architecture of the levels encourages them. The hero regularly receives new abilities that allow him to access places that were previously forbidden to him. Fans of 100% risk being over the moon, as long Blasphemous offers a gold mine of discoveries. You have to love the macabre, animated here by an artistic direction in pixel art (sublime, detailed and, of course, gory, especially during the executions). In short, do not hesitate to succumb to Blasphemousunless you are a very sensitive soul.

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